A special Hawaii edition of the U.S. Postal Service's large flat-rate shipping box will make its debut Thursday, on Kamehameha Day.

The flat-rate box will be branded with an “Aloha From Hawaii” graphic and tagline and be available at most post offices statewide that day.
“We hope these new boxes will prompt Hawaii residents to buy and ship more local products to friends, family and colleagues around the world. It’s sort of a local-style economic stimulus plan,” said USPS Customer Relations Manager Gary Gardetto.
Flat-rate box prices range from $4.95 to $11.95, depending on the size. It allows customers to ship anywhere in the world for one price (70-pound domestic and 20-pound international weight limits). However, the new Hawaii design will only be available on the large flat-rate boxes with dimensions of 12 inches by 12 inches by 5.5 inches for $13.95 or $13.56 if purchased online.
The Hawaii design was created by Jasmine Lum, a mailperson and daughter of Jerri Lum, who is a sales manager for the post office. Gardetto said when Jerri pitched the design plan to their marketing manager, they sent it to USPS headquarters for approval.
He said headquarters agreed to the design because they recognized the Hawaii market for flat-rate boxes is different from mainland counterparts, so the state received special permission to localize the box.
The Hawaii boxes will be reprinted continuously as regular products “If responses are what we hoped for and expected,” Gardetto said.
No other state has a localized flat rate box. “The other states are curious to see how Hawaii results will do,” he said.
The U.S. Postal Service will host a hoolaulea to celebrate the occasion from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Waikiki post office.
The event will feature Hawaiian music and dance performed by postal employees and free samples of local-styled food products. Companies that will also contribute product samples at the hoolaulea include: Eggs N Things, Hilo Hattie, Island Treats Creation, Oils of Aloha and Tropical Farms.
“We invite these particular companies to join us for the debut Aloha flat-rate box because their products are an ideal fit for this new box,” said Gardetto.
Each of the participating companies will also donate flat rate boxes stuffed with their full-size products for a drawing open to the hoolaulea visitors.