JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The newest post office in the Jacksonville, Fla., area looks just like many others inside except that its in a convenience store amid fountain drinks, car accessories and snacks.
The Contract Postal Unit at the Expressway gas station in Jacksonville Beach has only been open aboutsix weeks, but its already averaging between $800 and $1,200a day in sales, according to the company.
The post office is between the Ponte Vedra Beach and Jacksonville Beach post offices, which are about 7 miles apart, and is the [image-nocss] only convenience store at the Beaches that has one. Thats why Dennis Gates of Jacksonville Beach came in to ship a package there one recent afternoon, according to a report in the a report in the Florida Time Union. He said he lives about two blocks away and saw the sign for the new post office, so he decided to stop in. From now on, he told the newspaper, he will use this location to send mail and buy stamps, though hell still make the trip to the Jacksonville Beach post office to pick up incoming packages.
While some grocery and clothing stores sell stamps, sometimes there is an added fee. At Expressway and other Contract Postal Units, the price is the same as at most post offices, $7.40 for a book of stamps. The Expressway unit also sells priority and express boxes, offers tracking and confirmation options and overnight shipping, just like any other post office.
The post office there is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. That is later than other area post offices, most of which are open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 or 5:30 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays.
Ron Reale, the vice president of Lewis Petroleum, which operates two Expressway stations in Jacksonville, said the stores might extend their weekday hours to 8 p.m. This will give the post office a little more reach in terms of hours of service they can provide, Reale said.
Tony Joy, the Jacksonville post office customer relations coordinator, said it's a win-win situation for the gas station and the U.S. Postal Service (USPS).Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.