The Postal Service has informed the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) of its intention to temporarily suspend its employer’s contributions for the defined benefit portion of the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) to conserve cash and preserve liquidity due to its ongoing, severe financial crisis. “There will not be any immediate detrimental impact to our current or future retirees if normal FERS cost payments are temporarily withheld,” said Postal Service Chief Financial Officer Luke Grossmann. The Postal Service pays about $200 million every other week to OPM for the FERS annuity. Suspension of payments, effective April 10, will free about $2.5 billion in the current fiscal year.

Catalogs are a tried-and-true instrument in a marketer’s toolbox delivering an in-depth product experience right to any home or office door. With the rise of the digital age, many thought that e-commerce would supplant catalogs, but the opposite has been true. Catalogs continue to hold their own as a marketing channel operating steadily alongside its digital brethren. Catalogs originated as a method to communicate product availability and highlight new goods. Now a company’s website functions in the same capacity and in real-time. Catalogs of today have evolved to serve as a means of inspiration, allowing consumers to visualize products in real-life situations with thoughtful detail and narratives. They also allow brands more room to tell their story and gain consumer trust. This can occur because, unlike the more frenzied pace of online shopping, catalog readers spend between 15 minutes to 30 minutes turning the pages and catalogs are retained for several weeks as a reminder to place an order, shop online, or visit a store.

Dutch Bros is accelerating its expansion by acquiring the real estate of a bankrupt fast-casual salad chain. The fast-growing drive-thru coffee chain said it has entered into an agreement to acquire the real estate and related site assets of up to 65 Salad and Go locations across Arizona, Nevada, Oklahoma and Texas. (See list of locations at end of article.) The purchase price was not revealed. Salad and Go filed for bankruptcy on Aug. 4, and abruptly closed all its locations on the following day. Similar to Dutch Bros, Salad and Go operated a drive-thru model. Its menu featured made-to-order salads, breakfast options and more.  Dutch Bros expects to convert the Salad and Go locations its format in 2027. The deal is expected to close in the third quarter. Earlier this year, Dutch Bros acquired the 20-unit Clutch Coffee Bar chain. The coffee chain has set a goal of 2,029 shops in 2029, with a long-term goal of 4,000 shops in the next 10-to-15 years. (As of June 30, it had 1,225 locations.)