Postal Rate Increase Packs Powerful Punch —Michelson

Postal reform and rate hikes, obviously, put greater strain on the print vs. electronic communications debate. Although the impact on print volume is hard to assess due to rate design changes, Interquest predicts overall volume reductions from 2007 to 2010 of 2.9 percent for catalogs, 2.7 percent for periodicals and 2 percent for direct mail. The total impact will vary depending on sectors and business models, and how the market responds to the new shape-based rates, according to the researchers.