Canada Post eliminates over 1,000 red street letter boxes but reports e-commerce growth

Canada's primary postal operator, Canada Post, has removed over 1,000 of its red letter boxes from Canadian streets, largely because the country’s household mail has dropped off 17 percent in the past 5 years.  In 2009 Canada Post had 31,584 street letter boxes and in 2011 reduced that number to 30,546.  The Canadian crown corporation reports that corresponding use of epost, its online mailbox service (http://www.canadapost.ca/cpo/mc/personal/epost/default.jsf), has increased dramatically and that, with service available at almost 6,500 Canada Post counters across the country, large e-retailers such as Wal-Mart, Gap, and Old Navy, are using Canada Post to deliver their parcels. While in 2006, parcels coming from e-commerce from the top 25 shippers represented about 13 percent, that number climbed to 32 percent last year.

http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1126915--canada-post-eliminates-more-than-1-000-red-street-letter-boxes?bn=1

Wanted: More pro-print testamonials

Nathalie Atkinson’s Nov-24th article (detailed in my last post) and a quick check of my old blog posts from about 12 months ago twigged further memories of similarly pro-printing testamonials that were circulating in the media around this time last year.  (See:  http://vicg8.blogspot.com/2010/11/cross-platform-holiday-catalogues.html)

Can anyone else provide other links to this kind of helpful evidence reinforcing the power of print?  

In praise of printed catalogues

Today the National Post's articulate columnist Nathalie Atkinson has come out with a strong and entertaining statement about the sales value of printed catalogues, based on consumer behaviour (and using herself as an example).  The article, called “Catalogues & the case for paper cuts”, might make enlightening reading for your printing clients who are thinking of converting to e-commerce exclusively.
http://www.nationalpost.com/opinion/columnists/Catalogues+case+paper+cuts/5759445/story.html

Cross-platform holiday catalogues improve shopping experience for customers

Recent innovations by major retailers to their holiday catalogues have confirmed my September-2010 report from major Canadian binderies that the market for printed catalogues is evolving in new directions but still remains strong:  https://www.box.net/shared/15ln6t43jf 

As just one example, Sears Holdings Corp. has expanded the value of its holiday tool catalogue as a specialized niche publication via such innovations as full-length articles, QR bar codes, and extensive links to social media.  A Florida tool lover’s online review of this year’s catalogue really drove home the impact of these new features to me by describing how much his annual pleasures of pouring over the publication and compiling his Christmas wish list have been enhanced by access to such online extras as product reviews, demo videos, and chatting with tool experts:  http://www.mysears.com/Tools--7018/topics/Sears-Holiday-Tool-Catalog-2010-Review/posts

For more details on how the Wish Book makeover is designed to enhance the customer’s experience see:  http://www.internetretailer.com/2010/11/09/sears-launches-cross-platform-holiday-gift-guide

P.S. on 19 Nov/10:  The efforts of recovering giant, General Motors, to sustain its profitability also include an extensive push on social-media marketing:  http://www.thestar.com/business/article/892771--gm-s-rebirth-sparks-investor-frenzy?bn=1 http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?R=1008053  Thanks to my LinkedIn contact Cristina Molinari, VP Sales at ATEX Inc. in Montreal, for referring me to the last link.