Washington, D.C.—The U.S. Postal Service, which has been aggressively courting commercial mailers with a variety of promotions, will reprise its 2D barcode promotion first launched last summer.

January 24, 2012 – The Greeting Card Association (GCA) estimates that approximately 150 million greeting cards will be purchased for Valentine's Day this year in the U.S. This figure is based on member company sales and does not include children's packaged valentines for classroom exchanges. Valentine's Day is the second-largest holiday for giving greeting cards, behind Christmas.

By Stephanie Faris

If trips to the post office are a regular part of your business day, you may be concerned about the news that many post offices will be scaling back operations this year. Over 3,700 post offices may soon close, which could leave you without a place nearby to mail packages. But even more alarming to small businesses is the post office’s decision to stop next-day first class mail service. This could slow payments from your customers, affecting your cash flow and hurting your bottom line. But with a few useful tips, your business can beat the postal service’s cutbacks and make things even more convenient for you and your customers.

For retailers, growing the business in 2012 often means knowing their customer in oddly intimate ways, including what they say off the cuff about brands on social media, what time of day they shop, even where they are geographically.

By Stephanie Clifford and Claire Miller
The New York Times

Harold Pollack used to spend $1,000 a year on Amazon, but this fall started buying from small online retailers instead. The prices are higher, but Dr. Pollack says he now has a clear conscience.

The 24th Annual LOUIE Awards committee is pleased to announce the judges for this year's LOUIE Awards. Esteemed Judges Include Prominent Retailers, Industry Members and Editors

NEW YORK—Following on a strong 15.1-point gain in November, this month’s consumer confidence index rose a further 9.3 points this month, to 64.5, according to The Conference Board, which compiles the monthly indicator.

Dec. 23 (Bloomberg) -- As Bing Crosby croons “White Christmas” in malls around the U.S., retailers from Chicago to Boston are betting on a snow-free weekend to cap a strong holiday shopping season.

SEATTLE, WA – Party Partners, designer of time-tested, classic party supplies, has teamed up with The Madison Park Group, a leading stationery and gift manufacturer, to manufacture and distribute its products.

Washington, D.C.—The U.S. Postal Service has announced that it will delay the closing of any mail processing centers and post offices until May 15, responding to requests by multiple U.S. legislators to allow time for proposed postal reform legislation to be enacted.

C.R. Gibson, a leading manufacturer of treasured gifts that preserve, create and celebrate memories, announces the acquisition of the Cid Pear license, a brand founded in 2004 by Tina Givens known for its soft, sophisticated and character-driven premium stationery. An expanded Cid Pear collection by C.R. Gibson will debut at the 2012 Winter Markets, beginning with the Atlanta Gift Show in January. The new collection will be on display in C.R. Gibson's newly renovated showroom in AmericasMart Building 2, Suite 1837. The Cid Pear line will be represented nationally by OneCoast/National Division One, and will be featured in OneCoast showrooms in Dallas (Suite 256) and Las Vegas (C-803).

Washington, D.C.—The U.S. Postal Service announced today that, because of its plans to dramatically cut the number of its service centers, next-day delivery of first-class mail will be eliminated.

Humorous stationery manufacturer Old Tom Foolery has launched “Words of Wisdom, circa 1891”—a new line of handmade posters derived from a century-old instructional book. With their antiquated advice and old-fashioned illustrations, the vintage posters are funny in a charming, ironic sort of way.

Washington, D.C.—The U.S. Postal Service posted a $139 million loss for October, the first month of its 2012 fiscal year. That compares with a net profit of $283 million in the same period last year.

Office supplies retailer OfficeMax Inc. plans to focus more web resources on small business, which increasingly is the fastest-growing segment of its online customer base.

WASHINGTON–Consumers' voracious appetites for great deals on Thanksgiving and Black Friday this year helped secure this weekend's place in the record books, according to the National Retail Federation.

By Clair Cain Miller, The New York Times

Does the idea of buying holiday cards, gathering the mailing addresses for friends and family, writing personal notes by hand, buying stamps, addressing envelopes and carting them to the post office just make you hate the holidays?

Washington, D.C.—Facing an estimated $9 billion loss for its fiscal year, the U.S. Postal Service has again requested a postal rate increase above its legal limit, a year after being turned down for a similar request.

New York—A new postal reform bill, introduced in the Senate today with bipartisan support as well as an endorsement from the Direct Marketing Association, proposes to reduce the number of post offices, keep Saturday delivery for at least two years and eliminate 100,000 postal employee jobs.