Possible elimination of weekend mail service sparks debate

There is an ongoing debate between those who rely on the United States Postal Services as to whether or not the elimination of Saturday mail would negatively affect business operations.

Some argue that moving to a five-day delivery schedule would not harm companies that primarily target other businesses based on the fact that most professionals don't check their mail during the weekend anyway. However, for direct mailers who are trying to engage residents, the move could weaken outreach efforts.

In a recent interview with the Witchita Business Journal, Vergil Esau, owner of Handy Mailing Service Inc. in Wichita, Kansas, said that the fewer days could mean fewer customers for those in the service industry.

"A lot of consumers make decisions on the weekend," Esau told the news source. "For things like lawn care, they might like that to be in the home on Saturday, so when people are home working in the yard they’ve got that piece of mail."

The USPS has not made any concrete plans but it appears evident that it will be forced to make major cuts. The agency is expected to experience an $8 billion budget deficit during 2011.