Postal Service idea for post offices in stores isn't working, especially west of the Mississippi River

The U.S. Postal Service "has determined that its plan to replace money-losing offices with retailers contracted to offer basic services will not work in many rural communities," Reuters reports. "It is now looking at ways to operate some rural post offices more cheaply rather than closing them."

"When you get west of the Mississippi, it's more prevalent that you don't have stores in these communities, you have nothing in these communities. It's pretty much just the post office," Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe told the news service. USPS has abandoned its hope to have 2,000 "village post offices" within retail establishments; at this point it has only six, Reuters reports.

"They are discovering that in these rural areas they've identified there aren't necessarily other businesses that would take on the rural post office," said Ruth Goldway, chairman of the Postal Regulatory Commission, which advises Congress about USPS. "Donahoe said USPS still plans to close post offices where residents can access another post office or where rural letter carriers -- who can sell stamps, pick up packages and offer other services -- could make up the service," Reuters reports.