The Changing Postal Environment

Postal and parcel delivery operators around the world face serious challenges, and this collection looks at them through an economic lens. Many in the sector are responding to what amounts to a near-crisis by introducing sweeping reforms, and interest in the economics of mail and delivery has grown considerably.

Policymakers in Europe are still working through several questions. How should postal markets be opened to new entrants? How can competition from digital players be managed? And how can the universal service obligation (USO) be preserved? Digitalization, new technologies and online platforms are reshaping both how postal operators (POs) run their services and the position they hold in the market. Particular attention goes to the assets POs possess and the value they can add in the digital age, along with the new business strategies they might pursue.

The volume gathers original essays by leading researchers in the field. The chapters were selected and revised from papers presented at the 27th Conference on Postal and Delivery Economics, held in Dublin, Ireland, from 22 to 25 May 2019. Among the subjects covered are the fragmentation of the postal supply chain, blockchain and digital postal services, and the gradual disappearance of the lines that once separated traditional postal markets.

The book is intended as a resource for graduate students and professors, as well as for postal administrations, consulting firms and federal government departments.