Between Nov. 26 and Dec. 30, the Postal Service accepted 11.7 billion mailpieces and packages into the network with an average delivery time of just 2.5 days.* The Postal Service also released FY23 second quarter service performance scores covering Jan. 1 through Jan. 6. Data for the reporting period shows the average time to deliver a mailpiece or package across the postal network was just 2.6 days. Quarterly data included: *First-Class Mail: 89.4% of First-Class Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, a decrease of 1.6 percentage points from the fiscal first quarter. *Marketing Mail: 93.6% of Marketing Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, consistent with performance from the fiscal first quarter. *Periodicals: 84.5% of Periodicals delivered on time against the USPS service standard, consistent with performance from the fiscal first quarter.

InTech magazine, the flagship publication of the International Society of Automation (ISA) will soon be all tech: it is ending its print edition and will now be published only in PDF format six times a year. It seems appropriate—if a little belated—that the ISA publication would go all-digital. The magazine found in a reader survey that 67% read InTech's digital edition, which is delivered via email. And 38% visit visit www.ISA.org/InTech to read there. But 46% never pick up a paper issue.

Savvas Learning Company, a K-12 next-generation learning solutions leader, is pleased to announce that it has been named to the 2023 GSV 150, a list of the world’s most transformative private companies in education. Savvas was chosen from more than 4,000 private companies revolutionizing the world of education technology, from Pre-K-12 to workforce learning. GSV Ventures evaluated these companies on five criteria — revenue scale, revenue growth, active learner reach, international reach, and margin profile — to determine the global GSV 150 list.

Learning technology company HMH and NWEA, a not-for-profit, research and educational services organization serving K-12 students, announced today they have signed an agreement for HMH to acquire NWEA. Upon closing, NWEA will operate as a division of HMH, with its current offerings, including its flagship assessment—MAP Growth—remaining under the NWEA brand. NWEA assessment solutions will be integrated with HMH curriculum on HMH’s platform to create a combined offering that links interim assessment to instruction. HMH is a portfolio company of Veritas Capital, a private investment firm that focuses on companies that provide technology and technology-enabled solutions to government and commercial customers worldwide. By combining NWEA’s assessments with HMH’s curriculum, HMH is expected to deliver a holistic solution for educators that helps them understand how students are growing academically and what areas need the most focus to maximize that growth. Most importantly, this solution will turn insights from assessments into content recommendations that help teachers address student-specific skill gaps and advance student learning.

Gannett is closing ThisWeek Westerville News & Public Opinion both in print and online, effective Jan. 26, according to the Gannett paper The Columbus Dispatch. According to the Dispatch, the decision is part of a broader digital transformation that will allow the company to concentrate its reporting strength on the Dispatch and Dispatch.com. “This decision helps ensure the success of the core Columbus Dispatch product,” said Edwina Blackwell Clark, executive editor of The Dispatch.

The book printing market is experiencing high levels of demand and a continued resurgence among consumers for physical books. While a good problem to have, it could be a problem nonetheless as we move into 2023. Kevin Spall, senior VP at Scholastic, offers a perspective on this from the publishing side, explaining: “Publishers are full, having overbought because demand was high and capacity was low. We bought inventory to be prepared. And now, as demand softens, we still have inventory. The need to reprint is less certainly than it was a year ago when the demand was just starting to spike, and those are not issues that are going to go away quickly.” Demand has soared in 2022, according to the Book Manufacturers Institute’s (BMI) "State of the Book Industry 2022” report. The printed book market remains on an upward trajectory, continuing to build on the momentum of 2020, when COVID-19 kept people at home and interest in reading surged.

To kick off the new year, Kohl’s is donating more than $500,000 to more than 20 nonprofits serving families in Milwaukee and Waukesha Counties through the Kohl’s Hometown Giving Program. The Kohl’s Hometown Giving Program, now in its fifth year, is an important part of the retailer’s local community support and provides another funding opportunity for nonprofits looking to expand and develop their programming to further enhance the health and wellness of families. “Kohl’s is such a big part of the greater Milwaukee area, so it’s especially important that we give back here through our philanthropic work in a significant way,” said Tara Geiter, Kohl’s director of community relations. “We’re proud to provide funding through Kohl’s Hometown Giving Program, among many other local initiatives, to help support our communities through the incredible, impactful work these nonprofits are doing year-round to enhance and improve family health and wellness.” Grants range from $5,000 to $25,000 and are made possible through the Kohl’s Cares® merchandise program, which sells children’s books and plush toys and donates 100 percent of the net profit to health and wellness organizations nationwide.

Total Company net sales for the two months ended December 31, 2022 increased 2.3% compared to the two months ended December 31, 2021. Total Retail segment net sales increased 1%, with comparable Retail segment net sales increasing 2%, partially offset by a 1% negative impact of foreign currency translation. The increase in Retail segment comparable net sales was driven by low single-digit positive growth in digital channel sales and low single-digit positive growth in retail store sales. By brand, comparable Retail segment net sales increased 15% at the Free People Group and 7% at the Anthropologie Group and decreased 10% at Urban Outfitters. Wholesale segment net sales decreased 22% driven by a decrease in Free People wholesale sales primarily due to a decrease in sales to department stores. Nuuly segment sales increased 150% due to a 153% increase in our subscribers during the two months ended December 31, 2022, as compared to the prior year period. For the eleven months ended December 31, 2022, total Company net sales increased 5.1% compared to the eleven months ended December 31, 2021. Comparable Retail segment net sales increased 4%, driven by high single-digit positive growth in retail store sales due to increased store traffic and low single-digit positive growth in digital channel sales. Wholesale segment net sales decreased 3%, primarily driven by a decrease in Free People Group wholesale sales primarily due to a decrease in sales to department stores, partially offset by an increase in sales to specialty accounts. Nuuly segment sales increased 176% due to a 187% increase in our subscribers during the eleven months ended December 31, 2022, as compared to the prior year period.

FY23 preliminary first quarter service performance scores covering Oct. 1 through Dec. 30 included: *First-Class Mail: 90.1% of First-Class Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, a decrease of 2.1 percentage points from the fiscal fourth quarter. The current data reflects a year over year increase of 1 percentage point compared to the same period in the FY22 peak holiday season. *Marketing Mail: 94.0% of Marketing Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, a slight decrease of 0.8 percentage points from the fiscal fourth quarter. The current data reflects a year over year increase of 1.8 percentage points compared to the same period in the FY22 peak holiday season. *Periodicals: 84.7% of Periodicals delivered on time against the USPS service standard, a decrease of 2.1 percentage points from the fiscal fourth quarter. The current data reflects a year over year increase of 3.8 percentage points compared to the same period in the FY22 peak holiday season.

Costco Wholesale Corporation reported net sales of $23.80 billion for the retail month of December, the five weeks ended January 1, 2023, an increase of 7.0 percent from $22.24 billion last year. For the 18 weeks ended January 1, 2023, the Company reported net sales of $82.16 billion, an increase of 7.6 percent from $76.34 billion last year.

Publishers had a reasonably good year in 2022, but 2023 could be rocky, judging by new research by the Alliance for Audited Media (AAM). In 2022, 67% saw an increase in digital subscriptions, and 40% reported increased web traffic. But 80% experienced rising production costs, and 53% were hit with distribution challenges. The survey was limited to 30 executives at AAM-audited publishers. This is not projectible, but it does provide a snapshot. Of those respondents, 82% said advertising would continue to be a main source of revenue, while 57% expect digital subscriptions would be a primary source, and 54% said the same about print subscriptions.

The Postal Regulatory Commission voted unanimously to designate Commissioner Mark Acton as vice chairman of the Commission effective January 1, 2023, succeeding Commissioner Ann Fisher. Agency regulations provide that the commissioners elect a member to serve as vice chairman for a term of one year. Commissioner Mark Acton was reappointed to the Commission by President Barack H. Obama on December 12, 2016, for a third term of continued public service extending until October 14, 2022, and was confirmed by the United States Senate on December 10, 2016. President George W. Bush first nominated Mr. Acton as a postal rate commissioner on November 7, 2005, and he was confirmed by the Senate on August 3, 2006. Prior to his appointments, Mr. Acton served as special assistant to the chairman of the Postal Rate Commission and assisted in managing all aspects of agency operations.

WBA first quarter sales decreased 1.5 percent from the year-ago quarter to $33.4 billion, an increase of 1.1 percent on a constant currency basis. Operating loss was $6.2 billion in the first quarter compared to operating income of $1.3 billion in the year-ago quarter. Operating loss in the quarter reflects a $6.5 billion pre-tax charge for opioid-related claims and litigation. Net loss in the first quarter was $3.7 billion compared to net income of $3.6 billion in the year-ago quarter.

The Postal Regulatory Commission unveiled its 2023-2028 Strategic Plan. The Plan is robust and resilient, allowing the Commission to anticipate changes to the postal system and to adapt as necessary to ensure transparency and accountability of the United States Postal Service. The four Strategic Goals identified encompass the Commission’s priorities and strategic focus throughout 2023-2028: Strategic Goal 1: Anticipate and adapt to an evolving postal system through a responsive and trusted regulatory framework. Strategic Goal 2: Enhance and expand communication of accurate and relevant regulatory information to postal stakeholders, policymakers, and the general public. Strategic Goal 3: Develop an internal infrastructure to support and strengthen our regulatory capabilities through adaptive policies, efficient processes, and scalable platforms. Strategic Goal 4: Build an organization that will attract, develop, and retain a diverse workforce of experts.

FY23 first quarter service performance scores covering Oct. 1 through Dec. 23 included: *First-Class Mail: 91.6% of First-Class Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, a decrease of 1.6 percentage points from the fiscal fourth quarter. The current data reflects a year over year increase of 1.8 percentage points compared to the same period in the FY22 peak holiday season. *Marketing Mail: 94.0% of Marketing Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, a slight decrease of .7 percentage points from the fiscal fourth quarter. The current data reflects a year over year increase of 2.3 percentage points compared to the same period in the FY22 peak holiday season. *Periodicals: 85.1% of Periodicals delivered on time against the USPS service standard, a decrease of 1.7 percentage points from the fiscal fourth quarter. The current data reflects a year over year increase of 3.9 percentage points compared to the same period in the FY22 peak holiday season.

The Alabama Media Group is killing the print editions of The Birmingham News, the Huntsville Times and the of Mobile. All three will cease on February 26, 2023. This is part of a restructuring by parent Advance Publications that also included New Orleans’ Times-Picayune, NPR writes. Bates continues that the combined circulation of the three titles was 260,000 a decade ago, but not is down to around 30,000. In contrast, AL.com pulls a million people a day, NPR continues.

A customer-led, technology-enabled revolution is transforming the retail industry. That’s according to global market intelligence firm IDC, which has released its annual “FutureScape: Worldwide Retail 2023 Top 10 Predictions.” The report predicts how the worldwide retail industry will evolve. Below are IDC’s top 10 predictions: 1. By 2025, 20% of the top 100 global retailers will drive holistic business result using distributed artificial intelligence (AI) systems with integrated data across retail planning, decisions, operations, and optimization. 2. By 2025, 50% of retailers will increase data management and governance technology investments by at least 20% to obtain insights from growing amounts of data to increase omnichannel revenue.

The United States Postal Service reported new delivery performance metrics for the 11th week of the first quarter for fiscal year 2023. The average time to deliver a mailpiece or package across the postal network was 2.5 days for the eighth consecutive week even as mailing and shipping traffic increased. FY23 first quarter service performance scores covering Oct. 1 through Dec. 16 included: *First-Class Mail: 91.6% of First-Class Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, a decrease of 1.6 percentage points from the fiscal fourth quarter. The current data reflects a year over year increase of 1.5 percentage points compared to the same period in the FY22 peak holiday season. *Marketing Mail: 94.1% of Marketing Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, a slight decrease of 0.7 percentage points from the fiscal fourth quarter. The current data reflects a year over year increase of 2.3 percentage points compared to the same period in the FY22 peak holiday season. *Periodicals: 85.3% of Periodicals delivered on time against the USPS service standard, a decrease of 1.6 percentage points from the fiscal fourth quarter. The current data reflects a year over year increase of 4.1 percentage points compared to the same period in the FY22 peak holiday season.

Given all of the attention that the Department of Justice’s successful trial to block Penguin Random House’s purchase of Simon & Schuster drew, it can be hard to remember what other trends, challenges, and issues confronted the publishing industry in 2022. In many ways, last year the industry was still dealing with the fallout caused by the pandemic. For one thing, return-to-office policies remained in flux throughout the year; just when a publisher would announce plans to bring back employees to the office for a few days a week, another surge would come along and scuttle those plans. In addition, executives at the big publishers were meeting stiff resistance from employees on any sort of mandate to return to the office. In PW’s most recent salary and jobs survey, respondents said that the creation of work-from-home policies was the most important benefit their company established during the height of the pandemic, and the overwhelming majority of respondents were concerned that their company would soon be requiring employees to be in the office for a certain number of days each week.

The Association of American Publishers (AAP) today released its StatShot report for October 2022 reflecting reported revenue for Trade (Consumer Books), Higher Education Course Materials, and Professional Publishing. The report does not include PreK-12 revenue due to delays in data collection. Total revenues across all categories, excluding PreK-12, for October 2022 were down 9.3% as compared to October 2021, coming in at $1.2 billion. Year-to-date revenues were down 5.1%, at $10.6 billion for the first ten months of the year. Trade (Consumer Books) sales were down 13.7% in October, coming in at $978.3 million.

As ACMA attorneys Martin Eisenstein and Nat Bessey wrote in Part One) of their two-part Legal Corner series to members last month (unlocked version here for non-members too), a major issue for the industry was the effort of the Massachusetts Department of Taxation to apply the Supreme Court’s ruling in South Dakota v. Wayfair retroactively and assess many ACMA members and other remote merchants retroactively for sales tax liabilities for periods prior to the Supreme Court’s decision in Wayfair. Brann & Isaacson is proud to announce that today we received a favorable, and unanimous, decision of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court invalidating the Department’s assessment. The Court found that absent a physical presence in Massachusetts, the Department did not have the authority to assess sales taxes based upon Internet contacts. The Court held that cookies/apps/content delivery networks do not constitute physical presence. This is a significant victory for the industry and a great holiday present. Thank you to all ACMA members and other companies for your support in this effort. link to full report: https://catalogmailers.org/member-exclusive-acmas-legal-corner-state-and-local-agencies-are-at-it-again-in-sales-tax-actions-pt-1-of-2-2/

The United States Postal Service today announced that it expects to acquire at least 66,000 battery electric delivery vehicles as part of its 106,000 vehicle acquisition plan for deliveries between now and 2028. The vehicles purchased as part of this anticipated plan will begin to replace the Postal Service’s aging delivery fleet of over 220,000 vehicles. The Postal Service anticipates at least 60,000 Next Generation Delivery Vehicles (NGDV), of which at least 75% (45,000) will be battery electric. As part of this plan, a total of 21,000 additional commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) vehicles are also expected to be battery electric, depending on market availability and operational feasibility. The Postal Service also anticipates including internal combustion vehicles necessary to meet immediate vehicle replacement needs.

Amazon will no longer sell digital magazine and newspaper subscriptions via Kindle Newsstand, starting next year. The tech giant is also phasing out its print textbook rental program, Publishers Weekly reports. Amazon issued this statement to Publishers Weekly: “Following an assessment of our print textbook rentals and our magazine and newspaper subscriptions and single-issue sales, we have made the difficult decision to discontinue these services.”

FY23 first quarter service performance scores covering Oct. 1 through Dec. 9 included: *First-Class Mail: 91.7 percent of First-Class Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, a decrease of 1.4 percentage points from the fiscal fourth quarter. The current data reflects a year over year increase of one percentage point compared to the same period in the FY22 peak holiday season. *Marketing Mail: 94.1 percent of Marketing Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, a slight decrease of 0.7 percentage points from the fiscal fourth quarter. The current data reflects a year over year increase of 1.9 percentage points compared to the same period in the FY22 peak holiday season. *Periodicals: 85.5 percent of Periodicals delivered on time against the USPS service standard, a decrease of 1.3 percentage points from the fiscal fourth quarter. The current data reflects a year over year increase of 3.5 percentage points compared to the same period in the FY22 peak holiday season.

Fourth Quarter Fiscal Year 2022 Financial Highlights *Adobe achieved revenue of $4.53 billion in its fourth quarter of fiscal year 2022, which represents 10 percent year-over-year growth or 14 percent in constant currency. Diluted earnings per share was $2.53 on a GAAP basis and $3.60 on a non-GAAP basis. *GAAP operating income in the fourth quarter was $1.51 billion and non-GAAP operating income was $2.02 billion. GAAP net income was $1.18 billion and non-GAAP net income was $1.68 billion. *Record cash flows from operations were $2.33 billion. *Remaining Performance Obligations (“RPO”) exiting the quarter were $15.19 billion. *Adobe repurchased approximately 5.0 million shares during the quarter.

The Book Manufacturers’ Institute (BMI) released the December results for its monthly survey on capacity and lead times for soft cover and hard cover books.. This month held fairly steady on capacities but showed lead times continuing to decline. According to responses regarding hard cover books, the average manufacturer was running at 82% of their capacity, equal to October and November. The average lead time for completed hard cover books went down to 50 days from 59 days, continuing the trend. For soft cover books, capacity usage stayed similar at 82% compared to 81% last month. The average lead time dropped to 33 days from 38 days, continuing that trend as well.

Publishers face many hurdles going into the new year, starting with loss of third-party cookies, judging by the 2023 Industry Pulse Report from Integral Ad Science, in partnership with YouGov. Publishers say they are up against the following: Decreasing access to consumer data/cookies—40%; Choosing and integrating identity systems—36%; Monetizing with/without social platforms—32%; Maximizing yield—28%; Monetizing first-party data—24%; Ads delivered alongside risky or misleading content—23%; Providing scaled audience extension, minimizing overhead—20%; Contextual targeting—19%; Poor viewability levels—8%; Ad fraud—3%

Costco Wholesale Corporation announced its operating results for the first quarter (twelve weeks) of fiscal 2023, ended November 20, 2022. Net sales for the first quarter increased 8.1 percent, to $53.44 billion from $49.42 billion last year. Net income for the quarter was $1,364 million, $3.07 per diluted share, compared to $1,324 million, $2.98 per diluted share, last year. This year’s results included a charge of $93 million pre-tax, $0.15 per diluted share, primarily related to downsizing our charter shipping activities, and a tax benefit of $53 million, $0.12 per diluted share, related to stock-based compensation. Last year’s results included a write-off of certain information technology assets of $118 million pre-tax, $0.20 per diluted share, and a tax benefit of $91 million, $0.21 per diluted share, related to stock-based compensation.

Lee Enterprises is on course with its digital transformation, judging by its Q4 and fiscal 2022 results. The publisher, which now bills itself as a digital-first subscription platform, reported total digital revenue of $65 million in Q4, a 31% increase YoY. In contrast, overall revenue was flat at $194 million. The results were similar for fiscal 2022: Total operating revenue was $781 million, down 2% from the prior year. But digital revenue grew by 27% to $240 million.

In separate court filings this week, lawyers for Amazon and the Big Five publishers said that a revived class action suit accusing them of colluding to fix e-book prices is not significantly different from the case that was dismissed in September for lack of evidence, and should not be allowed to go forward. “Defendants’ actions remain better explained as independent, self-interested business decisions than as an illogical conspiracy to entrench Amazon at the publisher defendants’ expense,” reads a letter from the publishers’ lawyers, requesting a pre-motion conference ahead of filing a formal motion to dismiss. “To state a claim, plaintiffs must—but fail to—allege concerted action and a specific intent to monopolize.”

“We’ve made tremendous progress improving our service performance in the past year thanks to investments under our Delivering for America plan and an organization-wide commitment to better serving our customers,” said Louis DeJoy, Postmaster General and CEO. “We are headed in the right direction but there is more work to be done to deliver the reliable service the American people expect and deserve.” Final FY2022 USPS service performance scores showed: *First-Class Mail: 91.0 percent of First-Class Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, an 8.3 percentage point improvement from FY21 (82.7 percent). *Marketing Mail: 93.3 percent of Marketing Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, a 5.7 percentage point improvement from FY21 (87.6 percent). *Periodicals: 83.7 percent of Periodicals delivered on time against the USPS service standard, a significant 8.1 percentage point increase over FY21 (75.6 percent).

*GAAP Results: Revenue of $515 million (-3% vs. prior year), Operating Income of $57 million (-22% vs. prior year), and EPS of $0.68 (-31% vs. prior year) *Fiscal 2023 Outlook: Wiley is lowering its revenue outlook at constant currency due to consumer spending and enrollment headwinds in Academic & Professional Learning. Reaffirms full year outlook for Adjusted EBITDA and Free Cash Flow; Adjusted EPS trending to lower end of range mainly due to rising interest expense. “Despite the challenging economic environment, we continue to see good underlying momentum in our core growth areas of Research Publishing, Research Solutions, and Corporate Talent Development,” said Brian Napack, President and CEO. “This quarter’s results were weighed down by difficult market conditions in our publishing lines in Academic & Professional Learning. We are aggressively managing costs to offset these challenges while continuing to scale our growth offerings in line with favorable long-term trends.”

The New York Times scored a coup on Tuesday both online and in its legacy medium, print. General Electric took over all of the paper’s pages, running 22 full-page color ads and five partial pages in a seven-figure campaign that also includes ads on desktop and mobile homepages, on three section webpages, in audio form on the podcast "The Daily" and in two newsletters briefings. It's the first time ever that all of the paper’s real estate has been taken over by a single advertiser. The package was designed to promote GE’s coming split into three separate companies: GE HealthCare, GE Aerospace, and GE Vernova, all publicly traded, the Boston Globe reports.

The Association of American Publishers (AAP) today released its StatShot report for September 2022 reflecting reported revenue for Trade (Consumer Books), Higher Education Course Materials, and Professional Publishing. The report does not include PreK-12 revenue due to delays in data collection. Total revenues across all categories, excluding PreK-12, for September 2022 were down 1.4% as compared to September 2021, coming in at $1.4 billion. Year-to-date revenues were down 4.5%, at $9.3 billion for the first nine months of the year. Trade (Consumer Books) sales were down 2.6% in September, coming in at $917.5 million.

Fiscal 2022 Third Quarter Operating Results Overview: *Total net sales were $177.8 million, a decrease of $28.2 million or 13.7%, compared to $206.1 million last year. Total comparable net sales, including both physical stores and e-commerce ("e-com"), decreased by 14.9%. *Gross profit, including buying, distribution, and occupancy costs, was $54.6 million, or 30.7% of net sales, compared to $76.7 million, or 37.2% of net sales, last year. *Operating income was $6.3 million, or 3.6% of net sales, compared to $29.0 million, or 14.1% of net sales, last year, due to the combined impact of the factors noted above. *Net income was $5.1 million, or $0.17 per diluted share, compared to $20.8 million, or $0.66 per diluted share, last year. Weighted average diluted shares were 30.0 million this year compared to 31.4 million last year.

For the Third Quarter of Fiscal 2022: *Net sales increased 17.2% to $2.3 billion compared to $2.0 billion in the third quarter of fiscal 2021 primarily due to the favorable impact from the continued resilience of the beauty category, retail price increases, and the impact of new brands and product innovation compared to the third quarter of fiscal 2021. *Comparable sales (sales for stores open at least 14 months and e-commerce sales) increased 14.6% compared to an increase of 25.8% in the third quarter of fiscal 2021, driven by a 10.7% increase in transactions and a 3.5% increase in average ticket. *Gross profit increased 22.0% to $962.8 million compared to $789.5 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2021. *Operating income increased 27.3% to $361.9 million, or 15.5% of net sales, compared to $284.2 million, or 14.2% of net sales, in the third quarter of fiscal 2021. *Net income increased 27.5% to $274.6 million compared to $215.3 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2021.

Urban Outfitters, Inc. announced that Francis Pierrel, President, Urban Outfitters Group, has left the Company. We appreciate the contributions he made during his tenure and wish him well in his future endeavors. Urban Outfitters, Inc. offers lifestyle-oriented general merchandise and consumer products and services through a portfolio of global consumer brands comprised of the Anthropologie, BHLDN, Free People, FP Movement, Terrain, Urban Outfitters, Nuuly and Menus & Venues brands.

Costco Wholesale Corporation reported net sales of $19.17 billion for the retail month of November, the four weeks ended November 27, 2022, an increase of 5.7 percent from $18.13 billion last year. For the twelve-week first quarter ended November 20, 2022, the Company reported net sales of $53.44 billion, an increase of 8.1 percent from $49.42 billion last year. For the thirteen weeks ended November 27, 2022, the Company reported net sales of $58.36 billion, an increase of 7.9 percent from $54.10 billion last year.

The Postal Regulatory Commission released its advisory opinion on a Postal Service plan to revise the critical entry times (CETs) for some categories of Periodicals mail. The CET is the latest time a mailpiece may be tendered to the Postal Service and still have the day count when measuring that mail’s service performance. (Docket No. N2022-2). Specifically, the Postal Service proposes to standardize four of the five Periodicals CETs (i.e., CETs for all non-palletized Periodicals mail). Instead of the current CET range of 0800-1400 for the affected categories of Periodicals mail, the Postal Service proposes that all of those categories would share a CET of 0800. The Postal Service asserts that this change would “promote simplification of mail processing operations, and hence more effective allocation and use of processing personnel and equipment.” The Commission’s evaluation of the Postal Service’s proposal finds: *The proposed changes will likely enable the Postal Service to project more easily and accurately the Periodicals volumes and, therefore, will likely improve Periodicals processing. *The proposed changes are likely to result in more efficient use of the Postal Service’s equipment, particularly its bundle/package sortation machines. *A subset of affected Periodicals mailers have indicated that they will not be able to achieve the revised CETs and are likely to have an additional service day added to the delivery of their mailpieces. *The Postal Service has not analyzed how the expected impact on Periodicals mailers would affect Periodicals volumes, worksharing, or the recipients of Periodicals mail.

The House will vote today on legislation to avert a potentially devastating freight rail strike. While Congress races to avoid the disaster through a legislative fix, retailers and businesses are scrambling to establish backup plans if the strike of 100,000 union members moves ahead. Some companies are proactively shifting their shipping volume from rail to trucks and are considering changing the timing of orders and shipments.

Are you in a position to give a child or family some extra magic this season? If so, you can now adopt a letter written to Santa at USPSOperationSanta.com. USPS Operation Santa relies solely on random acts of kindness and the generosity of strangers. The program is 110 years old this year. It allows people to help children and families have a magical holiday when they otherwise may not. Since Sep. 15, the Postal Service has been receiving letters from all across the country and delivering them to Santa’s workshop at 123 Elf Road, North Pole, 88888. Letters sent with accurate postage and complete return addresses have been posted on USPSOperationSanta.com, and today is the day customers can begin reading and adopting them.

Business groups are increasing the pressure on lawmakers to intervene and block a railroad strike before next month’s deadline in the stalled contract talks. A coalition of more than 400 business groups sent a letter to Congressional leaders Monday urging them to step into the stalled talks because of fears about the devastating potential impact of a strike that could force many businesses to shut down if they can’t get the rail deliveries they need. Commuter railroads and Amtrak would also be affected in a strike because many of them use tracks owned by the freight railroads. The business groups led by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Manufacturers and National Retail Federation said even a short-term strike would have a tremendous impact and the economic pain would start to be felt even before the Dec. 9 strike deadline because the railroads would stop hauling hazardous chemicals, fertilizers and perishable goods up to a week beforehand to keep those products from being stranded somewhere along the tracks.

FY2023 first quarter service performance scores covering Oct. 1 through Nov. 18 included: *First-Class Mail: 92.2 percent of First-Class Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, a slight decrease of 0.9 percentage points from the fiscal fourth quarter. *Marketing Mail: 94.1 percent of Marketing Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, a slight decrease of 0.6 percentage points from the fiscal fourth quarter. *Periodicals: 86.6 percent of Periodicals delivered on time against the USPS service standard, consistent with performance from the fiscal fourth quarter.

Nordstrom, Inc. reported a third quarter net loss of $20 million for the quarter ended October 29, 2022. For the third quarter, net sales decreased 2.9 percent versus the same period in fiscal 2021 and gross merchandise value decreased 2.5 percent. Anniversary Sale timing, with one week shifting from the third quarter to the second quarter, had a negative impact of approximately 200 basis points on net sales compared with 2021. During the quarter, Nordstrom banner net sales decreased 3.4 percent, which included a negative impact of approximately 300 basis points from Anniversary Sale timing, and GMV decreased 2.9 percent. Net sales for Nordstrom Rack decreased 1.9 percent.

National Retail Federation (NRF) President and CEO Matthew Shay said a nationwide rail strike during the peak holiday season will be “devastating” for American businesses, consumers and the U.S. economy — particularly amid today’s increased prices due to persistent inflation. Shay's statement was made yesterday when members of the nation’s largest rail union rejected a contract agreement with freight rail management that had been brokered by the White House among the labor unions and freight railroads. The vote raises the possibility of a strike in the coming weeks that could seriously damage the U.S. economy. "Millions of hardworking Americans rely on the freight rail system for their jobs and the economic security of our country," said Shay. He added that American businesses and families are already facing increased prices due to inflation, and a rail strike will create greater inflationary pressures and will threaten business resiliency.

Dear Colleagues, I am writing today because, as you may have heard, Paramount has terminated its agreement to sell Simon & Schuster to Penguin Random House, and there will be no appeal of Judge Florence Pan’s decision to block the merger of the two companies. This news is still fresh, and at this point I have no specific information to impart about what will happen in the coming months. You may read or hear rumors and speculation about our future, but you can be assured that I will keep you informed as soon as there is pertinent news I can share. I am grateful for your patience and dedication to our mission during all that has transpired over these many months since the sale began. Ultimately, what matters the most is the work we do together, on behalf of our authors and our books. Over the past three years, we have reached new heights of accomplishment. Simon & Schuster has never been more profitable and valuable than it is today. And that is because of the effort, ingenuity, and perseverance that you bring to our endeavors.

The Company's third quarter highlights include: *Consistent strong results : Chico's FAS posted $0.20 net income per diluted share for the third quarter, driven by strong comparable sales growth and selling, general and administrative expenses ("SG&A") leverage. This performance was more than 30% over the thirteen weeks ended October 30, 2021 ("last year's third quarter") and the seventh consecutive quarter of year-over-year double-digit earnings growth. *Powerful portfolio performance : For the third quarter, total Chico's FAS net sales grew 14.3% and comparable sales increased 16.5% versus last year's third quarter, led by the Company's apparel brands. Chico's and White House Black Market ("WHBM") comparable sales grew 28.8% and 17.0%, respectively, in the third quarter versus last year's third quarter. *Solid operating income growth: Third quarter income from operations was $31.6 million, or 6.1% of net sales, compared to $22.0 million, or 4.9% of net sales, in last year's third quarter, driven by strong sales growth and SG&A leverage, partially offset by higher raw material costs. *Strong balance sheet: The Company ended the third quarter with $140.7 million in cash and marketable securities, after repaying $30.0 million of long-term debt during the quarter.

A summary of results for the third quarter ended October 29, 2022 as compared to the third quarter ended October 30, 2021: *Net sales of $880 million, down 3% as compared to last year on a reported basis and approximately flat on a constant currency basis. *Gross profit rate of 59.2%, down approximately 450 basis points as compared to last year. The year-over-year decrease was primarily driven by 370 basis points of higher freight and raw material costs and 60 basis points from the adverse impact of exchange rates. *Operating expense, excluding other operating income, net, approximately flat compared to last year, with decreases in marketing and incentive-based compensation, offset by higher inflation and digital fulfillment expenses. Operating expense as a percentage of sales increased to 57.2% from 55.8% last year. *Operating income of $18 million and $21 million on a reported and adjusted non-GAAP basis, respectively, as compared to operating income of $73 million and $79 million last year, on a reported and adjusted non-GAAP basis, respectively.

Total Company net sales for the three months ended October 31, 2022, increased 3.9% over the same period last year to a record $1.18 billion. Total Retail segment net sales increased 2%, with comparable Retail segment net sales increasing 4%, partially offset by a 2% negative impact of foreign currency translation. The increase in Retail segment comparable net sales was driven by mid-single-digit positive digital channel sales and low single-digit positive retail store sales. By brand, comparable Retail segment net sales increased 13% at the Anthropologie Group and 8% at the Free People Group and decreased 9% at Urban Outfitters. Wholesale segment net sales decreased 3%, driven by a 4% decrease in Free People Group wholesale sales, partially offset by a 6% increase in Urban Outfitters wholesale sales. Nuuly segment net sales increased by $22.6 million driven by a 185% increase in our subscribers during the quarter versus the prior year’s comparable quarter. For the nine months ended October 31, 2022, total Company net sales increased 6.0% compared to the same period last year. Total Retail segment net sales increased 5%, with comparable Retail segment net sales also increasing 5%.

Online sales reached double-digit growth in Q3 after four quarters of modest ecommerce growth. Amazon moving its Prime Day sale into Q3 aided this sales bump. More than 20% of consumer spending from July-September occurred online. Key takeaways: *U.S. ecommerce grew 10.8% in Q3 2022. *Amazon moved its Prime Day sale to July this year from June last year. This pushed dollars into Q3 and bolstered ecommerce growth for the quarter. *Amazon, Walmart and Target’s collective performance drove the overall market for the three-month period. *20.6% of all dollars spent on retail purchases came from online orders. *Sales through all channels grew 7.7% in Q3, while in-store and other offline sales grew 7.0%.

On November 17th, the ACMA cleared a major hurdle in its complaint in the Superior Court in San Francisco that a previously-issued California Franchise Tax Board (FTB) regulation in the form of a technical advisory memorandum wrongly and substantially expanded the reach of income taxes on out-of-state merchants with no physical presence in the Golden State. The Superior Court of California County of San Francisco overruled the FTB's demurrer to ACMA's complaint for declaratory relief. “This is a significant and positive development in our case,” said ACMA CEO Hamilton Davison. “Although we still have aways to go, we now have a clear path to obtain a decision on the merits.” For more information, please visit www.catalogmailers.org.

*Net sales of $4.04 billion, up 2% compared to last year. Comparable sales were up 1% year-over-year. -Online sales increased 5% compared to last year and represented 39% of total net sales. -Store sales increased 1% compared to last year. The company ended the quarter with 3,380 store locations in over 40 countries, of which 2,743 were company operated. *Reported gross margin was 37.4%; adjusted gross margin, excluding $53 million in impairment charges related to Yeezy Gap, was 38.7%, deleveraging 320 basis points versus last year. *Reported operating income was $186 million; reported operating margin of 4.6%. *Reported net income of $282 million.

The United States Postal Service announced it has completed the installation of 137 new package sorting machines ahead of the holiday mailing and shipping season. The new equipment combined with increased operational precision will expand USPS’s daily package processing capacity to 60 million. FY2023 first quarter service performance scores covering Oct. 1 through Nov. 11 included: *First-Class Mail: 92.1 percent of First-Class Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, a slight decrease of 1 percentage point from the fiscal fourth quarter. *Marketing Mail: 94 percent of Marketing Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, a slight decrease of 0.7 percentage points from the fiscal fourth quarter. *Periodicals: 86.4 percent of Periodicals delivered on time against the USPS service standard, consistent with performance from the fiscal fourth quarter.

*Comparable sales down 3.1% on an owned basis and down 2.7% on an owned-plus-licensed basis *Inventories up 4% versus 2021, reflecting ongoing planning and supply chain discipline *Net sales of $5.2 billion, down 3.9% versus the third quarter of 2021; up 1.1% versus the third quarter of 2019. *Digital sales decreased 9% versus the third quarter of 2021; up 35% versus the third quarter of 2019. *Brick-and-mortar sales decreased 1% versus the third quarter of 2021; down 9% versus the third quarter of 2019.

The Association of American Publishers (AAP) released its StatShot report for August 2022 reflecting reported revenue for Trade (Consumer Books), Higher Education Course Materials, and Professional Publishing. The report does not include PreK-12 revenue due to delays in data collection but will be updated as soon as that data becomes available. Total revenues across all categories, excluding PreK-12, for August 2022 were down 9.0% as compared to August 2021, coming in at $1.4 billion. Year-to-date revenues were down 5.0%, at $7.9 billion for the first eight months of the year. Trade (Consumer Books) sales were down 10.5% in August, coming in at $744.3 million.

The Book Manufacturers’ Institute (BMI) released the November results for its monthly survey on capacity and lead times for soft cover and hard cover books. As the book manufacturing landscape has changed recently, BMI put together the survey to get a better idea of what manufacturers were facing and what publishers should expect. This month held fairly steady on capacities, but showed lead times continuing to decline. According to responses regarding hard cover books, the average manufacturer was running at 82% of their capacity, equal to October. The average lead time for completed hard cover books went down to 59 days from 62 days, based on 16 responses. For soft cover books, capacity usage dropped to 81% from 83%. The average lead time dropped to 38 days from 45 days, based on 20 responses.