Honolulu District employees gather outside the mobile retail unit during the Merrie Monarch Invitational Hawaiian Arts Fair. From left are Hilo, HI, Retail Associate Eric Nekoba; Honokaa, HI, Retail Associate Shermaine Miner; Marketing Manager Ramona Franco; Customer Services Supervisor Gina Gomes; Hawi, HI, Postmaster Terrilynne Andrade; Keaau, HI, Retail Associate Belinda Blair; and Keaau Postmaster Alton Uyetake.

Honolulu District introduced a mobile retail unit — a food truck-sized vehicle decked out in USPS colors — at a recent arts fair in Hilo, a town on Hawaii’s Big Island.

The unit provided both fairgoers and vendors with a one-stop shipping resource.

“Instead of making a separate trip to the Hilo Post Office or stuffing their festival purchases into extra suitcases and paying luggage fees, fairgoers were able to get their shipping done right where they shopped,” said Marketing Manager Ramona Franco.

The unit was equipped with Retail Systems Software and mobile point of sale equipment, allowing employees to process both domestic and international transactions.

Most customers shipped Priority Mail parcels, although a few bought stamps and one person stopped to ask for help tracking a Priority Mail Express piece.

Employees also used the event to promote the Postal Service’s business offerings to the fair’s vendors and to sign up Informed Delivery subscribers.

“Our presence at the fair was excellent for our brand image,” said Franco.

The fair was a complement to the renowned Merrie Monarch hula festival, a week-long event that draws hula and Hawaiian culture aficionados from across the globe.

Source: USPS