The Postal Service filed with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) certain classification changes designed to enhance and expand the First-Class Package Service (FCPS) product. This will simplify three of the USPS ground shipping options into one. USPS Retail Ground and Parcel Select Ground will be incorporated into one enhanced FCPS product. “We are improving service and simplifying product offerings for our customers,” said Postmaster General Louis DeJoy. “By upgrading the customer experience and optimizing our package processing and surface transportation networks, we are becoming the best option in the industry.” The changes are in keeping with the Delivering for America 10-year plan to achieve financial stability and service excellence, defined as meeting or exceeding 95 percent on-time delivery across all product categories.

Print publications are facing many challenges, not the least of which is one caused by that old partner: The U.S. Postal Service. The USPS has issued a rule that allows it to revoke an audit bureau’s authority to validate requesters, according to the National Newspaper Association (NNA). Requester newspapers are those that have more than 50% of their circulations paid or requested. That includes paid single-copy sales. The USPS can withdraw the audit bureau’s authority if it finds that its procedures are inadequate.

USA TODAY announced the launch of the ‘To the point’ brand campaign, in recognition of the 40th anniversary of USA TODAY which was first published on September 15, 1982. ‘To the point’ pays homage to the publication’s signature style of concise, approachable, and expert-driven journalism that serves as the nation’s source of clarity, empowering audiences. USA TODAY introduced color to the newspaper industry along with infographics and popular culture stories reflecting the people, places and perspectives of the nation. The brand has continued the legacy of innovation on digital platforms with immersive experiences and Augmented Reality (AR) reaching approximately 100 million people monthly.

ACMA Postal Committee Chairwoman Deborah Damore from printer LSC Communications posted this blog today, which we urge you to follow up on. In brief, in late May the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) urged all mail stakeholders to submit comments concerning the impact of the size and timing of the August 2021 postage rate increase, which was allowed since the PRC's November 2020 ruling allowing for greater pricing flexibility for the USPS. The deadline for submissions is July 31, 2022. The ACMA urges you to review the full blog and PRC letter and is happy to assist in your efforts. Simply email staff@catalogmailers.org for assistance. read the blog post at: https://blog.lsccom.com/call-to-action-for-all-mailers?utm_medium=email&_hsmi=219401895&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_84hROQTOX2kQ-NX0e3benhIjt9cL1J3HVnNzlU4lI7pXjwTMJVEysNyZn-TTX5kMfjJJDX4tDGnR6pMmUV_mfqHWKBA&utm_content=219401895&utm_source=hs_email . read the PRC statement at: https://www.prc.gov/sites/default/files/Stakeholder%20input%20for%20appropriations%20act%20study.pdf

The Book Manufacturers’ Institute (BMI) is bringing back its industry event Book Manufacturing Mastered. The 2022 version will be held Thursday September 15th at the Westin Chicago North Shore. The first event was held February 10–11, 2020 in New York City just prior to the pandemic. Book Manufacturing Mastered 2022 will feature a morning “Paper School” that will cover all things paper. As it is one of the, if not THE, top challenges facing the industry today, attendees will learn how it’s made to its different properties, to the impact it has on the environment. After a networking lunch, the afternoon panel featuring both publishers and manufacturers will give everyone a lay of the land as it stands today. Then attendees will have the chance for roundtable discussions with publishers, printers and suppliers about the top challenges facing the industry today and how they can be addressed. Lastly, the day will end with a networking cocktail reception that will feature tabletop exhibits from printers and suppliers to allow publishers in attendance to speak directly with those that help bring their ideas to print.

The Association of American Publishers (AAP) today released its StatShot report for April 2022 reflecting reported revenue for Trade (Consumer Books), Higher Education Course Materials, and Professional Publishing. The report does not include Pre-K revenue due to delays in data collection but will be updated as soon as that data becomes available. Total revenues across all categories, excluding PreK-12, for April 2022 were down 12.6% as compared to April 2021, coming in at $788.3 million. Year-to-date revenues were down 2.3%, at $3.8 billion for the first four months of the year. Trade (Consumer Books) sales were down 8.9% in April, coming in at $685.7 million. eBook revenues were down 8.3% for the month as compared to April 2021 for a total of $84.3 million.

The United States Postal Service reported new preliminary delivery performance metrics for the fiscal third quarter ending June 30 showing continued service improvements across First-Class Mail, Marketing Mail and Periodicals. For the third quarter, the average time for the Postal Service to deliver a mailpiece or package across the nation was just 2.5 days. FY2022 third quarter service performance scores covering April 1 through June 30 included: *First-Class Mail: 93.5 percent of First-Class Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, an increase of 5.6 percentage points from the fiscal second quarter. *Marketing Mail: 94.7 percent of Marketing Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, an increase of 2.5 percentage points from the fiscal second quarter. *Periodicals: 86.3 percent of Periodicals delivered on time against the USPS service standard, an improvement of 4.8 percentage points from the fiscal second quarter.

Bauer Publishing, the team behind many of the UK's favourite puzzle magazines including Take a Crossword and the Eclipse franchise, has launched a mixed puzzle magazine containing brain training and traditional puzzles produced exclusively for Asda in partnership with Alzheimer’s Society. Asda Brain Boost is a compilation of memory games, mindfulness pages and classic puzzles to engage both the left and right sides of the brain. The magazine aims to encourage readers to develop and improve their cognitive skills, with beat-the-clock challenges and puzzles with increasing levels of complexity. Exclusively sold in Asda, every Asda Brain Boost sale, priced at £3.50 each, will see 52p donated to Alzheimer’s Society. This magazine represents a real opportunity for readers to both boost their own mental fitness, and help to raise much-needed funds for Alzheimer’s Society’s fundamental work.

Hearst Magazines International today announced the launch of the print edition of Harper’s BAZAAR Italy, further expanding the iconic fashion brand’s digital, social and experiential presence in the Italian market. Daria Veledeeva, formerly the editor-in-chief of Harper’s BAZAAR Russia, has been appointed editor-in-chief and will oversee the content strategy and development of the magazine. The announcement was made today by Hearst Magazines International President Jonathan Wright and Hearst Italy CEO Giacomo Moletto. “The prestige and influence of the Harper’s BAZAAR brand in the U.S. and around the world is unmatched and the print expression is an important experience – our audience engages deeply and marketers can therefore connect with them in a more profound way,” Wright said. “With Daria’s leadership, vision, and deep connections in the fashion industry, Harper’s BAZAAR Italy will be a must-read for anyone who is passionate about fashion, culture and the issues that matter today.”

Yankee Publishing Inc. (YPI), which sold a minority interest to its Employee Stock Ownership Plan in 2012, sold the remaining shares to the ESOP on June 30 of this year, making it a 100% employee-owned company. Founded in 1935, the firm publishes Yankee, the Old Farmer’s Almanac, New Hampshire Magazine and Family Tree Magazine.

After soaring 18.9% in the first half of 2021 over the comparable period in 2020, unit sales of print books retreated in the first half of 2022, dropping 6.6% from 2021 levels. According to NPD BookScan, total first-half print sales were 362.6 million, down from 386.6 million a year ago. All the major categories except adult fiction had declines, with the largest drop coming in the industry’s biggest category, adult nonfiction, where print sales fell 10.3%. Sales at the midpoint of 2022 were still about 15% above the first six months of 2019, the last prepandemic year, which many in the industry are using as a benchmark, in light of the unexpectedly strong subsequent two years of the pandemic. The 6.6% decline is also an improvement over the first quarter, which saw an 8.9% drop in sales compared to last year’s first quarter.

Keep US Posted, an alliance consisting of consumer interests, industry groups, newspapers, nonprofits and businesses, applauds the U.S. House Committee on Appropriations for directing the Postal Regulatory Commission, which governs the U.S. Postal Service, to study the impact of planned postage increases. The Committee’s action, included in the 2023 spending package, is a direct response to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s announcement that stamp prices will increase July 31 and every six months thereafter, despite this year’s bipartisan postal reform law designed to fiscally stabilize the Postal Service and prevent unnecessary postage hikes. “It is destructive for Postal Service leadership to squeeze every last drop of revenue from the mail at the expense of the American people,” said Keep US Posted Executive Director and former Congressman Kevin Yoder (R-Kans.). “In just a decade, Americans could be paying well over $1 to mail a single letter. Using the mail will become unaffordable for American families, as well as newspapers, nonprofits, and businesses that depend on the Postal Service. These excessive postage increases will decrease volume and revenue so much that it will ultimately hurt the Postal Service’s 650,000 workers and their ability to keep delivering for our country. Projected mail decline will become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Third quarter highlights: *Third quarter earnings per share (EPS*) from continuing operations decreased 73.8 percent to $0.33, compared with EPS of $1.27 in the year-ago quarter; continuing operations adjusted** EPS decreased 30.0 percent to $0.96, down 28.9 percent on a constant currency basis against strong growth of 93.6 percent in the year-ago quarter reflecting peak COVID-19 vaccine volumes *Year-to-date EPS from continuing operations increased 190.6 percent to $5.49, compared with EPS of $1.89 in the year-ago quarter; continuing operations adjusted EPS increased 13.3 percent to $4.23, up 13.9 percent on a constant currency basis *Third quarter sales from continuing operations decreased 4.2 percent over the year-ago quarter to $32.6 billion, down 2.8 percent on a constant currency basis including a 720 basis point impact from AllianceRx Walgreens as anticipated *Third quarter operating income from continuing operations decreased to a loss of $320 million, compared to operating income of $1.1 billion in the year-ago quarter; adjusted operating income from continuing operations was $1.0 billion, down 33.5 percent on a constant currency basis *WBA sold 6.0 million shares of AmerisourceBergen common stock, with proceeds of $900 million *Completion of Boots strategic review, with decision to retain the business

The largest US newspaper circulations fell 12% in the year to March 2022, new figures obtained by Press Gazette show. Our top 25 ranking, based on figures shared by the Alliance for Audited Media (AAM), shows that The Wall Street Journal and New York Times retain the largest daily print circulations in the US. Gannett’s USA Today keeps third place, but is close to seeing its print circulation fall below Jeff Bezos’s Washington Post.

Savvas Learning Company is pleased to announce that CEO Bethlam Forsa has been selected for membership in the Newsweek Expert Forum, an invitation-only community for pioneering thinkers and cross-industry business leaders. As a member, Forsa will regularly contribute original articles for Newsweek.com on a diverse range of topics impacting the world of education. “I am excited by the many opportunities the Newsweek Expert Forum will provide to share my perspectives on the most pressing challenges, emerging trends and urgent issues facing education today,” said Forsa. “I look forward to fostering conversations about how to address those challenges, support educators, students and families, and build better, more engaging and impactful education solutions in the future.”

July 1. That’s the expiration date for the contract that covers the International Longshore and Warehouse Union’s more than 22,000 workers at the 29 ports along the West Coast. Negotiations are ongoing, but experts think it is unlikely a deal will be reached before July 1. (In the past, contract talks have run beyond the expiration date and led to major disruptions to port operations.) The stakes are especially high this time around, however, as the negotiations are playing out amid a backdrop of global supply chain disruptions. Chain Store Age spoke with Spencer Shute, senior consultant at procurement and supply chain consultancy Proxima, part of Bain & Company, about the possibility of a shutdown and its impact on retailers.

The ballots have today (28 June) began landing at the homes of members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU), which represents postal workers, and the result will be known on 19 July. The union is demanding that Royal Mail Group negotiates with it to secure a “straight, no strings pay increase” for employees. At the time of writing, management intends to impose a 2% pay rise by executive action. The CWU said that in an economic climate where inflation has already soared to 11.7% by May, this would mean “a dramatic real-terms wage cut of Royal Mail employees, who were key workers during the height of the pandemic”. A CWU spokesperson said: “Britain’s postal workers are being forced into accepting a massive pay cut by the same people they have generated incredible profits for.

Savvas Learning Company is proud to announce that it has been named “LMS Solution Provider of the Year'' by the 2022 EdTech Breakthrough Awards program. The award honors the K-12 learning solutions provider for its popular Savvas Realize learning management system (LMS), recognizing the company as an innovator and leader “driving the global digital transformation of the education industry.” An award-winning platform since its inception, Savvas Realize is the publishing industry's most versatile LMS and the digital home to more than 1,000 high-quality, engaging Savvas programs. The single sign-on Realize platform allows educators to access a vast array of standards-aligned content, customize materials, monitor student progress, and create lesson plans and activity playlists. It also provides data-driven insights to help teachers differentiate instruction and personalized, real-world learning experiences to increase student engagement — all on one easy-to-use platform. Winners of this year’s EdTech Breakthrough Awards, which showcase technologies and companies that drive innovation and exemplify the best in edtech solutions, were selected from more than 2,250 nominations based on innovation, design, user experience, and overall technological advancement.

Magazine publisher Dotdash Meredith has temporarily stopped sending print editions of People and Better Homes & Gardens to some subscribers, citing a tight paper market. The New York-based company, which maintains an office campus in downtown Des Moines' Western Gateway, sent postcards to some readers this week, telling them they would not receive print editions of the magazines in the coming months. The company has offered those readers free subscriptions to digital editions of the magazines. A company spokesperson said in an email Friday that Dotdash Meredith stopped some distribution to "a limited number" of People and Better Homes & Gardens subscribers because of a "temporary global paper shortage." The subscribers involved represent about 7% of the company's total print subscriber base, the spokesperson said. The spokesperson did not answer a question from the Des Moines Register about whether the impact is concentrated in certain parts of the country.

Third quarter service performance scores covering April 1 through June 17 included: *First-Class Mail: 93.5 percent of First-Class Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, an increase of 5.6 percentage points from the fiscal second quarter. *Marketing Mail: 94.8 percent of Marketing Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, an increase of 2.6 percentage points from the fiscal second quarter. *Periodicals: 86.3 percent of Periodicals delivered on time against the USPS service standard, an improvement of 4.8 percentage points from the fiscal second quarter.

FedEx Express operating results improved in the fourth quarter driven by revenue management actions, including increased fuel surcharges. Global volume softness, driven by COVID lockdowns, geopolitical uncertainty, and slower economic growth, partially offset the year-over-year improvement. FedEx Ground operating results declined primarily due to higher self-insurance accruals and increased purchased transportation and wage rates. These costs were partially offset by higher revenue per package, including increased fuel surcharges. Average daily volume declined primarily due to yield management actions affecting the FedEx Ground Economy service. FedEx Freight operating results sharply increased, with operating margin improving 570 basis points to 21.8%. The improved results were driven by a 28% increase in revenue per shipment from the continued focus on revenue quality and profitable growth.

The Postal Service announced it will implement upgraded service standards for its USPS Retail Ground (RG) and Parcel Select Ground (PSG) products effective Aug. 1, 2022. Within the contiguous United States, service standards for these products will be accelerated from two- to eight-days to two- to five-days for the same affordable price. Items containing hazardous materials or live animals are not eligible for the upgraded service standards. RG is a ground shipping product for packages, thick envelopes and tubes (with a maximum weight of 70 pounds) that are not required to be mailed via First-Class Mail service and are available only through retail channels. PSG is an economical ground delivery service similar to RG for commercial shippers. The Postal Service is aligning the RG and PSG service standards with the current First-Class Package Service (FCPS) standards within the contiguous US. Processing this mail with FCPS packages will enhance customer service and better optimize the Postal Service’s package processing and surface transportation networks.

The startup publisher Troo Media this week launched what it describes as the first editorial platform built for the metaverse: a brand called TrooVRS, which delivers content focused on self-care for modern male audiences.The new brand was previewed at Cannes Lions, the festival in Cannes, France, that celebrates creativity in the field of branded communications. Content will target the interests and needs of men from all backgrounds, featuring topics like relationships, work, and physical and mental health. The launch of TrooVRS coincides with Men’s Health Month in June, a designation established by Congress in 1994 and sponsored by the Men’s Health Network, a consortium of health organizations.

FedEx Corp. announced it has received its first 150 electric delivery vehicles from BrightDrop, the technology startup from General Motors (GM) decarbonizing last-mile delivery. This marks a critical milestone for FedEx as the company plans to transform its entire parcel pickup and delivery (PUD) fleet to all-electric, zero-tailpipe emissions by 2040, and comes just months after BrightDrop’s commercialization of the Zevo 600 as the fastest vehicle to market in GM’s history.

N2, a local magazine company, will rebrand next week as “Stroll,” bringing all of its 650+ local print magazines under the same branding, executives tell Axios. Why it matters: The rebrand marks a major milestone for the company, which has grown to bring in more than $131 million in annual revenue. "The feedback from our readers is still overwhelming. If you produce unique content that people want to read about, they will read it. And in a very digital world, print is now cool again," said Duane Hixon, co-founder & CEO. The rebrand represents a shift in focus from delivering community news to finding ways to help neighborhoods build stronger connections. "Stroll" references casual neighborhood walks where people can get together. Stroll's logo is a mailbox.

USPS postage rates are set to increase on July 10, 2022. This is a large increase. Our last postage rate increase was in August of 2021, which was also a historic rate increase. It’s not all bad news in that direct mail still is very effective and driving response, we just have to get more creative to save on postage. So, what do the new rates that mean for you? The biggest takeaway from these rate changes is that presorted first class mail and flats are growing more and more expensive. Flats do have better ROI than letter size pieces even at increased postage though, so make sure you take that into consideration before you choose to no longer send flat size mail.

The Book Manufacturers’ Institute (BMI) released the June results for its monthly survey on capacity and lead times for soft cover and hard cover books. As demand has skyrocketed and supply chain woes continue to hamper all segments of manufacturing, BMI put together the survey to get a better idea of what manufacturers were facing and what publishers should expect. According to responses regarding hard cover books, the average manufacturer was running at 90% of their capacity, a slight drop from May’s 91%. The average lead time for completed hard cover books was up from 91 days, to 104 days. For soft cover books, capacity usage went from 92% down to 91% and the average lead time was up to 84 days, based on 15 responses.

For the third quarter to date, more than 93 percent of First-Class Mail was delivered on-time each week. For the past fifteen weeks, more than 93 percent of Marketing Mail was delivered on-time. Through the first eleven weeks of the third quarter, the average time for the Postal Service to deliver a mailpiece or package across the nation was 2.4 days. Third quarter service performance scores covering April 1 through June 10 included: *First-Class Mail: 93.5 percent of First-Class Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, an increase of 5.7 percentage points from the fiscal second quarter. *Marketing Mail: 94.8 percent of Marketing Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, an increase of 2.6 percentage points from the fiscal second quarter. *Periodicals: 86.5 percent of Periodicals delivered on time against the USPS service standard, an improvement of 5.1 percentage points from the fiscal second quarter.

Second Quarter Fiscal Year 2022 Financial Highlights: *Adobe achieved record revenue of $4.39 billion in its second quarter of fiscal year 2022, which represents 14 percent year-over-year growth or 15 percent in constant currency. Diluted earnings per share was $2.49 on a GAAP basis. *GAAP operating income in the second quarter was $1.53 billion. GAAP net income was $1.18 billion. *Cash flows from operations were $2.04 billion. *Remaining Performance Obligations (“RPO”) exiting the quarter were $13.82 billion. *Adobe repurchased approximately 1.9 million shares during the quarter.

The Association for PRINT Technologies (APTech) announced that it has made a strategic investment to acquire the printing industry’s leading independent media organization, WhatTheyThink. The move was unanimously approved by the APTech board and signals a continuing effort to help print businesses grow by providing a platform for education, inspiration, and connection. “We began a Strategic Business Plan in 2017, and this move is aligned with that plan and our efforts to continue to evolve as an association. We are really happy to be working more closely with an organization like WhatTheyThink that we’ve watched grow and evolve into the most important media company in the industry,” said Thayer Long, President of the Association for PRINT Technologies. “This investment signals both our commitment to our long-term business plan as well as a great deal of excitement for how aligned it is with the strategies and market position of WhatTheyThink.”

The Simon & Schuster adult trade imprint is pleased to announce the second annual BOOKS LIKE US First Novel Contest to facilitate accessibility to underrepresented writers and celebrate the diversity of readers across the United States. As the nation continues to strive for progress, Simon & Schuster aims to help catalyze that change by amplifying voices that represent us, by publishing books like us. Previously administered in 2021 by Gallery Books, the Books Like Us First Novel Contest will rotate among the various adult imprints at Simon & Schuster. A two-week entry period will begin on Tuesday, July 12, 2022.

A new Stora Enso survey among 2,400 book readers of all ages in the UK, France, Germany, and the US found that people still overwhelmingly prefer physical books for their look, their feel and even their smell. The study, rolled out during March 2022, showed 65% of respondents wanting physical books, versus 21% who preferred e-books and 14% audiobooks. The French showed the strongest preference for physical books of any nation. And most said they preferred to read or listen to fiction books for leisure and to get quality time alone. “These results confirmed our expectations that the market for physical books is set to stay strong, which is good news for our printer and publishing customers,” said Stora Enso’s Jonathan Bakewell, VP, Head of Segment Office and Book Papers. But there were some surprise results from the youngest group (16 to 24 years) polled, where 70% said they preferred physical books over e-books.

“Bloomsbury achieved its highest ever results with sales up 24% to £230.1 million and profits up 40% to £26.7 million. Sales were up 41% and profits up 70% from two years ago. Both the Consumer and Non-Consumer divisions gave outstanding and resilient performances, highlighting Bloomsbury’s unique strength in combining general and academic publishing. The Consumer division revenue grew by 25%, continuing the momentum of last year, and achieved a 25% increase in profit before tax and highlighted items1 to £17.8 million. The Non-Consumer division saw 23% revenue growth and a 68% increase in profit before tax and highlighted items1 to £9.1 million. Consumer revenue was 53% higher and Non-Consumer revenue 24% higher than two years ago. Bloomsbury Digital Resources (“BDR”) outperformed the target set six years ago of £15 million of sales and £5 million of profit, with sales of £18.6 million, up 50% on last year, and profit of £6.8 million, up £3.9 million on last year. Following this success, we have set ambitious new growth targets for BDR. Supporting our strong organic growth, we made three acquisitions during the year of ABC-CLIO LLC, the Red Globe Press list and Head of Zeus Limited.

Fourth Quarter Summar: *GAAP Results: Revenue of $546 million (+2%), Operating Income of $58 million (+14%), and EPS of $0.76 (+4%). Full Year Summary: *GAAP Results: Revenue of $2,083 million (+7%), Operating Income of $219 million (+18%), EPS of $2.62 (-0.4%), and Cash Provided by Operating Activities of $339 million (-6%) *Free Cash Flow of$223 million, down 13% due to one-time items in prior year *Digital Products and Tech-Enabled Services: 83% of total revenue *Recurring Revenue: 58% of total revenue

Pearson and TC Media announce the sale of ERPI (‘Éditions du renouveau pédagogique inc.’) by Pearson to TC Media. ERPI is a Québec educational publisher founded in Montréal in 1965 and acquired by Pearson in 1989. "We are proud to acquire ERPI, a long-standing educational publisher", said Patrick Lutzy, President of TC Media. "This acquisition fits perfectly with our growth strategy as it complements TC Media’s educational products offering, both print and digital, and provides an opportunity to further grow ERPI’s brand alongside our brands such as Chenelière Éducation, Beauchemin and Modulo. I wish a very warm welcome to ERPI’s team."

For the third quarter to date, more than 93 percent of First-Class Mail was delivered on-time each week. For the past 14 weeks, more than 93 percent of Marketing Mail was delivered on-time. Through the first nine weeks of the third quarter, the average time for delivery of mail and packages across the postal network remained just 2.4 days. Third quarter service performance scores covering April 1 through June 3 included: *First-Class Mail: 93.5 percent of First-Class Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, an increase of 5.6 percentage points from the fiscal second quarter. *Marketing Mail: 94.8 percent of Marketing Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, an increase of 2.7 percentage points from the fiscal second quarter. *Periodicals: 86.5 percent of Periodicals delivered on time against the USPS service standard, an improvement of 5.1 percentage points from the fiscal second quarter.

The New York Times Company will present its digitally-focused growth strategy to achieve its midterm operating and financial targets at its first Investor Day in many years. Executives will detail how The Times plans to achieve attractive, sustainable revenue and adjusted operating profit growth by adding subscribers to its differentiated portfolio of leading news and lifestyle products. The Times will also discuss the opportunity ahead for The Athletic. “Over the past five years, we have transformed The Times into a digital-first, subscription-first definitive market leader with more than 9 million subscribers and a goal of 15 million by year-end 2027,” said Meredith Kopit Levien, president and chief executive officer, The New York Times Company. “We believe we can become the essential subscription for every curious, English-speaking person seeking to understand and engage with the world. With this strategy, there is a tremendous long-term growth opportunity to attract and retain a larger audience driven by an expansive and connected product experience that makes us indispensable to millions of people in their daily lives.”

The bookselling team selected these ten titles, spanning fantastical debuts, deeply moving novels from literary powerhouses, timely works of ambition set in Ukraine, epic fantasies and book-loving rom-coms, as the best new releases so far this year. “All readers will find a book to love on our Best Books of 2022 (So Far) list,” said Jackie De Leo, Chief Merchandising Officer, Barnes & Noble. “It’s wonderful to see the mix of many debut authors alongside well-established literary darlings. The books are as different as the authors who penned them, yet their engaging narrative and their impact on the booksellers at Barnes & Noble is the common thread that weaves them together.” See the list at: https://www.barnesandnobleinc.com/press-release/barnes-noble-announces-best-books-2022-far/

For the first quarter, net sales were $540.9 million compared to $388.0 million in last year's first quarter. This 39.4% improvement primarily reflects a comparable sales increase of 40.6%, partially offset by 29 permanent store closures since last year's first quarter. The 40.6% comparable sales improvement was driven by an increase in transaction count and higher average dollar sale. Gross margin was $216.6 million, or 40.0% of net sales, compared to $126.8 million, or 32.7% of net sales, in last year's first quarter. The 730-basis point improvement in gross margin rate primarily reflects higher average unit retail and full price sales combined with occupancy leverage that offset elevated raw material and freight costs. At the end of the first quarter, inventories totaled $325.6 million compared to $209.7 million at the end of last year's first quarter. The $115.9 million, or 55.3%, increase from last year's first quarter primarily reflects elevated on-hand inventories to align with higher consumer demand, an increase in in-transit inventories due to extended in-transit times in the global supply chain, strategic investments in basics and replenishment inventories, and higher average unit costs.

Since physical retailers started seeing a rebound in business after the plunge in sales in the early days of the pandemic, Barnes & Noble CEO James Daunt has often said that stores in urban areas are having the toughest time recovering. It turns out B&N is not alone in that regard. Kristen McLean, executive director of business development and industry analyst for NPD Books & Entertainment, noted that sales in most retail segments in big cities are having a difficult time making up the ground lost since 2019. Looking at books in particular, eight of the country’s 10 biggest book markets have seen their sales performances this year through May 14 trail the 15% increase in the overall market compared to the similar period in 2019, while many midsize markets have seen substantial gains, according to BookScan data. BookScan analyzed print unit sales from two vantage points: actual changes in sales in 2022 vs. 2019, and how sales in different DMAs (designated market areas) in 2022 vs. 2019 compare to the 15% increase posted by the overall market.

Kohl’s Corporation announced that following the receipt of final proposals, the Kohl’s Board of Directors has entered into exclusive negotiations with Franchise Group, Inc. (“FRG”), a holding company of a collection of market-leading and emerging brands, for a period of three weeks in relation to FRG’s proposal to acquire the Company for $60.00 per share. The purpose of the exclusive period is to allow FRG and its financing partners to finalize due diligence and financing arrangements and for the parties to complete the negotiation of binding documentation. The transaction remains subject to approvals of the Boards of Directors of both companies. There can be no assurances that any agreement will be reached or that a transaction will be agreed or completed on the terms set forth above or otherwise. The Company will have no further comment until an agreement is reached or the discussions are terminated.

For eight consecutive weeks, more than 93 percent of First-Class Mail was delivered on-time. For the past 13 weeks, more than 94 percent of Marketing Mail was delivered on-time. Through the first eight weeks of the third quarter, the average time for delivery of mail and packages across the postal network remained just 2.4 days. Third quarter service performance scores covering April 1 through May 27 included: *First-Class Mail: 93.4 percent of First-Class Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, an increase of 5.6 percentage points from the fiscal second quarter. *Marketing Mail: 95 percent of Marketing Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, an increase of 2.8 percentage points from the fiscal second quarter. *Periodicals: 86.4 percent of Periodicals delivered on time against the USPS service standard, an improvement of 5 percentage points from the fiscal second quarter.

Fiscal 2022 First Quarter Operating Results Overview *Total net sales were $145.8 million, a decrease of $(17.4) million or (10.7)%, compared to a Company first quarter record of $163.2 million last year. Total comparable net sales, including both physical stores and e-commerce, decreased by (13.0)%. *Gross profit was $43.8 million, or 30.1% of net sales, compared to $54.8 million, or 33.6% of net sales, last year. *Operating income was $1.1 million, or 0.8% of net sales, compared to $14.9 million, or 9.1% of net sales, last year. *Net income was $0.8 million, or $0.03 per diluted share, compared to a Company first quarter record of $11.0 million, or $0.36 per diluted share, last year.

The United States Postal Service announced it will soon publish a Notice of Intent to supplement its environmental impact statement (EIS) related to its Next Generation Delivery Vehicles (NGDV) plan. The decision comes as the Postal Service accounts for expected changes following a recently announced plan to improve the Postal Service’s delivery network. The plan to modernize and aggregate delivery operations will make delivery routes more efficient, which may affect the appropriate mix of vehicles to be procured for the Postal Service’s delivery fleet, including NGDV. “As I noted when we placed our initial NGDV delivery order, the Postal Service would continue to look for opportunities to further increase the electrification of our fleet in a responsible manner, as we continue to refine our operating strategy and implement the Delivering for America plan,” said DeJoy. “A modernized network of delivery facilities provides us with such an opportunity. This is the right approach —operationally, financially, and environmentally.”

Gannett Co., Inc. announced a strategic organizational restructuring with the creation of two new U.S. operating business units, Gannett Media and Digital Marketing Solutions (DMS), which will be led by Maribel Perez Wadsworth and Kris Barton as Presidents of each business respectively. The evolved corporate structure is designed to align Gannett’s subject matter expertise and resources with favorable growth opportunities. As President of Gannett Media, Wadsworth will oversee an expansive organization that prioritizes content, news, business-to-business (B2B) and commitment to subscribers while continuing to accelerate Gannett’s digital subscriber growth. As President of Digital Marketing Solutions, Barton brings a unique mix of business, design and technical acumen to the position. He is dedicated to growing DMS offerings as a differentiated marketing platform. He and his team will further the transformation of the DMS business to ensure loyalty from existing customers who value the platform while attracting new customers to engage with the available digital solutions.

S&P Global is suspending financial guidance for the full year 2022. Macroeconomic conditions have deteriorated since S&P Global Inc. last provided financial guidance on May 3, 2022, negatively impacting the Company's expectations for GDP growth and debt issuance volumes. Given the volatility and uncertainty in the issuance environment, the Company cannot affirm its previously issued guidance and expects to reintroduce formal financial guidance in conjunction with its second quarter 2022 earnings results. Debt issuance volumes have been extraordinarily weak year-to-date. Should similar trends continue through the end of 2022, market issuance could see year-over-year declines in the high teens. Rated, or billed, issuance could be approximately 30-35% lower than the previous year, and leveraged loan volumes could be approximately 40% lower. In such a scenario, Ratings revenue could be negatively impacted by as much as $600 million relative to previous revenue guidance and the Company would expect Ratings adjusted operating margin in the high 50s range.

The Association of American Publishers (AAP) today released its StatShot report for March 2022 reflecting reported revenue for Trade (Consumer Books), Higher Education Course Materials, and Professional Publishing. The report does not include Pre-K revenue due to delays in data collection, but will be updated as soon as that data becomes available. Total revenues across all categories, excluding PreK-12, for March 2022 were down 4.2% as compared to March 2021, coming in at $804.4 million. Year-to-date revenues were up 1.1%, at $3.0 billion for the first three months of the year.

Through the first seven weeks of the third quarter, the average time for delivery of mail and packages across the postal network remained just 2.4 days. Third quarter service performance scores covering April 1 through May 20 included: *First-Class Mail: 93.5 percent of First-Class Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, an increase of 5.6 percentage points from the fiscal second quarter. *Marketing Mail: 95 percent of Marketing Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, an increase of 2.8 percentage points from the fiscal second quarter. *Periodicals: 86.5 percent of Periodicals delivered on time against the USPS service standard, an improvement of 5 percentage points from the fiscal second quarter.

First Quarter Fiscal 2022 - Financial Results: *Net sales of $3.5 billion, down 13% compared to last year. *Net sales growth in the first quarter fiscal 2022 was negatively impacted by an estimated 5 percentage points related to lapping the benefit of stimulus last year and approximately 3 percentage points from divestitures, store closures, and the transition of the company’s European business to a partnership model. *Comparable sales were down 14% year-over-year. *Store sales declined 10% compared to last year. The company ended the quarter with 3,414 store locations in over 40 countries, of which 2,825 were company operated. *Gross margin was 31.5%, 930 basis points lower than last year. *Operating loss was $197 million in the quarter; operating margin of negative 5.7%. *Net loss of $162 million

*Comparable sales up 12.8% on an owned basis and up 12.4% on an owned-plus-licensed basis *Diluted EPS of $0.98 and Adjusted diluted EPS of $1.08 *Increased financial flexibility through a number of financing transactions *Repurchased $600 million of shares under $2 billion share repurchase program *Reaffirmed annual sales guidance and raised Adjusted diluted EPS guidance

Ogden Newspapers is acquiring KPC Media, the publisher of numerous publications in northeast Indiana, the firm has announced. Terms were not disclosed. Conducted in partnership with Journal Gazette Co. and its Fort Wayne Newspapers, the purchase follows Ogden’s acquisition last year of Swift Communications, publisher of newspapers in Colorado, Utah and California markets. The KPC purchase includes three dailies: The News Sun, Kendallville; The Herald Republican, Angola; and The Star, Auburn.

Kohl’s is deeply committed to its retail footprint and is evolving its real estate approach to match the changing industry landscape and customer needs. Over the next three years, Kohl’s will increase its investment in store strategies that will improve the store experience for customers and associates, and over the next four years, about 100 new, smaller format stores will open in markets previously untapped by Kohl’s physical presence. “Kohl’s began with roots as a brick-and-mortar company, and these 60 years of experience have set the company up to become a leading omnichannel retailer,” said Mark Griepentrog, Kohl’s chief property officer. “Our strong and productive off-mall store base can continuously evolve with our customer’s expectations and demand, and we see substantial opportunities to leverage our real estate in producing long-term growth.”

For the first quarter, net sales increased 18.7 percent versus the same period in fiscal 2021, exceeding pre-pandemic sales levels, and gross merchandise value ("GMV") increased 19.6 percent. During the quarter, Nordstrom banner net sales increased 23.5 percent and GMV increased 24.8 percent. Net sales for Nordstrom Rack increased 10.3 percent and continued to show sequential improvement towards pre-pandemic sales levels.

Urban Outfitters, Inc. announced net income of $32 million and earnings per diluted share of $0.33 for the three months ended April 30, 2022. Total Company net sales for the three months ended April 30, 2022, increased 13.4% over the same period last year to a record $1.05 billion. Total Retail segment net sales increased 12%, with comparable Retail segment net sales increasing 11%. By brand, comparable Retail segment net sales increased 18% at the Anthropologie Group, 15% at the Free People Group and 1% at Urban Outfitters. Wholesale segment net sales increased 6%, driven by a 9% increase in Free People Group wholesale sales. Nuuly segment net sales increased by $15.0 million driven by a significant increase in our subscriber base. “We are pleased to announce record Q1 sales driven by an 11% Retail segment ‘comp’,” said Richard A. Hayne, Chief Executive Officer. “Unfortunately, the impact of inflation on our costs of doing business more than offset the benefit of record revenues,” finished Mr. Hayne.

A summary of results for the first quarter ended April 30, 2022 as compared to the first quarter ended May 1, 2021: *Net sales of $813 million, up 4% as compared to last year. *Gross profit rate of 55.3%, down approximately 810 basis points as compared to last year. The year-over-year decline is driven by approximately $80 million of higher freight costs, partially offset by higher average unit retail on lower promotions. *Operating expense, excluding other operating income, net, was up 5% compared to last year. Approximately half of the increase was due to the lapping of COVID-related rent abatements and payroll credits last year, and the other half due to an increase in marketing and digital fulfillment expenses. Operating expense as a percentage of sales increased to 56.9% from 56.2% last year. *Operating loss of $10 million and $6 million on a reported and adjusted non-GAAP basis, respectively, as compared to operating income of $57 million and $60 million last year, on a reported and adjusted non-GAAP basis, respectively.

Domestic revenue of $9.89 billion decreased 8.7% versus last year primarily driven by a comparable sales decline of 8.5%. Domestic gross profit rate was 21.9% versus 23.3% last year. The lower gross profit rate was primarily due to: (1) lower services margin rates, including pressure associated with the Best Buy Totaltech membership offering; (2) lower product margin rates, including increased promotions; and (3) higher supply chain costs. These pressures were partially offset by higher profit-sharing revenue from the company’s private label and co-branded credit card arrangement. Domestic GAAP SG&A was $1.74 billion, or 17.6% of revenue, versus $1.84 billion, or 16.9% of revenue, last year. International revenue of $753 million decreased 5.4% versus last year. This decrease was primarily driven by the exit of operations in Mexico in FY22 and a comparable sales decline of 1.4% in Canada. International GAAP gross profit rate was 24.3% versus 23.7% last year.

We continue to expand our delivery operations to help customers get the items they need when they need them, and it’s been an exciting journey. From Express delivery, where customers can have items delivered to their doorsteps in as little as two hours, to InHome, where they can get those orders placed right into their refrigerators, we’re proud to offer customers multiple options that help them save time and money. One solution we’ve been working on over the last year is delivery via drone. Today we’re announcing we’ll be expanding our DroneUp delivery network to 34 sites by the end the year, providing the potential to reach 4 million U.S. households across six states – Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Texas, Utah and Virginia. This provides us the ability to deliver over 1 million packages by drone in a year.

Through the first six weeks of the third quarter, the average time for delivery of mail and packages across the postal network remained just 2.4 days. Third quarter service performance scores covering April 1 through May 13 included: *First-Class Mail: 93.4 percent of First-Class Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, an increase of 5.6 percentage points from the fiscal second quarter. *Marketing Mail: 95.0 percent of Marketing Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, an increase of 2.8 percentage points from the fiscal second quarter. *Periodicals: 86.7 percent of Periodicals delivered on time against the USPS service standard, an improvement of 5.2 percentage points from the fiscal second quarter.

In its full-year results for the 52-week period ended March 2022, the postal operator achieved revenue of £12.71bn, up 0.6% on the £12.64bn it achieved a year earlier. This included sales from its overseas parcels business GLS. On a reported basis, the company recorded a pre-tax profit of £662m, down 8.8% on last year, and an operating profit of £577m, down 5.6%. Its adjusted operating profit was up 8% at £758m while its adjusted pre-tax profit figure was up 6.5% at £707m. The business said that while the pandemic had resulted in an increase in parcel volumes, some of the tailwinds it experienced in the last year have subsided, and while it has seen a recovery in letter volumes, “parcel volumes and shifts in mix continue to be volatile”.

Average student spending on college course materials, including textbooks and digital materials, declined 22% during the 2021-2022 academic year according to new data reported today by independent research firm Student Monitor. The trend continues a decade long decline according to the research firm, with student spending on the category dropping a dramatic 44% between the 2011-12 and 2021-22 academic years. “Course materials are more affordable now than at any time in the past decade,” commented Eric Weil, Managing Partner, Student Monitor. “Student spending dropped 22% during the most recent year, coming in at an average of just $314, in large part because Students are tailoring their purchases to the requirements of their individual courses, and taking full advantage of some of the new affordable options.”

In FY 2021, the Postal Service had a net loss from operations of $2.7 billion, a $0.9 billion improvement from FY 2020. The decrease in net operating losses for FY 2021 was primarily due to $4.0 billion more revenue than in FY 2020. When non-operating expenses are included, the Postal Service had a total net loss of $4.9 billion in FY 2021—an improvement of $4.2 billion compared to FY 2020. While the Postal Service realized an overall improvement in total net losses in FY 2021, continued losses have expanded the gap between the Postal Service’s assets and liabilities. Total assets at the end of FY 2021 were $46.4 billion versus total liabilities of $122.1 billion. A significant portion of the Postal Service’s liabilities was driven by unpaid retiree health benefit (RHB) liabilities totaling $57.0 billion at the end of FY 2021. The recent enactment of the Postal Service Reform Act removes this $57.0 billion liability of past due RHB obligations and eliminates annual payments for the RHB normal costs and the Retiree Health Benefits Fund amortization. Market Dominant revenue decreased in FY 2021 by $97 million or 0.2 percent from FY 2020. Increases in revenue per piece for overall Market Dominant products were not enough to offset declines in volume and fluctuation in mail mix and signal the severity of the effects of the pandemic during that time. In FY 2021, Market Dominant volume declined while package volumes rose as a result of continued growth in e-commerce that included record holiday volume. These changes in volume affected overall revenues and cost in addition to workforce and workhour changes in response to pandemic-related labor costs.

*Comparable sales grew 3.3 percent, on top of 22.9 percent growth last year. **Comparable sales growth reflected traffic growth of 3.9 percent. **Store comparable sales increased 3.4 percent, on top of 18.0 percent growth last year. **Digital comparable sales grew 3.2 percent, following growth of 50.2 percent last year. **Same-day services (Order Pickup, Drive Up and Shipt) grew 8 percent this year, led by Drive Up, which grew in the mid-teens on top of more than 120 percent last year. **More than 95 percent of Target's first quarter sales were fulfilled by its stores. *Sales growth was led by frequently-purchased categories, including Food & Beverage, Beauty, and Household Essentials. *Operating margin rate of 5.3 percent was well below expectations, driven primarily by gross margin pressure reflecting actions to reduce excess inventory as well as higher freight and transportation costs.

*Total revenue was $141.6 billion, up 2.4%, negatively affected by $5.0 billion due to divestitures. *Walmart U.S. Q1 comp sales1 grew 3.0% and 9.0% on a two-year stack. *Walmart U.S. eCommerce sales grew 1% or 38% on a two-year stack. *Sam’s Club comp sales1 increased 10.2%, and 17.4% on a two-year stack. Membership income increased 10.5%. *Walmart International net sales were $23.8 billion, a decrease of $3.5 billion, or 13.0%, negatively affected by $5.0 billion due to divestitures. *Consolidated operating income was $5.3 billion, a decrease of 23.0%, negatively affected by $0.3 billion from divestitures.

Through the first five weeks of the third quarter, the average time for delivery of mail and packages across the postal network remained just 2.4 days. Third quarter service performance scores covering April 1 through May 6 included: *First-Class Mail: 93.5 percent of First-Class Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, an increase of 5.6 percentage points from the fiscal second quarter. *Marketing Mail: 95.0 percent of Marketing Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, an increase of 2.9 percentage points from the fiscal second quarter. *Periodicals: 86.8 percent of Periodicals delivered on time against the USPS service standard, an improvement of 5.3 percentage points from the fiscal second quarter.

After a successful launch last year, the U.S. Book Show returns with a full menu of programming for professional bibliophiles of all stripes. Highlights include PW Editors’ Picks panels, author chats, and Book Buzz panels done in cooperation with publishers. Check out the schedule here for a taste of what’s on offer and when it’s happening. On the pages that follow, you’ll find in-depth information on the discussions and meetup opportunities you won’t want to miss. Once again, there’s no need to head across town or fly across the country to participate. You’ll find everything at the U.S. Book Show website, usbookshow.com. All times given are in Eastern Time. see details at: https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/bea/article/89326-the-u-s-book-show-returns.html

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said the U.S. Postal Service will be forced to initiate “uncomfortable” price increases for market dominant USPS products such as first-class mail, marketing mail and periodicals, while shippers using Parcel Select Ground can benefit from use of cubic pricing. The USPS’s new pricing schedule goes into effect July 10, with the agency warning that twice-yearly pricing adjustments will be the norm going forward, even as the delivery service standard has slowed. The USPS delayed implementation of the service slowdown until after the peak holiday season. The recent Postal Reform Act’s undoing of mandated prefunding of retiree healthcare benefits will save $50 billion over 10 years by switching pensioners to Medicare – which many argue causes other economic liability issues. But DeJoy said that still leaves a projected $110 billion dollar USPS loss over that period.

The Book Manufacturers’ Institute (BMI) released the May results for its monthly survey on capacity and lead times for soft cover and hard cover books. As demand has skyrocketed and supply chain woes continue to hamper all segments of manufacturing, BMI put together the survey to get a better idea of what manufacturers were facing and what publishers should expect. May is the third month of the survey. According to responses regarding hard cover books, the average manufacturer was running at 91% of their capacity, up from April’s 85%. The average lead time for completed hard cover books dropped to 91 days, down from 103 in April. For soft cover books, capacity usage went from 94% down to 92% and the average lead time went back to March’s 70 days, based on 15 responses. See more at: https://www.bmibook.com/news/bmi-releases-industry-barometer-survey-results-for-may

For the Three Months Ended April 2, 2022: Sales increased 19% to $293.6 million, compared to $247.6 million during the same period last year. Gross profit increased 7% to $154.9 million, or 52.7% of sales, compared to $145.2 million, or 58.6% of sales, in the first quarter of 2021. The 590 basis point decrease in gross margin was primarily driven by higher inbound freight, including a 220 basis point impact of a non-recurring true-up of prior year freight costs, and an unfavorable impact of the non-renewal of the Global System of Preferences (“GSP”) program on import duties, partially offset by price increases and a favorable mix shift to our DTC channel. Operating income decreased 17% to $33.3 million, or 11.3% of sales, compared to $40.0 million, or 16.2% of sales during the prior year quarter. Net income decreased 16% to $25.7 million, or 8.7% of sales, compared to $30.5 million, or 12.3% of sales in the prior year quarter.

On June 2, Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain will celebrate the 70th anniversary of her reign. To mark the occasion, the British government has commissioned the DK publishing house to produce an anniversary book. “Queen Elizabeth: A Platinum Jubilee Celebration” has a print run of more than 4.5 million copies and will be distributed free of charge to students at British primary schools from the middle of the month. For the first time in British history, a regent, Queen Elizabeth II, is celebrating the 70th anniversary of her reign, known as a Platinum Jubilee – and the whole country has been preparing for this extraordinary celebration for months. The Queen ascended the throne on June 2, 1952, and for this reason the government of the United Kingdom has proclaimed June 2 of this year, a Thursday, and the following Friday, a public holiday, giving Britons four full days, June 2 to 5, to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee. Alongside the many festivities, the official book to accompany the occasion, “Queen Elizabeth: A Platinum Jubilee Celebration,” will be distributed free of charge to British elementary schools. The book was produced by the DK publishing house, which secured the prestigious contract with Britain’s Department for Education following a tendering process last year.

A May 4 webinar hosted by Ingram Content Group addressed supply chain challenges, logistic delays, inflation, the role environmental impacts play on consumer shopping preferences, as well as how accessibility is increasing the reach for e-books and audiobooks. Participants included Rob Grindstaff, director of sales operations and product development for Ingram's Lightning Source; Ruth Jones, director of global sales and digital services at Ingram Content Group UK; and Gina Walpole, the senior services manager for Ingram Content Group UK. Panelists noted that troubles with the supply chain persist. Problems include a shortage of materials, increased freight prices, and port congestion. All of this is putting a strain on publishers as it becomes more difficult for them to accurately predict demand and, consequently, supply for a given title. It was pointed out that paper mills are operating at full capacity while some are shifting production from producing paper to packaging. Labor shortages persist across the logistics supply chain—and are predicted to carry into 2023. All this is resulting in rising costs.

* Dotdash Meredith revenue increased 665% year-over-year to $500 million, benefitting from the Meredith acquisition. o Digital revenue was $216 million and Print revenue was $290 million. o Operating loss of $56 million and Adjusted EBITDA of $9 million reflect $26.5 million of restructuring charges incurred and transaction-related items associated with the acquisition of Meredith incurred in Q1 2022. * Angi Inc. revenue increased 13% year-over-year to $436 million, the 6th consecutive quarter of double-digit growth. * Emerging & Other revenue increased 9% to $167 million.

The U.S. Postal Service today announced its financial results for the second quarter of its fiscal year 2022 (Jan. 1, 2022 - March 31, 2022), reporting an adjusted loss of approximately $1.7 billion for the quarter, essentially flat compared to the same quarter last year. Adjusted loss excludes non-cash workers' compensation adjustments for the impacts of actuarial revaluation and discount rate changes, which are outside of management's control. On a U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") basis, the Postal Service had a net loss of $639 million for the quarter, compared to a net loss of $82 million for the same quarter last year. The Postal Service's operating revenue was approximately $19.8 billion for the quarter, an increase of $896 million, or 4.7 percent, on volume growth of 886 million pieces, or 2.9 percent, compared to the same quarter last year.

Through the month of April, the average time for delivery of a mailpiece across the postal network held steady at 2.4 days. Third quarter service performance scores covering April 1 through April 29 included: First-Class Mail: 93.5 percent of First-Class Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, an increase of 5.6 percentage points from the fiscal second quarter. Marketing Mail: 95.0 percent of Marketing Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, an increase of 2.8 percentage points from the fiscal second quarter. Periodicals: 86.8 percent of Periodicals delivered on time against the USPS service standard, an improvement of 5.3 percentage points from the fiscal second quarter.

Fiscal 2022 Third Quarter Key Financial Highlights *Revenues in the quarter were $2.49 billion, a record for third quarter revenue and a 7% increase compared to $2.34 billion in the prior year *Net income in the quarter was $104 million, an 8% increase compared to $96 million in the prior year *Total Segment EBITDA in the quarter was $358 million, a 20% increase compared to $298 million in the prior year, and includes $15 million of one-time transaction costs

First Quarter 2022 Financial Highlights: • Total revenues of $748.1 million decreased 3.7% compared to the first quarter of 2021 ◦ Same store revenues(1) decreased 2.5% compared to the first quarter of 2021 • Total digital revenues were $251.1 million or 34% of total revenues, up 9.7% over the same period in the prior year on a same store(1) basis • Net loss attributable to Gannett of $3.0 million and margin loss of 0.4% • Cash provided by operating activities of $32.4 million • Free cash flow(1) of $21.7 million

Deluxe has entered into an agreement with BillGO, one of the industry’s largest bill payment platforms and fintech trailblazer, to provide digitized check delivery of payments through the Deluxe Payment Exchange Network. The Deluxe Payment Exchange (DPX) is a digital payment platform for businesses of all sizes that allows payers options in how payments are made – digitally through a direct feed to a lockbox, through the issuance of an eCheck, or printed and mailed. The DPX platform also provides the recipient options to receive the payment. Deluxe and BillGO have leveraged the power of their respective networks and by linking their innovative technologies to identify payment preferences and electronic delivery addresses, have developed a “network-of-networks,” opening the door to other faster payment methods for customers of both companies.

The New York Times Company announced first-quarter 2022 diluted earnings per share from continuing operations of $.03 compared with $.24 in the same period of 2021. Adjusted diluted earnings per share from continuing operations (defined below) was $.19 in the first quarter of 2022 compared with $.26 in the first quarter of 2021. Operating profit decreased to $6.3 million in the first quarter of 2022 from $51.7 million in the same period of 2021 largely as a result of one-time costs related to the acquisition of The Athletic Media Company (“The Athletic”), which occurred in the first quarter of 2022, as well as a result of operating losses at The Athletic. Adjusted operating profit (defined below) decreased to $60.9 million from $68.1 million in the prior year, as a result of operating losses at The Athletic. Adjusted operating profit at The New York Times Group was largely unchanged at $67.7 million as digital subscription and advertising revenue growth was offset by higher costs.

*Total reported sales of $2.2 billion, flat versus last year; higher sales in our BSD division, partially offset by lower sales in our Retail division driven by 114 fewer retail locations in service compared to the prior year as a result of planned store closures *GAAP operating income of $76 million and net income from continuing operations of $55 million, or $1.09 per diluted share, versus $69 million and $63 million, or $1.12 per diluted share, respectively in the prior year *Operating cash flow from continuing operations of $30 million and adjusted free cash flow of $16 million, versus $103 million and $96 million, respectively in the prior year *$1.4 billion of total available liquidity including $557 million in cash and cash equivalents

“USPS Connect™ eCommerce makes it easier for online marketplaces and shipping platforms to work directly with the Postal Service and offer their customers access to discounted rates,” said Jacqueline Krage Strako, Chief Customer and Business Solutions Officer for the United States Postal Service. As small and medium businesses grow and their shipping needs become more complex, they look to online marketplaces and shipping platforms for solutions. Through USPS Connect™ eCommerce, the Postal Service will best serve this growing customer base by offering them discounted rates.

*Reported Revenue Increased 18%; *Diluted EPS Increased 43% to $4.47; *Reported Operating Profit Margin Increased 2,560 Basis Points to 79.2% *Revenue Growth was Driven by Strength Across Five of Six Divisions, Offset by a Sharp Decline in Revenue Related to Debt Issuance *Merger-Related Divestitures Announced or Completed

Through the first three weeks of the third quarter, the average time for delivery of a mailpiece across the postal network was 2.4 days. Third quarter service performance scores covering April 1 through April 22 included: *First-Class Mail: 93.4 percent of First-Class Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, an increase of 5.5 percentage points from the fiscal second quarter. *Marketing Mail: 94.9 percent of Marketing Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, an increase of 2.8 percentage points from the fiscal second quarter. *Periodicals: 87.0 percent of Periodicals delivered on time against the USPS service standard, an improvement of 5.5 percentage points from the fiscal second quarter.

In Texas, libraries are a political battleground. On the same day that the Texas Library Association convened its annual convention in person for the first time since 2019, attendees learned that residents of Llano, a rural county outside Austin, were fighting back against efforts by Republican politicians to censor local libraries. It was, perhaps, a sweeter irony that the TLA’s conference, which ran April 25–28, was held in Fort Worth, in the district of state representative Matt Kraus. Kraus started a campaign to ban books in Texas last October, when he sent a letter to the Texas Education Agency asking school districts to investigate the presence of more than 850 diverse and inclusive books in school libraries. Remarking on the news from Llano, Darryl Tocker, executive director of the Tocker Foundation, the state’s most prominent charity involved in supporting rural public libraries, told PW, “It’s wrong what is happening in public libraries. There’s no other word for it.”

*Operating cash flow decreased 41% to $39.3 billion for the trailing twelve months, compared with $67.2 billion for the trailing twelve months ended March 31, 2021. *Free cash flow decreased to an outflow of $18.6 billion for the trailing twelve months, compared with an inflow of $26.4 billion for the trailing twelve months ended March 31, 2021. *Free cash flow less principal repayments of finance leases and financing obligations decreased to an outflow of $29.3 billion for the trailing twelve months, compared with an inflow of $14.9 billion for the trailing twelve months ended March 31, 2021. *Free cash flow less equipment finance leases and principal repayments of all other finance leases and financing obligations decreased to an outflow of $22.3 billion for the trailing twelve months, compared with an inflow of $16.8 billion for the trailing twelve months ended March 31, 2021. *Common shares outstanding plus shares underlying stock-based awards totaled 523 million on March 31, 2022, compared with 519 million one year ago. *Net sales increased 7% to $116.4 billion in the first quarter, compared with $108.5 billion in first quarter 2021. Excluding the $1.8 billion unfavorable impact from year-over-year changes in foreign exchange rates throughout the quarter, net sales increased 9% compared with first quarter 2021. *Net loss was $3.8 billion in the first quarter, or $7.56 per diluted share, compared with net income of $8.1 billion, or $15.79 per diluted share, in first quarter 2021. First quarter 2022 net loss includes a pre-tax valuation loss of $7.6 billion included in non-operating expense from our common stock investment in Rivian Automotive, Inc.

The Association of American Publishers (AAP) welcomes the release of the 2022 Special 301 Report by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR). The Special 301 Report serves the critical function of identifying continuing impediments to the ability of U.S. copyright owners to compete successfully in foreign markets, including markets of importance to the U.S. publishing industry. China remains on the Priority Watch List, with the Report again noting the prevalence of online piracy and the significant obstacles to releasing legitimate content into the market, given China’s stringent content review requirements. While Canada has made progress with respect to the certain IP and enforcement issues, per its obligations under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, the country continues on the Watch List, given the U.S government’s continuing concerns with the “ambiguous education-related exception added to the copyright law in 2012,” and “high levels of online piracy.”

*Total net revenues for the quarter were $469.6 million, down 1.0 percent compared with $474.2 million in the prior year period. Compared with the Company’s fiscal 2020 third quarter, prior to the pandemic, revenues were up 68.4 percent. *Net loss for the quarter was $23.4 million, or a loss of $0.36 per share compared with net income of $1.4 million, or $0.02 per diluted share, in the prior year period, primarily reflecting significant year-over-year cost increases for inbound and outbound shipping, labor, and digital marketing. Adjusted net loss1 for the quarter was $21.0 million, or a loss of $0.32 per share, compared with adjusted net income1 of $1.5 million, or $0.02 per diluted share, in the prior year period.

First Quarter Highlights *Delivered sales of $3.6 billion, up 18.2%, compared to the first quarter of 2021; up 17.9% on a daily, constant currency basis *Expanded gross margin by 245 bps compared to the first quarter of 2021 *Operating earnings of $534 million, up 49.2%, resulting in EPS of $7.07, an increase of 57.8% versus the first quarter of 2021 *Produced operating cash flow of $343 million, up 16.7%; returned $163 million to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases

Bonnier LLC, a media company respected for its iconic publications in the marine category, has restructured its business across all operations to prioritize experiential events as its growth engine for the future. The Florida-based company is harnessing the power of media as a means to accelerate consumer interactions across a wide spectrum of outdoor activities. With its new mission to fuel the passion of outdoor enthusiasts, Bonnier is reshaping itself to become the nation’s leading outdoor adventure company. “We see ourselves almost back in startup mode,” said Dr. Jens Mueffelmann, Executive Chairman. “We’re taking on the mindset of a new company with a new mission and branding, a new leadership team and investors, a new structure and way of working, and a new future. We are now fully focused on growth. Game time!” In adopting its new “We Are Outdoor Adventure” branding, Bonnier is doubling down on its core mission: to fuel passion for fishing, boating, sailing, motorsports, hunting and travel. This mission is also reflected in the company’s new corporate website, bonniercorp.com, launched this month, which showcases Bonnier’s integrated brands and category dominance.

The U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors will meet May 5, 2022, in open session at Postal Service headquarters, 475 L’Enfant Plaza, SW, Washington, DC. The public is welcome to observe the meeting beginning at 4:00 p.m. ET in the Benjamin Franklin Room on the 11th floor. The Board is expected to discuss the following items: 1.Remarks of the Chairman of the Board of Governors 2.Remarks of the Postmaster General and CEO 3.Approval of the Minutes 4.Committee Reports 5.Quarterly Financial Report 6.Quarterly Service Performance Report 7.Approval of Tentative Agenda for Aug. 9 Meeting 8.Adjournment

The United States Postal Service reported new delivery performance metrics through the first two weeks of the fiscal third quarter. For the week ending April 15 and the third consecutive week, First-Class Mail on-time delivery performance was nearly 94 percent. Through the first two weeks of the third quarter, the average time for delivery of a mailpiece across the postal network was 2.4 days. Third quarter service performance scores covering April 1 through April 15 included: *First-Class Mail: 93.6 percent of First-Class Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, an increase of 5.7 percentage points from the fiscal second quarter. *Marketing Mail: 95.4 percent of Marketing Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, an increase of 2.8 percentage points from the fiscal second quarter. *Periodicals: 87.7 percent of Periodicals delivered on time against the USPS service standard, an improvement of 5.8 percentage points from the fiscal second quarter.

Digital ad revenue in the U.S. rose 35% to $189 billion last year as marketers spent more to reach consumers, according to a report from the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) released Tuesday. David Cohen, CEO at IAB, believes that an increase in consumer use of online services and growth of small and mid-sized businesses during the pandemic fueled the increase in digital spending — specifically in digital audio and video. “We expect this digital migration to drive the continued growth of a healthy and competitive digital marketplace driven by innovation and entrepreneurship,” he stated.

Kohl’s Corporation mailed a letter to shareholders detailing their highly qualified Board of Directors that has the necessary skills to oversee Kohl’s evolving strategy. Kohl’s urges shareholders to protect the value of their investment by voting the BLUE proxy card today FOR ALL 13 of Kohl’s highly qualified nominees. The Company’s Annual Meeting of Shareholders (the “Annual Meeting”) is scheduled to be held on May 11, 2022. Kohl’s shareholders of record as of the close of business on March 7, 2022 will be entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting.

HH Global are pleased to announce that we have been awarded a multi-year contract with Samsung to provide artworking services across the UK and Ireland The award follows a highly competitive tender process, in which we pitched directly against multiple agencies to provide a solution for Samsung’s studio and artworking requirements. Feedback from Samsung confirms that our solution, presentation, and creative delivery was superior to all other agencies invited to bid.

We're excited to formally open up registration and make the complete agenda available for the 15th Annual National Forum in Washington June 13-15, 2022. Please see the links below. In brief, here are some reasons you can't afford to miss this event: • Consumer privacy legislation continues to pop up state by state. • The Supreme Court's decision in South Dakota v. Wayfair was four years ago, but the aftereffects continue to hinder many e-commerce and catalog businesses and it’s getting worse. • Heavy focus on the significant Supply Chain Challenges. • After years of aggressive lobbying by the ACMA, the recent passage of the Postal Service Reform Act is a great first step toward ensuring your future ability to use the mail to promote your business but that alone is not enough. And More! Conference Registration - First Come First Served at https://catalogmailers.org/product/15th-annual-national-catalog-forum-registration-page/

The United States Postal Service reported new delivery performance metrics for the fiscal second quarter dating through the month of March. Through the second quarter, the average time for delivery of a mailpiece across the postal network was 2.7 days. First-Class Mail performance showed steady improvements over the past five consecutive weeks, reaching 93.9 percent for the week ending April 1. The latest performance scores for Marketing Mail reflect the two best consecutive quarters since measurement began in FY 2011. Second quarter service performance scores covering Jan.1 through April 1 included: *First-Class Mail: 87.9 percent of First-Class Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, a decrease of 1.3 percentage points from the fiscal first quarter. *Marketing Mail: 92.6 percent of Marketing Mail deliver ed on time against the USPS service standard, consistent with performance from the fiscal first quarter.*Periodicals: 81.9 percent of Periodicals delivered on time against the USPS service standard, an improvement of 1 percentage point performance from the fiscal first quarter.

Unit sales of print books fell 8.9% in the first quarter, which ended April 2, from the same period in 2021, at outlets that report to NPD BookScan. The decline was expected, as first-quarter sales in 2021 soared 29.2% over the first period in 2020. Unit sales were 183.9 million in the most recent quarter, down from 201.9 million a year ago, but they were still up about 16% over the first quarter of 2020, when sales began to soften due to pandemic-related lockdowns. The only category to post a meaningful increase in the quarter was adult fiction. Colleen Hoover and fellow BookTok favorite Taylor Jenkins Reid were the big winners. Hoover’s It Ends with Us sold more than 400,000 copies in the first quarter, making it #1 on the category list, while Verity, with 312,000 copies sold, and Reminders of Him, with about 235,000 copies sold, were in second and fifth place, respectively, on the adult fiction chart.

The U.S. Postal Service today released a First-Year Progress Report on Delivering for America (DFA), its 10-year plan to return the organization to financial sustainability and achieve service excellence while maintaining universal six-day mail delivery and expanding seven-day package delivery. “We have made significant progress in the first year of our Delivering for America plan, but our work is far from over,” said Postmaster General and Chief Executive Officer Louis DeJoy. “Our employees are playing an integral role in the advancement of the plan. As we continue to implement components of the plan, we expect to significantly improve on-time delivery performance, operational capacity, precision and efficiency, and to do so in a financially sustainable manner over the coming decade. Delivering for America is helping to drive a new sense of purpose and focus across all levels in the organization.” Key milestones in the first year of DFA include: Reversing decades of losses; Improvements in on-time national service performance; Streamlined organizational functions; Conversion of nearly 63,000 pre-career employees into career positions; New standards to provide service reliability for customers and more

The United States Postal Service filed notice with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) of price changes to take effect July 10, 2022. The new prices, if favorably reviewed, include a two-cent increase in the price of a First-Class Mail Forever stamp from 58 cents to 60 cents. The proposed prices, approved by the Governors of the U.S. Postal Service, would raise First-Class Mail prices approximately 6.5 percent which is lower than the Bureau of Labor Statistics annual inflation rate of 7.9 percent as of the end of February. The price changes reflect a judicious implementation of the Postal Service’s pricing authority provided by the Postal Regulatory Commission. If favorably reviewed by the PRC, the single-piece letter additional ounce price would increase to 24 cents, the metered mail 1-ounce price would increase to 57 cents and the price of a postcard stamp would increase to 44 cents. A one-ounce letter mailed to other countries would increase to $1.40 cents. The Postal Service is also seeking price adjustments for Special Services products including Certified Mail, Post Office Box rental fees, Money Order fees and the cost to purchase insurance when mailing an item.

Costco Wholesale Corporation reported net sales of $21.61 billion for the retail month of March, the five weeks ended April 3, 2022, an increase of 18.7 percent from $18.21 billion last year. For the thirty-one weeks ended April 3, 2022, the Company reported net sales of $130.00 billion, an increase of 16.7 percent from $111.37 billion during the similar period last year.

The Arena Group on Monday announced it has finalized the acquisition of the multimedia content company AMG/Parade, whose brands include the iconic Sunday-newspaper magazine, Parade, as well as Relish and Spry Living. They will anchor The Arena Group’s new Lifestyle vertical and expand the Company’s Sports vertical. The Parade Media titles join Arena Group’s portfolio of 13 brands, including Sports Illustrated, TheStreet, HubPages, Fashionista, and Pet Helpful.

Maryland Congressman Jamie Raskin, chairman of the Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, plans to hold a hearing to examine the wave of attempted book bannings in schools and libraries across the country. The hearing is set for April 7 at 10:00 a.m. ET. A livestream will be available on YouTube and the Committee on Oversight and Reform website. The hearing comes during National Library Week, and after the American Library Association announced on Monday that it counted some 729 challenges to remove nearly 1,600 books from school and public libraries in 2021—a striking uptick and the highest number of attempted book bans in the 20 years that the ALA has tracked this data.

MIDLAND, one of the nation’s largest independent packaging and paper distributors, today announced the acquisition of J.Schmid, a full-service branding and creative agency headquartered in Kansas City. Though it’s widely known as a leader in sustainable packaging, e-commerce packaging, distribution automation, and publishing and printing paper supply, MIDLAND is also growing in the area of performance – specifically, direct-to-consumer marketing and strategic consulting. MIDLAND’s commitment to strategic consulting began in 2019 with the acquisition of CohereOne, a Californiabased multichannel consulting and strategic services firm. “We always had a vision to expand our services beyond paper and packaging products, so we made the bold move of acquiring CohereOne to complement our core product offering. Our goal was, and is, to ensure a client’s message reaches the right people in the right places with strategic planning, campaign execution, digital integration and analytics. MIDLAND is thrilled with the performance of CohereOne, and excited to take our strategic consulting business to the next level by bringing J.Schmid onboard,” said MIDLAND’s Co-Owner and Executive Vice President of Publishing & Consulting, Jim O’Toole.

S&P Global announced it has entered into an agreement to sell its Leveraged Commentary and Data (LCD) business and its related family of leveraged loan indices to Morningstar Inc. Morningstar has agreed to purchase LCD for $650 million in cash, comprised of $600 million paid at closing, subject to adjustment, and a contingent payment of up to $50m of which is payable six months following the closing upon the achievement of certain conditions related to the transition of LCD customer relationships. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including antitrust approvals. LCD is a leading research group that provides highly differentiated and proprietary research on the U.S. and European leveraged loan, high-yield bond, collateralized loan obligation (CLO) and mid-market/direct lending markets.

The United States Postal Service reported new delivery performance metrics for the fiscal second quarter dating from Jan. 1 through Mar. 25. Weekly service performance scores have improved for consecutive 4 weeks as the Postal Service continues its top-down focus on operational precision across the postal network to improve delivery reliability. For the week ending Mar. 25, service performance scores for First-Class Mail, Marketing Mail and Periodicals rose to the highest levels since pre-2021 peak holiday season. Second quarter service performance scores covering Jan.1 through Mar. 25 included: *First-Class Mail: 87.2 percent of First-Class Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, a decrease of 1.9 percentage points from the fiscal first quarter. *Marketing Mail: 92.4 percent of Marketing Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, consistent with performance from the fiscal first quarter. *Periodicals: 81.8 percent of Periodicals delivered on time against the USPS service standard, an improvement of .9 percentage point performance from the fiscal first quarter.

Paper, in any form, is in short supply across the world - caused by disrupted supply chains, labor shortages, logistical problems and the insufficient acceptance of digital publications. How is all of this affecting businesses in the US? When I first got into the paper industry, in the mid-90s, paper was arguably at its peak in production and demand,” Bill Rojack says. "Ever since, there's been a steady decline in demand." Rojack is the vice president of the National Division of MIDLAND, one of America's biggest independent paper and packaging distributors . This steady downward trend had led many paper manufacturers either to close their plants or repurpose their equipment. “ Paper mills are incredibly expensive,” Rojack explains. “To start a paper mill costs about $2 billion (€1.8 billion). It takes about five years to build a mill. It's the third most energy-intensive business in the US” These high costs mean that manufacturers are under extreme pressure to ensure that adequate profits are made.

Second quarter highlights: *Second quarter earnings per share (EPS*) from continuing operations was $1.02, a decrease compared with an EPS of $1.06 in the year-ago quarter; continuing operations adjusted** EPS increased 25.9 percent to $1.59, up 26.5 percent on a constant currency basis *Second quarter sales from continuing operations increased 3.0 percent over the year-ago quarter to $33.8 billion, up 3.8 percent on a constant currency basis *Second quarter operating income from continuing operations increased to $1.2 billion, compared with operating income of $832 million in the year-ago quarter; adjusted operating income from continuing operations increased to $1.7 billion, up 35.9 percent on a constant currency basis

Kohl’s Corporation mailed a letter to shareholders detailing the steps the Board has taken to maximize shareholder value, including the robust and intentional process to evaluate potential bids. The letter also summarizes Macellum’s shifting narrative and short-term focus on a sale of the Company at any price.

Pearson notes the March 29, 2022 announcement from Apollo that it is no longer evaluating a possible cash offer for the Company and that it is consequently bound by the restrictions under Rule 2.8 of the City Code of Takeovers and Mergers. The Board of Pearson confirms that, on 28 March 2022, it received a third proposal from Apollo regarding a possible cash offer for the entire issued and to be issued share capital of the Company at 870 pence per share. Under Apollo's proposal, eligible Pearson shareholders would also be entitled to receive the previously announced FY 2021 dividend of 14.2 pence per share which, when taken together with the Proposal Price, represents a total value of 884.2 pence per share. The Third Proposal followed two previous proposals from Apollo which were unanimously rejected by the Board of Pearson, as detailed in Pearson's 11 March 2022 announcement.

Bloomsbury Publishing Plc announces a further year-end trading update for the 12 months ending 28 February 2022. Revenue is expected to be comfortably ahead and profit materially ahead of upgraded market expectations for the year ended 28 February 2022, surpassing the guidance provided in our statement on 26 January 2022*. Nigel Newton, Chief Executive, said: “Bloomsbury excellent performance demonstrates the strength and resilience of our business and the successful execution of our digital and acquisition strategy. In February, the final month of our financial year, Bloomsbury delivered exceptional sales, in part driven by Sarah J. Maas’ new title, Crescent City: House of Sky and Breath, which was a global number one bestseller.

The Postal Regulatory Commission issued its FY 2021 Annual Compliance Determination (ACD) assessing the Postal Service’s compliance with rates and service standards. The Commission is required to issue its ACD 90 days after the filing of the Postal Service’s Annual Compliance Report (39 U.S.C. Section 3653). This ACD is the first compliance review by the Commission following its implementation of new pricing rules for Market Dominant products in FY 2021. Those rules included new rate authority mechanisms, new requirements for workshare discounts and non-compensatory products, and several procedural changes. The Commission’s primary areas of review, its findings, as well as recommendations and directives, include: MARKET DOMINANT RATES AND FEES; COMPETITIVE PRODUCTS RATES AND FEES; SERVICE PERFORMANCE; FLAT-SHAPED MAIL

The publishing industry faces continuing supply chain issues and paper shortages while another set of challenges have appeared in early 2022, employee resignations and work/life balance. These challenges were the focus of the webinar, “Publishing Now '22: Driving Business Forward,” presented by PW with support from Westchester Publishing Services on March 22. After two years in which book sales did surprisingly well despite problems posed by the pandemic, the industry faces more uncertainties in 2022 because of inflation and rising costs that are eating into companies’ operating margins, said Jim Milliot, editorial director of PW: “It’s safe to say things are a little more complicated.” Jim Fetherston, president and CEO at the printer Worzalla, was quick to point to the root cause of printing delays—the steady closing of printing plants has resulted in “North American print capacity being at historic low levels,” while demand for books remains extremely high.

FedEx Corp. announced that, effective June 1, 2022, Frederick W. Smith, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, will become Executive Chairman, and Raj Subramaniam, President and Chief Operating Officer, will be promoted to President and CEO. In addition, R. Brad Martin, Chair of the Board’s Audit Committee, is now non-executive Vice Chairman of the Board. As Vice Chairman of the Board, Martin is the Board’s designated successor to serve as Chairman of the Board. David P. Steiner, Chair of the Board’s Governance, Safety, and Public Policy Committee, will continue to serve as Lead Independent Director. Smith and Subramaniam will both report directly to the Board, and the Chief Operating Officer position will not be backfilled. As part of the transition, Subramaniam has been named President and CEO-elect of FedEx Corp. effective immediately.

The United States Postal Service reported new delivery performance metrics showing the average time to deliver a mailpiece across the postal network continues is 2.7 days. Through March 18, Marketing Mail and Periodicals performance was consistent with the fiscal first quarter. The Postal Service continues its top-down focus on operational precision across the postal network to improve First-Class Mail performance evident in week over week performance to date in March. Second quarter service performance scores covering Jan.1 through March 18 included: *First-Class Mail: 86.7 percent of First-Class Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, a decrease of 2.4 percentage points from the fiscal first quarter. *Marketing Mail: 92.1 percent of Marketing Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, consistent with performance from the fiscal first quarter. *Periodicals: 81.4 percent of Periodicals delivered on time against the USPS service standard, consistent with performance from the fiscal first quarter.

The Postal Service announced today that it placed its initial Next Generation Delivery Vehicle (NGDV) delivery order with Oshkosh, WI, based Oshkosh Defense at a cost of $2.98 billion. The first order is for 50,000 vehicles – a minimum of which will be for 10,019 battery electric vehicles (BEVs). “We are pleased to be moving forward with this much needed investment in our fleet,” said Postmaster General and USPS Chief Executive Officer Louis DeJoy. ”Since I came on board a year and a half ago, we have continuously evaluated and adjusted our vehicle purchase strategy based on our future network initiatives, ongoing review of BEV application to our operational strategy, and our financial outlook as we undertake our ongoing implementation of the Delivering for America plan. Based upon this work and our improving outlook, we have determined that increasing our initial electric vehicle purchase from 5,000 to 10,019 makes good sense from an operational and financial perspective.

The Association of American Publishers (AAP) today released its StatShot report for January 2022 reflecting reported revenue for all tracked categories, including Trade (Consumer Books), K-12 Instructional Materials, Higher Education Course Materials, Professional Publishing, and University Presses. Total revenues across all categories for January 2022 were up 3.7% as compared to January 2021, coming in at $1.3 billion.

First Quarter Fiscal Year 2022 Financial Highlights *Adobe achieved record revenue of $4.26 billion in its first quarter of fiscal year 2022, which represents 9 percent year-over-year growth or 17 percent adjusted year-over-year growth1. Diluted earnings per share was $2.66 on a GAAP basis and $3.37 on a non-GAAP basis. *GAAP operating income in the first quarter was $1.58 billion, and non-GAAP operating income was $1.99 billion. GAAP net income was $1.27 billion, and non-GAAP net income was $1.60 billion. *Cash flows from operations were $1.77 billion. *Adobe repurchased approximately 3.8 million shares during the quarter.

The United States Postal Service reported new delivery performance metrics showing the average time to deliver a mailpiece across the postal network continues to average 2.7 days. Through March 11, performance for Marketing Mail and Periodicals was consistent with performance from the fiscal first quarter. The Postal Service continues to focus on operational precision across the postal network to improve First-Class Mail performance. Second quarter service performance scores covering Jan.1 through March 11 included: *First-Class Mail: 86.3 percent of First-Class Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, a decrease of 2.8 percentage points from the fiscal first quarter. *Marketing Mail: 91.9 percent of Marketing Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, consistent with performance from the fiscal first quarter. *Periodicals: 81.0 percent of Periodicals delivered on time against the USPS service standard, consistent with performance from the fiscal first quarter.

Kohl’s Corporation provided the following update regarding the Board of Directors’ ongoing review of expressions of interest in acquiring the Company. The Board acknowledged receipt of multiple preliminary indications of interest. The proposals received are non-binding and without committed financing. The Board has authorized Goldman Sachs to coordinate with select bidders who have submitted indications of interest to assist with further due diligence so that they have the opportunity to refine and improve their proposals and include committed financing and binding documentation.

Kohl’s Corporation mailed definitive proxy materials previously filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with the Company’s Annual Meeting of Shareholders, which is scheduled to be held on May 11, 2022. Kohl’s shareholders of record as of the close of business on March 7, 2022 will be entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting. In conjunction with the definitive proxy mailing, Kohl’s is providing the following letter from the Company’s Board of Directors to shareholders: PROTECT THE VALUE OF YOUR INVESTMENT IN KOHL’S – VOTE THE BLUE PROXY CARD TODAY FOR ALL OF KOHL’S HIGHLY QUALIFIED DIRECTOR NOMINEES

Third quarter operating income improved due to higher revenue per shipment and a net fuel benefit at all transportation segments. The quarter's results also benefited from lower variable compensation expense and less severe winter weather, resulting in favorable year-over-year comparisons. The improved results were partially offset by the effects of the Omicron variant, as well as higher purchased transportation costs and wage rates. FedEx Ground operating results declined primarily due to increased rates for purchased transportation and employee wages, network inefficiencies, and expansion-related costs. These costs were partially offset by higher revenue per package, a boost from two additional ground commercial operating weekdays, and a net fuel benefit. Average daily volume was flat, as Ground Economy declined and growth in commercial and FedEx Home Delivery services was constrained by the effects of the Omicron variant. FedEx Freight third quarter operating income nearly tripled, driven by a continued focus on revenue quality and profitable growth. Revenue per shipment increased 19% and average daily shipments grew 2% during the quarter, while the operating margin increased 850 basis points to 15.0%.

Canon Solutions America, Inc. provides industry leading enterprise, production and large format printing solutions, supported by exceptional professional service offerings. The Production Print Solutions group specializes in high-speed, high-volume printing and is best known for its industry leading production inkjet portfolio. The company strives to protect the environment throughout the entire life cycle of its products, from its energy efficient product design and manufacturing processes to its large format ink cartridge collection/recycling program and the elimination of hazardous substances from its products and services wherever possible. Canon’s enthusiastic support of Two Sides is yet another way the company demonstrates its sustainability commitment. “Canon is proud to be a Two Sides member as both organizations work to promote the sustainable narrative of print,” says Ed Jansen, Canon Solutions America Vice President of Marketing and Two Sides Board Member. “Working together, we are dispelling common environmental misconceptions by providing consumers with verifiable information on why print on paper is an attractive, practical and sustainable communications medium.”

Barnes & Noble announces the shortlists for the Barnes & Noble Children’s & Young Adult Book Awards. These annual awards give a national platform to new and emerging talent in Children’s Publishing. The shortlist in each category of Picture Books, Young Readers and Young Adult is selected by the booksellers at Barnes & Noble who specialize in Children’s bookselling in stores across the country. Barnes & Noble has an astonishing track record for discovering, establishing and championing the careers of many authors with its Book Clubs, Monthly Picks and Book of the Year, and the Children’s & YA Book Awards play a similar role, launching hitherto little-known authors that will shape children’s literature for years to come. Last year, for its inaugural Overall Winner, B. B. Alston’s debut, Amari and the Night Brothers, enchanted the hearts of Barnes & Noble booksellers from coast to coast and went on to achieve extraordinary success.

Dear Industry Member: While we wait for President Biden to sign the Senate-passed Postal Service Reform Act (and our intel says this will happen soon), now is an ideal time to reach out to your senators if you heeded to our call to request their support of the bill. Why Bother? As an industry stakeholder, your advocacy has been critical in driving the legislation forward and it's important that legislators and staff hear from you, especially when signature pieces of legislation are enacted that will help the industry. As importantly, expressing your company's recognition and appreciation to Congressional staffs for their hard work is an essential component to relationship-building in Washington. Please try to get this done early this week by following these simple steps: • The ACMA has prepared this template for you to use. Just be sure to add your company's own information where indicated. • Click here to see which senators voted in favor of the bill - obviously, make sure you're only thanking those who voted YEA. • Click here for a list of all Senate legislative directors, which contains their email addresses and phone numbers. It's advised that you simply email them your thank-you notes.

Tilly’s, Inc. announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a share repurchase program, pursuant to which the Company may repurchase up to two million shares of the Company’s Class A common stock over the next twelve months through March 14, 2023. Repurchases of Class A common stock by the Company pursuant to the Program may be made in open market transactions effected through a broker-dealer at prevailing market prices, in block trades, or by other means in accordance with federal securities laws, including pursuant to any trading plan that may be adopted in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 of the Exchange Act. The Company is not obligated to repurchase any specific number or amount of shares of Class A common stock pursuant to the Program, and it may modify, suspend or discontinue the Program at any time. The Company will determine the timing and amount of repurchased shares, if any, in its discretion based on a variety of factors, such as the market price of Class A common stock, corporate requirements, general market economic conditions and applicable legal requirements.

Consistent with the rest of the shipping industry, USPS experienced delays in both ground and air transportation during the month of February due to inclement weather events including winter storms in the Midwest, South and Northeast regions. The Postal Service continues to implement mitigation plans to move mail and packages effectively across the nation. Additional second quarter service performance scores covering Jan.1 through March 4 included: *First-Class Mail: 86.9 percent of First-Class Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, a decrease of 2.3 percentage points from the fiscal first quarter. *Marketing Mail: 91.7 percent of Marketing Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, a decrease of .5 percentage point from the fiscal first quarter. *Periodicals: 80.5 percent of Periodicals delivered on time against the USPS service standard, a decrease of .4 percentage point from the fiscal first quarter.

Gap Inc. and NEXT Plc announced the opening of the first Gap-branded shop-in-shop within NEXT’s largest West End store on London’s Oxford Street, marking the first milestone of the joint venture franchise relationship between the two companies to manage Gap’s e-commerce business as well as Gap-branded shop-in-shops at NEXT locations. The location in central London cements Gap’s physical return to the British high street. As the largest brand shop within the store, covering over 4,000 square feet of retail space, the Gap store embodies the brand’s reinvented approach to retail in the UK with an open, modern and minimal design. Customers can shop curated collections of elevated everyday essentials including denim, fleece, khakis, shirting and iconic logo product for women, men and kids. A customization shop offering embroidery, badging and monogramming will also be available to all Gap customers.

For the second year in a row, HH Global has completed a full assessment of the carbon footprint of our business and disclosed the results to CDP. CDP is a not-for-profit organization that runs the global disclosure system for investors, companies, cities, states, and regions to manage their environmental impacts. Their aim is to see a thriving economy that works for both people and planet in the long term. We are proud to announce that we have increased our rating from a C to a B for our climate change disclosure, with A ratings given for the strength of our governance and emissions reduction initiatives.

For the Fourth Quarter of Fiscal 2021: *Net sales increased 24.1% to $2.7 billion compared to $2.2 billion in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2020 due to the favorable impact from stronger consumer confidence and fewer COVID-19 restrictions compared to the fourth quarter of fiscal 2020. *Comparable sales (sales for stores open at least 14 months, including stores temporarily closed due to COVID-19, and e-commerce sales) increased 21.4% compared to a decrease of 4.8% in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2020, driven by a 10.4% increase in transactions and a 9.9% increase in average ticket. Compared to the fourth quarter of fiscal 2019, comparable sales increased 15.4%. *Gross profit increased to $1.0 billion compared to $771.0 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2020. As a percentage of net sales, gross profit increased to 37.6% compared to 35.1% in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2020, primarily due to leverage of fixed costs, favorable channel mix shifts, and improvement in merchandise margins. *Net income increased to $289.4 million compared to $171.5 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2020. Adjusted net income for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2020 was $193.4 million.

Fiscal 2021 Fourth Quarter Results Overview *Total net sales were $204.5 million, an increase of $26.6 million or 14.9%, compared to $177.9 million last year. Total comparable net sales, including both physical stores and e-commerce, increased by 12.5% compared to last year. *Net sales from physical stores were $152.2 million, an increase of $29.6 million or 24.2%, compared to $122.5 million last year. Comparable net sales from physical stores increased by 20.7%. Net sales from stores represented 74.4% of total net sales compared to 68.9% of total net sales last year. The Company ended fiscal 2021 with 241 total stores compared to 238 total stores at the end of fiscal 2020. *Net sales from e-commerce were $52.3 million, a decrease of $(3.1) million or (5.6)% compared to $55.4 million last year. E-commerce net sales represented 25.6% of total net sales compared to 31.1% of total net sales last year. Consumer behavior in 2021 favored stores over e-commerce relative to last year during which stores were more constricted in operating hours and customer occupancy limits than this year. *Gross profit was $70.4 million, an increase of $12.1 million or 20.8%, compared to $58.3 million last year. Gross margin, or gross profit as a percentage of net sales, was 34.4%, an improvement of 170 basis points compared to 32.7% last year. Total buying, distribution and occupancy costs improved by 190 basis points collectively, despite increasing by $1.9 million in total, due to leveraging these costs against higher net sales. Product margins decreased by 20 basis points as a percentage of net sales primarily due to an increase in sales return reserves and less favorable inventory shrink results than last year, the combination of which more than offset a lower markdown rate compared to last year. *Net income was $12.1 million, or $0.38 per diluted share, compared to $8.9 million, or $0.29 per diluted share, last year. Weighted average shares were 31.4 million this year compared to 30.1 million last year.

S&P Global Ratings has suspended commercial operations in Russia. The safety and well-being of our people come first, and we continue to support them. We will also maintain analytical coverage for existing ratings from outside Russia. We have in place a comprehensive business continuity plan to ensure our ongoing ability to deliver our data and opinions to market participants while maintaining our adherence to our legal and regulatory obligations. This report does not constitute a rating action.

Our hearts are with all those directly and indirectly impacted by the tragic events in Ukraine. With a reported 2 million people fleeing the violence and suffering in the region—most of whom are women and children with little more than the clothes on their backs—Gap Inc.’s brands will make a collective in-kind donation of more than $1 million worth of women and children's clothes to the UNHCR for communities in need. We are also encouraging employees to contribute company-matched donations to USA for UNHCR, CARE and the International Rescue Committee. As a values-led company, one that is proud to do the right thing over the past 53 years in business, at this time, we have also suspended deliveries to Russia, where we have a small franchise presence. We also have a handful of franchise locations in the Ukraine, which are currently closed, and we are working through our partner to account for the safety of those employees.

I'm excited to report the Senate passed the Postal Service Reform Act tonight, with a strong bipartisan vote of 79-19. The legislation marks the most significant overhaul to the USPS' operations since the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act (PAEA), signed in 2006. The Postal Service Reform Act now heads to the desk of President Biden, who has previously indicated he will sign it. On behalf of ACMA, I would like to thank our members and others for your continuous advocacy and engagement efforts both in the House and Senate. At this critical juncture in Washington, the legislation would not have passed but for engagement from the industry and stakeholders. We worked diligently with other industry groups to engage you and others in the mailing community and you stepped up. Here are some highlights of the bill: • ends the requirement (from PAEA) that the Postal Service prefund retiree health care expenses and requires postal retirees to enroll in Medicare; • retains six-day delivery for mail and packages; and • requires the Postal Service to develop a service performance dashboard

The U.S. Postal Service congratulated the leadership and members of the U.S. Senate for its bipartisan approval of the Postal Service Reform Act. The bill, which was approved by the House on Feb. 8, now goes to the White House to be signed into law by President Biden. “With the legislative financial reforms achieved today, combined with our own self-led operational reforms, we will be able to self-fund our operations and continue to deliver to 161 million addresses six days per-week for many decades to come,” said Postmaster General and CEO Louis DeJoy. “I thank the Senate and our Committee leadership that broke the 10-year logjam which has long constrained the finances of the Postal Service. The Postal Service serves every American every day and so it’s only right that our future is now collectively assured by members of all political parties.” As passed by the House and Senate, the key elements of the Postal Service Reform Act are that it eliminates the unfair, outdated, and burdensome retiree health benefit prefunding requirement, and it integrates our retiree health benefit program with Medicare in a manner that is fully consistent with private sector best practices. The bill also formalizes our obligation to deliver mail and packages six days per-week through an integrated delivery network, and includes accountability, transparency and reporting requirements.

The Postal Regulatory Commission is pleased to announce that it has been awarded funding and support through the Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) to invest in mission-critical information technology infrastructure optimization initiatives. The Commission will use the TMF award to adopt a cloud-based applications system and develop three critical platforms that are essential to its role as the regulator of the U.S Postal Service. Specifically, the Commission will invest in 1) a new user-friendly public-facing website, 2) a replacement of its legacy docketing system, and 3) the development and deployment of a comprehensive data management system. Complementing these initiatives, the Commission recently hired its first chief data officer to lead data governance and open data efforts. The TMF investment will accelerate the agency’s ability to deploy and scale these important projects to meet its mission of ensuring the transparency and accountability of the Postal Service to the American public.

The Great Lakes Graphics urges all industry members to read this message, act, and share with your industry network. These programs are critical to the future of the printing industry. The undergraduate Graphic Communications (GCOM) program at the University of Wisconsin-Stout prepares students for careers in the graphic communications industry. The hands-on major and minor cover the fundamentals of print production, including pre-press/premedia; color management; offset, digital, flexo and gravure print technologies; post-press/finishing processes; project management and estimating; marketing techniques; and business practices. UW-Stout campus leaders recently have announced the suspension of new admissions to the GCOM program for incoming freshmen effective Fall 2022. The GCOM program website now states the following: Admission to this program is suspended effective Fall 2022. A group of industry professionals, faculty and higher education consultants are working on revising the current curriculum to meet the printing industry needs. Courses for currently enrolled students who are pursuing a GCOM major or minor will continue to be offered.

THIRD QUARTER SUMMARY: GAAP Results: Revenue of $516 million (+7%), Operating Income of $46 million (+34%), and EPS of $0.63 (+62%) NINE MONTHS SUMMARY: GAAP Results: Revenue of $1,537 million (+9%), Operating Income of $161 million (+20%), EPS of $1.86 (-2%), Cash Provided by Operating Activities of $158 million (+2%)

Consistent with the rest of the shipping industry, USPS experienced delays in both ground and air transportation during the month of February due to inclement weather events including winter storms in the Midwest, South and Northeast regions. The Postal Service continues to implement mitigation plans to move mail and packages effectively across the nation. Additional second quarter service performance scores covering Jan.1 through Feb. 25 included: *First-Class Mail: 86.6 percent of First-Class Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, a decrease of 2.5 percentage points from the fiscal first quarter. *Marketing Mail: 91.4 percent of Marketing Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, a decrease of .8 percentage point from the fiscal first quarter. *Periodicals: 80.3 percent of Periodicals delivered on time against the USPS service standard, a decrease of .5 percentage point from the fiscal first quarter.

Kohl’s Corporation will host a virtual Investor Day during which it will provide an update on the Company’s strategy to drive growth and become the retailer of choice for the Active and Casual lifestyle. Kohl’s will also announce an updated long-term financial framework. “Kohl's is undergoing a significant transformation of our business model and brand to be the retailer of choice for the Active and Casual lifestyle. We have fundamentally restructured our business to drive sustainable and profitable growth, while providing a strong return to shareholders,” said Michelle Gass, Kohl’s chief executive officer. “We have laid the foundation for our winning strategy and have started to implement key initiatives that will scale and accelerate our growth in the years ahead. We delivered record EPS in 2021 and achieved our operating margin goal two years ahead of schedule, reflecting our progress to drive more profitable growth. The initiatives we are announcing today, including plans to drive the Sephora business to $2 billion, are further positioning us for long-term value creation.”

All timber originating from Russia and Belarus is ‘conflict timber’ and therefore cannot be used in PEFC-certified products, the Board of PEFC International clarified today. PEFC is extremely concerned about the Russian government's attack on Ukraine. The military invasion is in direct opposition to our core values. This aggression causes unspeakable and unacceptable pain and death to innocent people, including women and children. It also has an immediate and long-term destructive impact on the environment, on forests, and on the many people that depend on forests for their livelihoods. The clarification that timber from Russia and Belarus is conflict timber follows an extraordinary meeting by the PEFC International Board to discuss Mr Putin's military aggression against Ukraine and its implications for PEFC and PEFC-certified forest owners and companies.

Net sales for the quarter increased 16.1 percent, to $50.94 billion, from $43.89 billion last year. Net sales for the first 24 weeks increased 16.4 percent, to $100.35 billion, from $86.23 billion last year. Net income for the quarter was $1,299 million, $2.92 per diluted share. Last year’s second quarter net income was $951 million, $2.14 per diluted share, which included $246 million pretax, $0.41 per diluted share, in costs incurred primarily from COVID-19 premium wages. Net income for the first 24 weeks was $2.62 billion, or $5.90 per diluted share, compared to $2.12 billion, $4.76 per diluted share, last year. For the four-week reporting month of February, ended February 27, 2022, the Company reported net sales of $16.29 billion, an increase of 15.9 percent from $14.05 billion last year.

*Fourth quarter 2021 net sales of $4.5 billion increased 2% year-over-year and were down 3% compared to 2019; Comparable sales were up 3% year-over-year and increased 3% versus 2019 *Fiscal year 2021 net sales of $16.7 billion increased 21% year-over-year and were up 2% compared to fiscal year 2019; Comparable sales were up 6% year-over-year and increased 8% versus 2019 *Returned over $400 million to shareholders in fiscal 2021 through dividend program and share repurchase plan

Urban Outfitters, Inc. announced net income of $41 million and earnings per diluted share of $0.41 for the three months ended January 31, 2022. For the year ended January 31, 2022, net income was $311 million and earnings per diluted share were a record $3.13. Total Company net sales for the three months ended January 31, 2022, were a record $1.33 billion. Net sales increased 13.9% compared to the three months ended January 31, 2020. Comparable Retail segment net sales increased 14%, driven by strong double-digit growth in digital channel sales, partially offset by low double-digit negative retail store sales primarily due to reduced store traffic. By brand, comparable Retail segment net sales increased 49% at the Free People Group, 14% at the Anthropologie Group and 3% at Urban Outfitters. Total Retail segment net sales increased 15%. Wholesale segment net sales decreased 22% primarily from reducing the Free People Group’s sales to promotional wholesale customers. Nuuly segment net sales increased by $11.3 million driven by the continued expansion of the number of subscribers since its launch at the end of the second quarter of fiscal 2020. For the year ended January 31, 2022, total Company net sales increased 14.2% compared to the year ended January 31, 2020.

Nordstrom, Inc. reported fourth quarter results in line with the Company's fiscal year 2021 outlook, demonstrating progress against its long-term growth strategy. The Company reported net earnings of $200 million, or $1.23 per diluted share ("EPS"), and earnings before interest and taxes ("EBIT") of $299 million, or 6.8 percent of sales, for the fourth quarter. For the fiscal year ended January 29, 2022, net earnings were $178 million and diluted EPS was $1.10, with EBIT of $492 million, or 3.4 percent of sales. Net earnings for the fiscal year included an $88 million debt refinancing charge ($65 million after tax, or diluted EPS of $0.40) in the first quarter. For the fourth quarter ended January 29, 2022, net sales increased 23 percent versus the same period in fiscal 2020 and decreased 1 percent versus the same period in fiscal 2019. Gross merchandise value ("GMV") increased 24 percent versus the same period in fiscal 2020 and was flat versus the same period in fiscal 2019. Nordstrom banner net sales were flat and GMV increased 2 percent compared with the fourth quarter of 2019. Net sales for Nordstrom Rack decreased 5 percent versus the fourth quarter of fiscal 2019, a sequential improvement of 320 basis points over the third quarter.

•Fourth quarter and full year operating margin of 8.4% and 9.2% on a reported basis, respectively, and 8.6% and 9.6% on an adjusted non-GAAP basis, the highest in over a decade. •Fourth quarter and full year net income per diluted share of $1.12 and $4.20, respectively on a reported basis and $1.14 and $4.35, respectively on an adjusted non-GAAP basis. •Repurchased $142 million, or 4.1 million shares in the fourth quarter for a total of $377 million, or 10.2 million shares in Fiscal 2021; contributing to a 15% reduction in shares outstanding from Fiscal 2020.

*Fourth quarter diluted earnings per share of $2.20 exceeds expectations *Record full year 2021 adjusted diluted earnings per share of $7.33, eclipsing previous high of $5.60 in 2018 *Repurchased $548 million of shares in the quarter and $1.355 billion of shares in 2021 *Expects full year 2022 ne t sales to increase 2% to 3% as compared to 2021, operating margin to be in the range of 7.2% to 7.5% and earnings per share to be in the range of $7.00 to $7.50 *Increasing the quarterly dividend by 100%, which equates to an annual dividend of $2.00 per share, and planning to repurchase at least $1.0 billion in shares in 2022, of which $500 million is expected to be repurchased through open market transactions or an accelerated share repurchase (ASR) program executed in Q2 2022

YETI Holdings, Inc. announced that its Board of Directors has authorized the repurchase of up to $100 million (exclusive of fees and commissions) of YETI’s common stock. This share repurchase program is effective immediately and extends through February 27, 2023. Matt Reintjes, President and Chief Executive Officer, commented, “We remain confident in driving near and long-term demand for the YETI brand while also focused on efforts to drive shareholder value. Given recent market dynamics, we believe our shares are undervalued and this share buyback provides the ability to take advantage of the current valuation. At the same time, we have the financial flexibility to pursue both organic and inorganic growth opportunities.”

News Corp announced that it has completed the acquisition of the Oil Price Information Service (OPIS) and related assets, including the Coal, Mining and Metals business from S&P Global and IHS Markit. OPIS, a highly profitable and growing digital data, analytics and insights provider, will join Dow Jones’ professional information business, expanding Dow Jones’ presence in the energy, commodities and renewables markets. News Corp acquired OPIS for $1.150 billion in a cash transaction, subject to customary adjustments (and expects to receive an estimated tax benefit of $180 million as part of the transaction1). News Corp also has an agreement to acquire the Base Chemicals business from S&P Global and IHS Markit; that acquisition is expected to close in the coming months.

Additional second quarter service performance scores covering Jan.1 through Feb. 18 included: *First-Class Mail: 86 percent of First-Class Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, a decrease of 3.1 percentage points from the fiscal first quarter. *Marketing Mail: 91.2 percent of Marketing Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, a decrease of 1 percentage point from the fiscal first quarter. *Periodicals: 79.4 percent of Periodicals delivered on time against the USPS service standard, a decrease of 1.4 percentage point from the fiscal first quarter.

If the early days of 2022 have been any indication, paper shortages and rising distribution costs are challenges that the industry will likely face throughout year. The seeds of the current problems were sown in the years of the pandemic, when sales of print books unexpectedly rose, increasing demand while people were leaving manufacturing jobs in droves that led to labor shortages in the printing and papermaking businesses. Those were two of the main takeaways from last week’s webinar, “The Powerful Case for U.S. Book Manufacturing in the Face of Global Supply Chain Challenges, Paper Shortages, and Rising Distribution Costs,” moderated by Chris Lyons, president and publisher of Book Business, and featuring Jim Milliot, editorial director at Publishers Weekly; Bill Rojack, v-p of Midland Paper; and Matt Baehr, executive director at Book Manufacturers’ Institute. The program was sponsored by Canon Solutions America.

It seems businesses are finally bouncing back after the past two years of the pandemic. However, even though business is picking up, there is one glaring issue: The availability of paper stocks has become limited and unpredictable, and as a result the price of paper stock is inevitably increasing. Supply chain issues have been throwing curveballs at various manufacturing segments, and the printing industry is no exception. The availability of paper stocks has become slim as raw material costs rise, mills enact allocations and price increases, and labor shortages continue. So, are we doomed? Not even close. During an hour-long Printing Impressions and In-plant Impressions webinar, Marco Boer VP of I.T. Strategies and President of Midland Specialty Paper & Film Mike Ratcliff discussed the reasons for printing paper supply shortages, the steps printing companies can take to address the limitations head-on, and what print providers can expect in the future of the paper supply chain.

Statutory results • Sales increased 1% to £3,428m (2020: £3,397m), reflecting underlying performance, portfolio changes and currency movements. • Statutory operating profit was £183m (2020: £411m). The decrease in 2021 is mainly due to the gain on sale of PRH recognised in 2020 and restructuring costs in 2021 partially offset by improved trading profits, reduced intangible charges and gains on the 2021 business disposals. • Net cash generated from operations of £570m (2020: £450m). • Statutory earnings per share of 21.1p (2020: 41.0p).

The U.S. Postal Service announced it has completed its obligations under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process, which, in this instance, evaluated the potential environmental impacts of the Postal Service’s Next Generation Vehicle Delivery (NGDV) program, a fiscally and environmentally responsible plan to modernize the federal government’s largest and oldest vehicle fleet. The Postal Service communicated its completion of the NEPA process in a record of decision (ROD) filed with the Federal Register today. “As we have reiterated throughout this process, our commitment to an electric fleet remains ambitious given the pressing vehicle and safety needs of our aging fleet as well as our fragile financial condition. As our financial position improves with the ongoing implementation of our 10-year plan, Delivering for America, we will continue to pursue the acquisition of additional BEV as additional funding – from either internal or congressional sources - becomes available,” said Postmaster General and USPS Chief Executive Officer Louis DeJoy. “But the process needs to keep moving forward. The men and women of the U.S. Postal Service have waited long enough for safer, cleaner vehicles to fulfill on our universal service obligation to deliver to 161 million addresses in all climates and topographies six days per-week.”

Fourth Quarter 2021 Financial Highlights: • Total revenues of $826.5 million decreased 5.6% compared to the prior year quarter ◦ Same store revenues(1) decreased 4.3% compared to the fourth quarter of 2020 • Total digital revenues were $272.6 million or 33% of total revenues, up 5.0% over the same period in the prior year on a same store(1) basis • Net loss attributable to Gannett of $22.4 million and margin loss of 2.7% • Cash used for operating activities of $5.9 million and free cash flow(1) usage of $18.2 million

*Fourth Quarter Revenue of $2.0 Billion with GAAP EPS of $0.61; Adjusted EPS of $0.71 *Commitment to Low Cost Model Helped Drive GAAP Operating Income of $31 Million and Adjusted Operating Income of $47 Million in the Fourth Quarter of 2021 *GAAP Operating Income of $234 Million and Adjusted Operating Income of $305 Million for Full Year 2021 *Strategic Initiatives Successes Included Progress on Operational Separation of the Business, Sale of CompuCom, and Further Advancement of Varis Platform and Digital Business Commerce Capabilities *Over $300 Million Committed to Shareholders in 2021 Through Stock Repurchases

The U.S. consumer magazine industry shrunk by more than 30% in the past five years, due largely to print advertising declines, per PwC data. The rate of decline is expected to slow slightly in the next five years, thanks to new efforts from online media companies to acquire and digitize traditional print brands. Why it matters: "If you make the right acquisition in the right vertical ... it can give you real scale that is meaningful and major clout in that vertical very quickly," said Jason Webby, chief revenue officer at Future.

The U.S. Postal Service is launching a set of four new fast delivery solutions, including one specifically aimed at local businesses. Known as USPS Connect, the set of solutions offers several options designed to help meet growing consumer demand for affordable, fast local, regional, and national deliveries and returns. According to the U.S. Postal Service, the solutions leverage ongoing network improvements, new equipment, and new pricing.

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Company announced that it has entered into a definitive merger agreement with certain affiliates of Veritas Capital, a leading private investment firm, for the acquisition of the Company. Pursuant to the terms of the agreement, HMH shareholders will be entitled to receive $21 in cash per share through a tender offer. The per share purchase price represents a 36% premium to the Company’s unaffected share price as of January 13, 2022 and implies an equity value of approximately $2.8 billion. The decision to enter into an agreement with Veritas was the result of a deliberate and thorough strategic review process overseen by HMH’s Board of Directors. As part of that review, the Company held discussions with several potential strategic and financial bidders, including Veritas, through a formal process. Further details of the transaction and background of the sale process will be included in the Company’s Schedule 14D-9 with respect to the tender offer.

Fourth Quarter 2021 *Sales for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2021 were $35.7 billion, an increase of $3.5 billion, or 10.7 percent from the fourth quarter of fiscal 2020. Comparable sales for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2021 increased 8.1 percent, and comparable sales in the U.S. increased 7.6 percent. *Net earnings for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2021 were $3.4 billion, or $3.21 per diluted share, compared with net earnings of $2.9 billion, or $2.65 per diluted share, in the same period of fiscal 2020. For the fourth quarter of fiscal 2021, diluted earnings per share increased 21.1 percent from the same period in the prior year. Fiscal 2021 *Sales for fiscal 2021 were $151.2 billion, an increase of $19.0 billion, or 14.4 percent, from fiscal 2020. Comparable sales for fiscal 2021 increased 11.4 percent, and comparable sales in the U.S. increased 10.7 percent. *Net earnings for fiscal 2021 were $16.4 billion, or $15.53 per diluted share, compared with net earnings of $12.9 billion, or $11.94 per diluted share in fiscal 2020. For fiscal year 2021, diluted earnings per share increased 30.1 percent versus last year.

*Comparable sales up 28.3% on an owned basis and up 27.8% on an owned-plus-licensed basis versus Q4 2020; up 6.6% and up 6.1%, respectively, versus Q4 2019 *Digital sales up 12% over Q4 2020, up 36% over Q4 2019 *7.2 million new customers shopped the Macy's brand, an 11% increase over Q4 2019 *Generated $2.7 billion in Operating Cash Flow and $2.3 billion in Free Cash Flow in FY 2021 *New $2 billion share repurchase program authorized after completing current $500 million program and raised quarterly dividend by 5%

Elena Armas self-published The Spanish Love Deception in February 2021. TikTok embraced the fake dating, enemies-to-lovers romance—videos hashtagged #TheSpanishLoveDeception have been viewed 73 million times to date—and in September 2021, Atria signed Armas to a two-book deal. “The slow-burning romance heats up the pages as Armas’s witty, intelligent protagonists reveal their innermost secrets and overcome their past misunderstandings,” our review said. “Rom-com fans will be riveted.” The book debuts at #3 on our trade paperback list; rights have been sold in 23 countries, and the sequel, The American Roommate Experiment, follows in September. Pop culture critic Chuck Klosterman lands at #5 on our hardcover nonfiction list with The Nineties, a “nostalgic look at the waning days of offline culture,” our review said, that “both piques and entertains.” Klosterman characterizes the era as one of ambivalence, but the book’s opening-week sales have been decisively enthusiastic. Latin Grammy Award–winning singer Chiquis Rivera lands at #8 on our hardcover nonfiction list with the memoir Unstoppable. A Spanish edition, Invencible, debuts at #20 on our trade paperback list.

The United States Postal Service reported new delivery performance metrics showing the average time to deliver a mailpiece across the postal network was 2.7 days in the first five weeks of the fiscal year second quarter. Throughout January, winter storms across the nation created hazardous road conditions and impacted the air transportation network resulting in delays for middle mile mail and package transit. The Postal Service continues to implement mitigation plans to move mail and packages effectively across the nation. Additional second quarter service performance scores covering Jan.1 through Feb. 11 included: *First-Class Mail: 86.1 percent of First-Class Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, a decrease of 3 percentage points from the fiscal first quarter. *Marketing Mail: 90.9 percent of Marketing Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, a decrease of 1.3 percentage points from the fiscal first quarter. *Periodicals: 79.5 percent of Periodicals delivered on time against the USPS service standard, a decrease of 1.4 percentage points from the fiscal first quarter.

For the Twelve Months Ended January 1, 2022 (52 Weeks) Net sales increased 29% to $1,411.0 million, compared to $1,091.7 million in the prior year. *DTC channel net sales increased 35% to $784.7 million, compared to $580.9 million in the prior year period, driven by both Drinkware and Coolers & Equipment. The DTC channel grew to 56% of net sales, compared to 53% in the prior year. *Wholesale channel net sales increased 23% to $626.3 million, compared to $510.9 million in the same period last year, primarily driven by both Drinkware and Coolers & Equipment. *Drinkware net sales increased 32% to $832.4 million, compared to $628.6 million in the prior year period, due to the continued expansion of our Drinkware product offerings, including the introduction of new colorways and sizes, and strong demand for customization. *Coolers & Equipment net sales increased 24% to $551.9 million, compared to $446.6 million in the same period last year. The strong performance was driven by growth in bags, outdoor living products, soft coolers and hard coolers.

The Postal Regulatory Commission (Commission) welcomes Russell Rappel-Schmid as the agency’s first chief data officer to lead its open data and data governance efforts. Mr. Rappel-Schmid joined the agency effective February 14, 2022. Rappel-Schmid will oversee the Commission’s data management and compliance with the OPEN Government Data Act. Most recently, Rappel-Schmid served as the State of Alaska's first chief data officer. In that role, he worked with the State Office of Information Technology and other state departments on the data governance plan for their move to the cloud. He also launched Alaska’s first non-geospatial open data portal, and created data tools to help users better visualize and understand the state’s data. Rappel-Schmid previously served at the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS OIG). He was a member of the USPS OIG’s data analytics team where he worked to identify, access, and effectively use Postal Service data. Rappel-Schmid also worked as an audit manager, overseeing audits of Postal Service costs, pricing, and international mail. Rappel-Schmid started his career using data to drive internal audits while on active duty in the U.S. Marine Corps.

Kohl’s announced the list of the 400 stores that will be adding Sephora at Kohl’s shops this year. From Alaska to Maine, the 400 stores will span 36 states, eight of which are brand new homes to Sephora at Kohl’s. The addition of 400 stores brings the Sephora at Kohl’s location total to 600 and puts the partnership on track to meet its 850 store goal by 2023. “We’re thrilled to be bringing Sephora at Kohl’s closer to millions more of our customers nationwide through this 400 store expansion,” said Doug Howe, Kohl’s chief merchandising officer. “The quick and vast rollout of Sephora at Kohl’s is a testament to how much we believe in this partnership and making prestige beauty more accessible to people everywhere. We’re excited to grow and bring this elevated beauty experience to more of Kohl’s existing and new customers this year.”

Global research and education leader Wiley, together with the Big Ten Academic Alliance announced they have reached agreement for a one-year contract extension with an open access option, as a pilot in collective action toward the Big Collection. The Big Ten Academic Alliance is a premier higher education consortium in the U.S. that includes major research institutions in 11 U.S. states. The agreement enables researchers at 13 participating flagship universities and 17 affiliated campuses to publish accepted articles open access in all of Wiley's hybrid open access journals in 2022. The agreement also provides access to all of Wiley’s subscription content across the consortium. The agreement aims to advance the goals of the BTAA Big Collection to move toward a sustainable open scholarship ecosystem.

The European print trade body Intergraf, which the BPIF is a member of, has called for an end to the ongoing strikes at UPM in Finland, which began at the start of the year and are due to continue until at least 12 March following another recent extension. The UPM strikes have greatly aggravated the current lack of paper on European markets and are threatening the supply of printed products. Intergraf said printers’ stocks will not last until the strike has been settled and warned that they will not be able to fulfil orders. It has estimated that, based on member associations feedback, from mid-February, there will be a 40% shortage in the paper needed by European printers. Meanwhile Finat, the European association for the self-adhesive label and narrow web packaging industry, has warned that if strikes continue and label production is not put back on track, there could be serious ramifications for the supply of food, beverages, and pharmaceuticals.

Urban Outfitters, Inc. announced net sales for the three months and year ended January 31, 2022. Total Company net sales for the three months ended January 31, 2022, were a record $1.33 billion. Net sales increased 13.9% compared to the three months ended January 31, 2020. Comparable Retail segment net sales increased 14%, driven by strong double-digit growth in digital channel sales, partially offset by low double-digit negative retail store sales primarily due to reduced store traffic. By brand, comparable Retail segment net sales increased 49% at the Free People Group, 14% at the Anthropologie Group and 3% at Urban Outfitters. Total Retail segment net sales increased 15%. Wholesale segment net sales decreased 22% primarily from reducing the Free People Group’s sales to promotional wholesale customers. URBN believes that the total Company fourth quarter gross margin could deleverage more than planned primarily due to higher than anticipated inbound transportation costs. For the year ended January 31, 2022, total Company net sales increased 14.2% compared to the year ended January 31, 2020. Comparable Retail segment net sales increased 16%, driven by strong double-digit growth in digital channel sales, partially offset by low double-digit negative retail store sales due to reduced store traffic. Wholesale segment net sales decreased 23% primarily from reducing the Free People Group’s sales to promotional wholesale customers.

Additional second quarter service performance scores covering Jan.1 through Feb. 4 included: *First-Class Mail: 86.1 percent of First-Class Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, a decrease of 3 percentage points from the fiscal first quarter. *Marketing Mail: 90.9 percent of Marketing Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, a decrease of 1.3 percentage points from the fiscal first quarter. *Periodicals: 79.5 percent of Periodicals delivered on time against the USPS service standard, a decrease of 1.4 percentage points from the fiscal first quarter.

Kohl’s Corporation issued the following statement regarding Macellum Advisors GP, LLC’s announcement of its nomination of directors for election to the Kohl’s Board of Directors at the Company’s 2022 Annual Meeting of Shareholders: Kohl’s believes Macellum’s effort to take control of the Board is unjustified and counterproductive. Kohl’s appointed two of Macellum’s designees, along with an additional mutually agreed upon designee, to its Board pursuant to the 2021 settlement agreement with Macellum and certain other shareholders. All members of the Kohl’s Board, other than its CEO, are independent. Macellum’s claim that Kohl’s Board is not equipped to evaluate sale opportunities is groundless. The Board designated its Finance Committee, which is comprised entirely of independent directors, was formed pursuant to the settlement with Macellum and includes one of Macellum’s 2021 designees, to lead the review of any expressions of interest. Additionally, the Company and the Board have engaged financial advisors, including Goldman Sachs and PJT Partners, and have asked Goldman Sachs to engage with interested parties. Furthermore, Macellum’s claim to be “disappointed and shocked” by Kohl’s rejection of the previously disclosed expressions of interest is disingenuous. Macellum has on multiple occasions stated publicly that Kohl’s is worth “at least $100 per share.”

Bertelsmann Investments (BI) is acquiring a stake in Ada Health, a leading European start-up in the digital health sector, thus strengthening its commitment to the promising business field of digital health. In 2016, an entrepreneur, a neuroscientist and a doctor founded the start-up Ada Health in Berlin-Kreuzberg with the aim of harnessing artificial intelligence for the early diagnosis of diseases by patients themselves. As a pioneer in the field of digital health, Ada Health developed a medical platform and an app, which is now available in seven languages, that helps people quickly and easily make an initial medical diagnosis based on their symptoms - and has already done so millions of times. Together with other investors, Bertelsmann Investments (BI) is now taking a stake in the successful company. In an extension of the financing round B, which had already brought Ada Health 90 million US dollars in May 2021, BI and the investors Farallon Capital, Red River West are together providing a further 30 million US dollars for the expansion of the business. Ada Health is thus one of the first investments by Bertelsmann Investments in the digital health sector.

Import growth is expected to moderate during the first half of 2022 giving the nation’s congested container ports a much-needed break. Imports at the nation’s ports are expected to grow modestly during the first half of 2022, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released by the National Retail Federation and Hacker Associates. But continued high volumes will keep up the pressure that built as the economy bounced back from the pandemic last year. “We’re not going to see the dramatic growth in imports we saw this time last year, but the fact that volumes aren’t falling is a clear sign of continued consumer demand,” said Jonathan Gold, NRF VP for supply chain and customs policy. Congestion remains on both coasts. The Port of Los Angeles alone has around 40 ships waiting to dock, according to Ben Hackette, founder, Hackett Associates.

Dotdash Meredith is eliminating the print editions of six of the former Meredith Corp.’s most iconic magazines, including InStyle, Entertainment Weekly, Eating Well and People en Espanol, according to a report yesterday first published by the Wall Street Journal. The Journal said it obtained an internal memo from Dotdash CEO Neil Vogel in which Vogel told employees that the move would eliminate about 200 jobs, which represent less than 5% of Dotdash Meredith’s total staff. The other magazines being shut down are Health and Parents. “We have said from the beginning, buying Meredith was about buying brands, not magazines or websites,” Vogel said in the memo. “It is not news to anyone that there has been a pronounced shift in readership and advertising from print to digital, and as a result, for a few important brands, print is no longer serving the brand’s core purpose.”

The U.S. Postal Service announced its financial results for the first quarter of its fiscal year 2022 (Oct. 1, 2021 - Dec. 31, 2021), reporting an adjusted loss of approximately $1.3 billion for the quarter, compared to an adjusted loss of $288 million for the same quarter last year. Adjusted loss excludes non-cash workers' compensation adjustments for the impacts of actuarial revaluation and discount rate changes, which are outside of management's control. On a U.S. generally accepted accounting principles basis, the Postal Service had a net loss of approximately $1.5 billion for the quarter, compared to net income of $318 million for the same quarter last year. The increases in both net loss and adjusted loss were partially driven by inflationary impacts to operating expenses, including rising prices associated with energy and fuel expenses.

Deluxe announced its integration with Q2 Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: QTWO), a leading provider of digital transformation solutions for banking and lending. Through this integration, Deluxe will offer HR & Payroll Solutions within Q2’s Partner Marketplace Program, enabling financial institutions to seamlessly provide these solutions to their clients, while generating recurring revenue and increasing customer retention. The Q2 Partner Marketplace allows financial service companies to provide applications to their consumer and small business clients. The Deluxe HR & Payroll application offered through the Q2 Marketplace, empowers small businesses to automate payroll, tax payments, hiring and onboarding, time management, benefits administration, and additional HR tools within a single platform for ease of use.

*S&P Global Delivered Very Strong Financial Results in 2021 *4th Quarter Revenue Increased 12% and Full-Year Revenue Increased 11% *Diluted EPS Increased 48% to $2.79 in the 4th Quarter; Increased 29% to $12.51 for the Full Year *Adjusted Diluted EPS Increased 16% to $3.15 in the 4th Quarter; 17% to $13.70 for the Full Year *Recent Growth Investments Resulted in New Product Launches and Expanded Capabilities *Sustainable1 Driving Significant Expansion of ESG Product Offerings *Achieved Considerable Progress on Merger Preparation and Synergy Validation

HH Global has once again been recognized for our efforts in enabling our clients to further their sustainability and ESG goals and lessen their impact on the planet. The Co-operative Group are one of the UK’s largest grocery retailers, and one of our top ten UK clients. Through using the latest technology and assessing the environmental viability of our procurement model, from suppliers to materials, we have been able to successfully innovate the Co-op and subsidiary company Nisa’s sustainability strategies across the board. In 2021, our changes to the production of Nisa’s main marketing leaflet have prevented 175 tonnes of paper from going to waste. We have also standardized these leaflets, by producing them on the same FSC accredited paper used for their magazines and POS material. This means that the paper used across their major marketing channels has been harvested in a responsible and sustainable manner.

Midland, one of North America's largest independent distributors of media for business communications, announced today that industry veteran Robert Rundle has joined the organization as Sr. Product Manager for Graphics and Specialty Media. Robert has over 20 years of experience in the Marketing and Product Management of Offset, Digital and Wide Format Pressure Sensitive Film. “Robert will lead Midland’s efforts to continue to grow our Graphics and Specialty Media product category, including development of new and innovative self-adhesive Specialty Media for offset, digital and wide format inkjet print applications. In today’s challenging print market, these products offer opportunities for printers to offer high value Graphics and Specialty Media solutions to their end user customers. Robert’s expertise in this sector of the market will be an invaluable resource for our customers to leverage”, comments David Field, General Manager of Midland’s Specialty Paper & Film Division.

Additional second quarter service performance scores covering Jan.1 through Jan. 28 included: *First-Class Mail: 86.9 percent of First-Class Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, a decrease of 2.2 percentage points from the fiscal first quarter. *Marketing Mail: 91.0 percent of Marketing Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, a decrease of 1.2 percentage points from the fiscal first quarter. *Periodicals: 79.8 percent of Periodicals delivered on time against the USPS service standard, a decrease of 1 percentage point from the fiscal first quarter.

Fiscal 2022 Second Quarter and First Half Key Financial Highlights: *Revenues in the quarter were $2.72 billion, a 13% increase compared to $2.41 billion in the prior year and the highest quarterly revenue since separation. Revenues in the first half rose 15% year-over-year *Net income in the quarter was $262 million, flat compared to $261 million in the prior year. Net income in the first half rose 72% year-over-year *Total Segment EBITDA in the quarter was $586 million, an 18% increase compared to $497 million in the prior year. Total Segment EBITDA in the first half rose 30% year-over-year

Fourth Quarter 2021 *Net sales increased 9% to $137.4 billion in the fourth quarter, compared with $125.6 billion in fourth quarter 2020. Excluding the $1.3 billion unfavorable impact from year-over-year changes in foreign exchange rates throughout the quarter, net sales increased 10% compared with fourth quarter 2020. *Operating income decreased to $3.5 billion in the fourth quarter, compared with $6.9 billion in fourth quarter 2020. *Net income increased to $14.3 billion in the fourth quarter, or $27.75 per diluted share, compared with $7.2 billion, or $14.09 per diluted share, in fourth quarter 2020. Fourth quarter 2021 net income includes a pre-tax valuation gain of $11.8 billion included in non-operating income from our common stock investment in Rivian Automotive, Inc., which completed an initial public offering in November. Full Year 2021 *Net sales increased 22% to $469.8 billion, compared with $386.1 billion in 2020. Excluding the $3.8 billion favorable impact from year-over-year changes in foreign exchange rates throughout the year, net sales increased 21% compared with 2020. *Operating income increased to $24.9 billion, compared with operating income of $22.9 billion in 2020. *Net income increased $33.4 billion, or $64.81 per diluted share, compared with net income of $21.3 billion, or $41.83 per diluted share, in 2020.

Kohl’s Corporation (NYSE:KSS) (“Kohl’s” or the “Company”) today issued the following statement: The Kohl's Board of Directors (the Board) has determined, following a review with its independent financial advisors and upon the recommendation of its Finance Committee, that the valuations indicated in the current expressions of interest which it has received do not adequately reflect the Company’s value in light of its future growth and cash flow generation. The Board is committed to maximizing the long-term value of the Company and will review and pursue opportunities that it believes would credibly lead to value consistent with its performance and future opportunities. The Board has designated its Finance Committee to lead the ongoing review of any expressions of interest. The Finance Committee, which was formed pursuant to the 2021 settlement agreement with Macellum Advisors GP, LLC and other shareholders, is comprised exclusively of independent directors. The Company and the Board have also engaged financial advisors, including Goldman Sachs and PJT Partners, and have asked Goldman Sachs to engage with interested parties.

Costco Wholesale Corporation reported net sales of $15.76 billion for the retail month of January, the four weeks ended January 30, 2022, an increase of 15.5 percent from $13.64 billion last year. Lunar New Year/Chinese New Year occurred on February 1, 11 days earlier this year. The shift favorably impacted January’s Other International and Total Company sales by approximately 4% and 0.5%, respectively. For the twenty-two weeks ended January 30, 2022, the Company reported net sales of $92.10 billion, an increase of 16.4 percent from $79.11 billion last year.

Fourth Quarter Financial Highlights: *Delivered sales of $3.4 billion, up 14.2%, and up 16.9% on a daily, constant currency basis *Expanded gross margin by 240 bps to 37.3% *Generated reported and adjusted operating earnings of $417 million and achieved operating margin of 12.4%, up 305 basis points on a reported basis and up 240 basis points on an adjusted basis. 2021 Financial Highlights: *Delivered sales of $13.0 billion, up 10.4%, and up 12.4% on an organic, daily, constant currency basis *Drove U.S. market outgrowth of 100 basis points, 450 basis points on a two-year average *Achieved reported and adjusted operating earnings of $1.5 billion, up 51.8% on a reported basis and up 16.6% on an adjusted basis

The New York Times Company announced fourth quarter 2021 diluted earnings per share from continuing operations of $.41 compared with $.06 in the same period of 2020. Adjusted diluted earnings per share from continuing operations (defined below) was $.43 in the fourth quarter of 2021 compared with $.40 in the fourth quarter of 2020. Operating profit increased to $94.1 million in the fourth quarter of 2021 from $80.5 million in the same period of 2020 and adjusted operating profit (defined below) increased to $109.3 million from $97.7 million in the prior year, as higher advertising, subscription and other revenues more than offset higher costs.

Readers purchased 825 million copies of print books in the U.S. in 2021—the best-selling year for print books, NPD Bookscan says, since it began tracking data in 2004—and analysts believe young people posting about books on social media played a serious role in those big numbers. The U.S. print book market was up 9% compared to 2020, according to NPD Bookscan, finishing 67 million copies ahead of 2020, and selling 125 million more copies than in 2019. Kristen McLean, executive director and industry analyst at NPD Bookscan, said social media—particularly TikTok users who post about books, known collectively as BookTok—has “definitely been a factor” in surging book sales, along with the pandemic in general, with many of the sales gains coming in Q1 and Q2 before the Covid-19 vaccines were widely available.

Click here (https://security-us.mimecast.com/ttpwp#/checking?key=dG9tLnBhbmtvd0BtaWRsYW5kY28uY29tfHJlcS1lNGUxNTYyN2RiMmY4M2JlYmU4YThmOGQ5MTEyNmNhOA%3D%3D) to review our mailing industry coalition-based letter in support of HR 3076 -The Postal Service Reform Act. We and other organizations and companies who comprise the Coalition for a 21st Century Postal Service have been asked to support this signifcant and helpful bill. Getting this passed with a clear bipartisan majority in the House will grease the skids in the Senate. Constituent influence is the key to getting this done. We hope to obtain as many signatures from companies and trade associations as possible, demonstrating broad support. The ACMA is signing onto the letter and we urge you to review it, then send a quick reply directly to this email whether you’d like your company’s name added or not. Sorry for the short notice, but please get back to us no later than 10:00 am Eastern Time Tuesday, February 1st. This bill is the product of years of work by ACMA and others. As with much Congress does, it is not perfect, but it is clearly helpful and while we will continue to work for improvements, we cannot let perfect be the enemy of good. This is good as written and we must move quickly as things will soon devolve into election year politics and nothing may be possible. ACMA member or not, if you mail, you should support this bill. Please reach out with any questions, and thank you for taking action!

Gannett Co., Inc. announced that the Company’s Board of Directors authorized a share repurchase program for the repurchase of up to $100 million of the Company’s common stock.“The authorization to buy back up to $100 million of common stock provides the Company with another mechanism to maximize long-term value for our shareholders,” said Michael Reed, Gannett Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “We remain confident in our strategy and believe that our current stock price represents a significant discount to the intrinsic value of the company and its operating units. Over the last year we have significantly improved our capital structure and the stock repurchase program announced today provides us with additional flexibility to create long-term value for investors. We remain committed to a disciplined capital allocation strategy, including investments in our strategic priorities, continued debt paydown, and return of capital to our shareholders.

The United States Postal Service reported new delivery performance metrics showing the average time to deliver a mailpiece across the postal network remained stable at 2.7 days between the period Jan. 1 and Jan 21. The Postal Service continues to implement mitigation plans due to recent winter storms to move mail and packages effectively with First-Class Mail performance showing steady signs of improvement over the second week of January. Additional second quarter service performance scores covering Jan.1 through Jan. 21 included: *First-Class Mail: 86.9 percent of First-Class Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, a decrease of 2.2 percentage points from the fiscal first quarter. *Marketing Mail: 91.7 percent of Marketing Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, a decrease of 1 percentage point from the fiscal first quarter. *Periodicals: 80.6 percent of Periodicals delivered on time against the USPS service standard, consistent with performance from the fiscal first quarter.

We are delighted to announce that Steve Lister is joining HH Global in the role of Sustainability Director - Global Brands and Retailers. In this newly created role, Steve will report to Kevin Dunckley (Chief Sustainability Officer) and will focus on launching and delivering our Sustainability Consultancy Services to clients. This addition to our growing sustainability and ESG team demonstrates our ongoing commitment to and investment in this core part of our proposition and will further develop our market-leading Innovation with Purpose sustainability program. Steve has been hugely passionate about his focus on sustainability for the last 15 years and brings a wealth of experience in delivering sustainable solutions on diverse projects for brands including Unilever, Heineken, Coca-Cola and Nike.

A strong rebound in sales in the K–12 instructional materials category and solid gains in the trade categories led to a 12.2% increase in publishing sales in 2021 compared to 2020, according to new data from the AAP’s StatShot program. Sales from the 1,369 publishers that report data totaled $15.4 billion last year, up from $13.7 billion in the year before. After falling 19.6% in 2020, sales in the K–12 category jumped 34.6% last year, as states and school districts returned to a more normal buying pattern. Sales in the higher education course materials category recovered from a drop of 4.3% in 2020, though the rebound wasn’t as dramatic as for K–12, rising 2.5% last year.

The Association of American Publishers (AAP) announced today that its Directors have elected Michael Pietsch Chairman of the Board for the 2022-2023 term, and elected Julia Reidhead, Chairman and President of W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., Vice Chairman, AAP Board of Directors. In addition, Blaise R. Simqu, CEO, SAGE Publications, has joined the Board as an appointed Director. “Throughout its history, AAP has been governed by a Board of Directors committed to preserving an independent and innovative publishing industry for the benefit of current and future societies,” commented AAP President and CEO Maria A. Pallante. “With Michael Pietsch and Julia Reidhead assuming pivotal, leadership roles, this organization remains poised to address the numerous and serious public policy challenges that threaten the vitality of publishing across all sectors.

*Total net revenues increased 7.5 percent, or $65.8 million, to $943.0 million, compared with $877.3 million in the prior year period. This revenue growth was on top of the 44.8 percent revenue growth reported in the Company’s 2021 fiscal second quarter. *Net income for the quarter was $88.5 million, or $1.34 per diluted share compared with net income of $113.7 million, or $1.71 per diluted share, in the prior year period, primarily reflecting significant year-over-year cost increases for inbound and outbound shipping, labor, and digital marketing. Adjusted net income1 for the quarter was $88.6 million, or $1.34 per diluted share, compared with adjusted net income1 of $114.2 million, or $1.72 per diluted share, in the prior year period.

The supply of "real" green power in the U.S. is very limited. Nevertheless, the distribution center in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin, now obtains green power from wind and solar energy. By the end of the year, Arvato Supply Chain Solutions plans to have all its distribution centers worldwide running on green power. Arvato Supply Chain Solutions has switched 100 percent of the energy supply to its distribution center in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin/USA, to green electricity from wind and solar power. This saves an average of around 1,500 metric tons of CO2 per year at the location. The consistent use of renewable energies is an important part of the supply chain and e-commerce service provider’s sustainability strategy and is to be implemented at all locations in the global network by the end of 2022.

The Postal Regulatory Commission submitted its FY 2021 Annual Report to the President and Congress. The Commission is required by statute to address information concerning the agency’s operations, including the extent to which regulations are achieving the objectives of the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act. The Commission’s report must also include an estimate of the costs incurred by the Postal Service to provide certain services that the Postal Service would not otherwise have provided except for the requirements of the law, and further presents an estimate for the value of the postal monopoly. The Commission’s Annual Report also reflects the work it has done throughout the year as it continues to advance its mission to provide transparency and accountability of Postal Service operations. In addition to reviewing and approving planned rate changes for Market Dominant and Competitive products, new product proposals, and formal complaint adjudications, the Commission:

Kohl’s Corporation confirmed that it has received letters expressing interest in acquiring the Company. The Kohl’s Board of Directors will determine the course of action that it believes is in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders. Shareholders are not required to take any action at this time. Kohl’s does not intend to further comment publicly on these matters unless it determines it is in the best interests of shareholders to do so.

Unit sales of print books dropped 3% in the week ended Jan. 15, 2022, from the comparable week last year, at outlets that report to NPD BookScan. Nonfiction sales remained soft, and adult nonfiction sales fell 7.8% from the week ended Jan. 16, 2021. Once again, it was softness throughout the category rather than the lack of a big bestseller that fueled the decline. Indeed, the two top titles in the category—Baby Steps Millionaires by Dave Ramsey and Glenn Beck’s The Great Reset—sold about 65,000 copies and 58,000 copies, respectively, easily beating the top title at this time last year: Barack Obama’s A Promised Land, which sold about 33,000 copies in the similar week. Juvenile nonfiction sales fell 11.6% in the week, as all of the category’s largest subcategories had double-digit declines. My Little Golden Book of Betty White by Deborah Hopkinson remained the #1 title, selling almost 12,000 copies. Juvenile fiction sales also fell, dropping 2.9%.

The U.S. ad market has fully recovered from the recession of 2020-21, with full calendar-year spending rising 18% vs. 2020, and 9% vs. 2019, according to a Standard Media Index analysis of the U.S. Ad Market Tracker, a collaboration with MediaPost indexing total U.S. ad spending from the pool of agency holding companies and independent agencies' actual media buys. A separate analysis of month-by-month data by MediaPost, however, reveals that the expansion has been decelerating through year-end 2021 (see related story). As robust as the recovery has been, SMI's analysis indicates it has been far from even across the major media.

From Jan. 1 through Jan. 14, the average time to deliver a mailpiece across the postal network was 2.7 days. Second quarter service performance scores covering the period Jan.1 through Jan. 14 included: *First-Class Mail: 86.6 percent of First-Class Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, a decrease of 3 percentage points from the first quarter. *Marketing Mail: 91.7 percent of Marketing Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, consistent with performance from the first quarter. *Periodicals: 80.8 percent of Periodicals delivered on time against the USPS service standard, consistent with performance from the first quarter.

The recent United Nations global climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland, brought the world’s leaders together again to try to reach agreement on further commitments to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. High on the agenda was preserving the health of the world’s forests – a critical natural resource for absorbing these emissions. With this heightened international attention on preventing deforestation, primarily in the developing world, now is a good time to remind ourselves that the North American forests that supply the wood fiber for our paper and packaging products are among the most sustainably managed in the world. They are so well-managed, in fact, that our forests continue to be a net absorber of carbon. In the United States, sustainable forest management practices, the regeneration of forest area and modern harvesting practices resulted in a net sequestration of carbon every year from 1990 to 2019, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The Arena Group, a digital publishing company formerly called Maven, plans to acquire AMG/Parade, the parent company to the storied American magazine Parade, in a $16 million cash and stock deal. Why it matters: AMG/Parade will anchor The Arena Group's new push into lifestyle content and will boost its sports vertical, per Ross Levinsohn, CEO of The Arena Group. AMG (Athlon Media Group) includes a professional sports magazine arm called Athlon Sports and Parade Media Group, which includes Parade Magazine as well as the cooking outlet Relish and the wellness outlet Spry Living.

Accelerate360, the former magazine distributor that expanded into publishing, and now controls many celebrity and health brands primarily sold by newsstand, announced it is acquiring the Bauer Media Group’s publishing assets, including the one-time checkout juggernauts Woman’s World and First for Women. The transaction also includes the Bauer U.S. bookazine business, which produces more than 100 special-interest publications per year. The deal is expected to close next month. Bauer’s titles dominated the checkout slots for decades.