This book examines the economics of the postal sector through three lenses: snapshot and trends, models, and opportunities. In the years to come, the Universal Postal Union plans to develop its role as a knowledge centre for the postal sector from these perspectives. At this time of radical transformation of the postal sector, it is important to understand how the sector has evolved historically, how it is connected with the economic system, and where it is heading. This book thus first presents a long-run view, focusing on incumbent operators over the last three decades, and then describes their development in the last five to ten years. It also offers a real-time picture based on daily “big postal data”, revealing one of the greatest opportunities for the sector in terms of forecasting and product design....

PREFACE Bishar A. Hussein ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS INTRODUCTION Development strategies for the postal sector: an economic perspective José Ansón and Matthias Helble CHAPTER 1 Postal economics and statistics for strategy analysis – The long view José Ansón and Matthias Helble CHAPTER 2 Postal economics and statistics for strategy analysis – The short view Joëlle Toledano Bialot CHAPTER 3 Status of the postal service 20 years after the green paper: a Franco-European perspective José Ansón, Rudy Cuadra, Altamir Linhares, Guillermo Ronderos and Joëlle Toledano Bialot CHAPTER 4 The economics of postal delivery in developing countries: learning from the Latin American and Sub-Saharan African experiences José Ansón, Rudy Cuadra, Altamir Linhares,Guillermo Ronderos and Joëlle Toledano Bialot CHAPTER 5 Postal regulation in Sub-Saharan Africa Marie-Odile Pilley CHAPTER 6 Financial inclusion, postal banking and the future postal economic model José Ansón and Joëlle Toledano Bialot CHAPTER 7 Big postal data, now casting and the global pulse of the economy José Ansón and Matthias He...