The contribution of the postal and delivery sector : between e-commerce and e-substitution

Result of the 25th Conference on Postal and Delivery Economics, held on May 24–27, 2017 in Barcelona, SpainThis book addresses major issues facing postal and delivery services throughout the world. Worldwide, there is currently a considerable amount of interest in postal and delivery economics. The industry is in a state of near crisis and drastic change is needed. The European Commission and member States are still wrestling with the problem of how to implement entry liberalization into postal markets, how to address digital competition, and how to maintain the universal service obligation (USO). The Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006 in the U.S. has perhaps created and exacerbated the problems faced by USPS. Post Offices (POs) have been slow to address the threat of electronic competition. On the other hand, e-commerce presents opportunities for POs to expand their presence in parcel delivery and perhaps help finance or redefine the USO. A major aim of this book is to address strategies POs can use to reinvent themselves for the digital age. This book compiles original essays by prominent researchers in the field, which will be selected and edited from papers presented at the 25th Conference on Postal and Delivery Economics held in Barcelona, Spain, May 24-27, 2017. That conference, and this volume, commemorates the memory of Michael Crew who organized twenty-four prior conferences and co-edited previous conference volumes. This book is a useful tool not only for graduate students and professors, but also for postal administrations, consulting firms, and Federal Government departments.Academic Hubs and the Intellectual Infrastructure of Economic Regulation -- On Some Historical Contributions of the Postal and Delivery Conference -- Michael Crew ́s and Paul Kleindorfer ́s Scholarly Contributions to the CRRI Postal Conferences 19902012 -- Towards Legal Certainty on Article 9 and Applicable Obligations for Postal Service Providers -- Applicability of per sender ́ ́ Reasoning for Corporate Groups -- Regulation Quo Vadis? -- PAEA ́s Take on Regulatory Economics -- Are European CrossBorder Parcel Delivery Services Affordable? -- Analysis of the Effect of Management Quality Variables in Delivery Cost Functions -- Postal Users ́ Needs Regarding Accessibility to the Postal Network -- When Does Sacrificing NextDay Delivery Help USO Sustainability? -- The Pricing of CrossBorder Parcel Delivery Services -- Pricing and Efficiency Decisions for Letter and Parcel Markets When Industrial Relations Matter -- The Impact of Competition on Consumer Prices for CrossBorder Parcels -- Have MarketDominant Mail Rates Risen Faster than the CPIU? -- Simulating Cost Effective Parcel Delivery Methods for Postal Services -- An Assessment of the Objectives Background I -- Testing the European Single Market -- How Ecommerce Is Shaping a New ConsumerFocused Regulatory Framework for the European Parcel Delivery Market -- Is There a Viable Future for the Postal Sector? -- Price Elasticities and Factors Driving International Contract Export Mail Sent from the UK to Western European Countries -- An Exploration of the Impact of Parcel Volume Growth on the Service Performance of Letter Mai