Think your Monday was hectic? Maybe so, but probably not as hectic as your local post office’s.
Monday was the “heaviest” day of the year for cards, letters and packages coming into post offices across the country, according to Doug Kyle, spokesperson for USPS Mississippi District.
Kyle did not have a specific number for Columbus’ post offices, but on average daily volume jumps nationwide from 533 million pieces to 553 million pieces during the holiday season, he said.
Between Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve the total volume coming into the United States’ 31,000-plus post offices will likely be 12.7 billion. Roughly 470 million of those will be packages, Kyle said. By comparison, USPS delivered about 434 million packages during last year’s holiday season, according to a USPS press release.
Online traffic at usps.com spiked Monday, too. There were 7 million visits to the website, according to Kyle.
“We like to say ‘this is our season,'” Kyle said.
The “heaviest” delivery day for postal workers will be Wednesday for cards and letters. For packages, it will be Thursday, according to Kyle.
Beginning the day after Thanksgiving, USPS began delivering packages seven-days a week. It will continue through Christmas.
“(Sunday) we delivered 4.6 million packages nationwide,” Kyle said.
Monday was the last day to mail packages standard post for delivery before Christmas. First Class and Priority Mail can be mailed through Dec. 20 and still arrive before Santa does, according to Kyle.
USPS has expanded post office hours at 31 Mississippi locations, including at the Bluecutt Road location in Columbus. On Dec. 13 and Dec. 20, that post office will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., according to a USPS release.
William Browning was managing editor for The Dispatch until June 2016.
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