Chestnut Hill Post Office Won't Be Studied For Cost-Cutting Potential

The Chestnut Hill Post Office appears to be off the chopping block for now as the U.S. Postal Service looks for ways to cut costs.

The postal service said Tuesday it would study approximately 3,700 postal branches nationwide to determine customer needs. According to a list released Tuesday, the branch and  postal store are on the list, as is the East Germantown location (at 2031 66th Ave.).

The Chestnut Hill branch on Germantown Avenue wasn't named.

“Today, more than 35 percent of the Postal Service’s retail revenue comes from expanded access locations such as grocery stores, drug stores, office supply stores, retail chains, self-service kiosks, ATMs and usps.com, open 24/7,” Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe said in a news release. “Our customer’s habits have made it clear that they no longer require a physical post office to conduct most of their postal business.”

The release did not say that any post offices were closing but called the study the next step in right-sizing the postal service's retail network. 

The East Falls branch was also included in the study.

The postal service, the release continued, recently introduced the concept of the village post office as a potential replacement option for communities without a post office or those affected by retail optimization efforts. 

Village post offices would be operated by local businesses like pharmacies, grocery stores and other appropriate retailers, and would offer popular postal products and services such as stamps and flat-rate packaging.

The release did not state how long the study would be or possible outcomes but seemed to hint that changes could be in store. 

“The Postal Service of the future will be smaller, leaner and more competitive and it will continue to drive commerce, serve communities and deliver value," it said.

Click here for a full list of locations being studied.