The Copenhagen Institute for Future Studies has prepared a report for the International Post Corporation which provides an in depth insight regarding the trends being felt throughout the postal industry.
The report is divided into seven sections covering a wide range of issues affecting the postal sector across the world.
The sixth section looks at the future role that letters mail could play as a communication device as we head towards the year 2020. Amongst the key findings are:
- Mail customers will become more environmentally conscious and come to expect more flexible and customised services from postal carriers.
- Consumers will increasingly demand that their mail be either delivered to online accounts or be redirected to the place that is most convenient for them to collect it (at work, local store, school or at home)
There is also recognition that direct mail’s ability to communicate directly with the consumer could lead to an increase in the value of targeted mailings. In this regard there is likely to be evidence of increasingly sophisticated customer databases being used to conduct lower volume targeted mailings – which are less costly to produce and distribute.
The report also highlights the need for postal services to adapt to the new challenges they will face. Their social roles in the markets they serve will also come under increasing scrutiny.
The European Postal Directive highlights the need for the service to remain universal during market liberalisation and emphasises the social and economic importance of efficient postal services as an essential instrument of communication, trade, and social and territorial cohesion.
