Busiest Mailing Day | ABC30 Fresno | abc30.com

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By ABC30

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Fresno, CA, USA Inside Fig Garden Book Store, you will find Jean Shore-chatting with her customers. Shore has owned the small gift shop for more than two decades. She called the 2008 holiday shopping season unique-not in a good way. Shore said, "It's more challenging this year. People are buying differently. And we need to. We know that the economy is a big factor in the whole world right now."

With gift givers buying less, fewer gifts are being mailed. Jim Robison works with the U.S. Post Office. Robinson said, "Fewer people working. Less money, less to spend." Robison said they are also competing with on-line shoppers leading to less mail on the move.

Most of the valley's mail comes to Downtown Fresno. People are very busy sorting all the letters, packages and cards. But this year, the post office expects to handle a billion fewer pieces of mail compared to last year. But you wouldn't know that by looking at Marie Avila. Avila said, "I've got 22 Christmas cards, Sees candy and gifts."

Avila's gifts will join the estimated 960 million cards and letters that will be processed on Monday. Only two weeks remain in the critical holiday shopping season. Already business owners like Shore hope the New Year's economy brings more to celebrate. Shore said, "I think it is going to turn around, but I don't think it will happen over night."

Important Dates to Remember:

Mail-by Dates

Dec. 16 Parcel Post
Dec. 20 First-Class Mail
Dec. 20 Priority Mail
Dec. 23 Express Mail

Facts from U.S. Post Office

19 billion Number of cards, letters and packages to be delivered between Thanksgiving and Christmas
3.4 billion Number of letters mailed over the holidays.
82 million Average daily number of First-Class cards and letters mailed.
960 million Number of pieces of mail processed on Dec. 15, the busiest mailing day of the year.
700 million Average number of pieces of mail processed daily.
826 million Average number of pieces of mail processed daily during the holidays.
20 million In pounds, the amount of mail the Postal Service will process for overseas military installations, including war zones in Iraq and Afghanistan.
7,400 Number of Post Offices with expanded hours.
214,500 Number of vehicles used to transport holiday mail, including 188,336 half-ton trucks
2.17 billion Number of holiday stamps the Postal Service printed this year.
130 million Number of customers who visit the Post Office during the holidays.

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