Dive Brief:

• The United States Postal Service (USPS) will soon begin offering a program in 20 major U.S. cities that permits shoppers to buy online from participating retailers before deadline on Saturday to receive their purchases on Sunday, the Washington Post reported.
• Participants have not yet been listed, but Walmart admits to considering the possibility as it continues waging battles with Amazon.
• The new service is indicative of the Postal Service’s move into more parcel delivery to compensate for the shrinking first-class mail market.

Dive Insight:

With the holidays right around the corner, it's good news for many that avoiding the mall just got a little easier. 

The USPS is working hard to emerge from its shell of antiquity and  keep pace with 3PLs, planning for self-driving vehicles, maintaining package transfers diverted by UPS and FedEx, and proving itself the master of last mile logistics honed by years of experience.

Now it's piloting a program to offer Sunday delivery, an option not offered by UPS or FedEx, and one which avoids a rise in delivery prices during peak season or the new year. Further, the one day turnaround is highly appealing to shoppers who may procrastinate or prefer long-established shops or specialty items unavailable from Amazon. It's a surprising move from a government agency, but it could be a highly effective one, depending on initial response and revenue earned.

Finally, because the trial run will happen during the holidays, recipients will enjoy gift delivery every day of the week. And who wouldn't look forward to that?