Now Post Office Tests Same-Day Delivery

First Amazon, then Walmart ... now the post office is trying out same-day delivery. The struggling USPS thinks it may be able to cash in on all those Internet shoppers desperate to get their holiday gifts delivered just as quickly as if they had gone to a store. It will begin offering the expedited shipping service Dec. 12 in San Francisco, and the price will be similar to that of the competition, the AP reports.

The postal service will team up with eight to 10 big national retailers to offer the service, although it hasn't revealed its partners yet. The AP notes that the list probably includes department stores, general merchandise chains, and clothing companies. Shoppers who want same-day delivery will have to order by 2pm or so; postal workers will pick up the orders from retail stores or warehouses and deliver by 8pm. If the experiment goes well, same-day delivery will expand to more big cities next year. (More same-day delivery stories.)