CHESSNOID

Will the US post office go back to 5 days a week now?

The Postal Service, which has been losing money for five years, said Monday that it is shuttering more than 200 mail processing centers, adding at least a day’s wait for many first-class deliveries. The news was met with concern and frustration from some businesses — and shrugs from others that long ago stopped relying on the post office.

“It’s less of a disaster than it would have been 10 years ago, but it’ll be a cash flow crunch for some companies,” said Todd McCracken, president and chief executive of the National Small Business Association. “It’ll be longer to get your invoice, and longer to get a check back.”

First-class mail is supposed to arrive at U.S. homes and businesses in one to three days; about 42% of it arrives in one day. The cutbacks will back up deliveries to two to three days; periodicals could take up to nine days.