CUMBERLAND — Area residents in need of postal services may find a convenient solution close at hand as PharmaCare West on Greene Street becomes a contract postal unit.

A CPU provides all the services of a traditional post office aside from money orders and post office box rentals.

“Everything else from a change of address card to registered mail can be done through us,” said PharmaCare public relations representative Jennifer Hare. “You can do all your shipping, domestic or international, here. You can buy your stamps here and we have daily pickup a couple times a day,” she said.

The search for a new CPU began after the closing of Aber’s Hallmark was announced last year. Six businesses from around Cumberland submitted applications to become CPUs.

“We were familiar with how the workings went with the postal service because at our Bedford Road location, we had been offering post office services for many years,” said Hare.

Hare said there are many benefits for businesses that become CPUs. “It can drive additional traffic to your store,” said Hare. “There’s also a small revenue stream, but that was never one of the main reasons for doing this for us. We’re doing it to provide a service.

“The cost to us is very minimal. The post office provides the signage, they come in and they take care of equipment and so forth.” Hare said that the cost to PharmaCare is less than $200.

“We’re going to have a soft opening in March for them,” said Postal Service spokeswoman Freda Sauter. “Then we’re going to have a grand opening in April.”

Sauter said some of the criteria necessary for determining a CPU includes handicapped accessibility, location, current business involvement, public transportation, hours of operation and parking. She said the Postal Service has used CPUs as a way to provide additional access to its products and services for more than 100 years.

“The best thing is to know that our customers are happy knowing they have someplace to go to get their stamps and do their mailing,” said Hare. “And for many people, hey, it's convenient.”

Contact Cory Galliher at cgalliher@times-news.com.