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An Post stops service aimed at emigrant market, encourages immigrants to write home

By admin | March 9, 2007

An Post says declining emigration is the reason that the postal service will not produce its St Patrick’s Day cards this year. The Irish Independent reports that a spokesperson called the move “a sign of the times”, adding:

We introduced the cards in 1984 at a time when emigration was very high in Ireland. Sales and distribution followed the emigrant trail at the time. Over the 1990s and since 2000, there has been a very definite and steady decline in sales.

An Post is not in the card business but this was our annual foray into greeting cards. It’s a commercial decision.

In recent years, sales in no way cover the outlay of production costs, marketing and distribution to upwards of 1,400 post offices around the country,

Instead, the comapny will concentrate on encouraging immigrants to send cards home on their national holidays. Post offices will remind customers to send cards for such holidays as America’s Independence Day and China’s National Day on October first.

An Post will not produce these cards, however – perhaps the nation’s holiday card makers will step up their production of international holiday cards?

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