I noticed the same thing recently from BassPro...although they used a FedEx version of that called FedEx Smartpost. FedEx dropped it off at the Post Office down the street and 2-3 days later it was delivered to my box. It is not cheaper than say Priority Post or FedEx ground so I can't imagine why they use it. So dumb.

Seems a little fishy that private shipping giants would want to team up with the notoriously terrible USPS. Me thinks the USPS somehow got their hands into UPS and FedEx...maybe they got a little pressure from the feds..."Hey UPS and FedEx, taxes and fees might increase soon so why don't you join up with the USPS and maybe we can keep that from happening." After all, the USPS needed to do something to not lose so much money.