UPS (NYSE: UPS) today announced that about 1,500 Package ExpressCenters locations will join the UPS Access Point® network in2020.
The collaboration adds new UPS Access Point® locations primarilylocated in about 1,500 rural cities and towns across the U.Soffering the convenience of one-stop, package pickup and drop-offservices. These small businesses enjoy increased foot traffic andcustomers get increased options to receive and drop off packageswhen and where it is convenient. In some communities, PackageExpress Centers are the only shipping option within as many as 50miles, allowing them to serve as community hubs.
In turn, UPS expands the number of locations where consumers andsmall business can gain access to UPS® shipping and deliveryservices. Coverage is expanding so that 92 percent of the U.S.population will be within five miles of a UPS Access Pointlocation.
“We are extending the reach of our UPS Access Point network intorural and super-rural locations: areas that have been underservedin the e-commerce era and don’t always have access to full-serviceshipping services,” said Kevin Warren, UPS’s chief marketingofficer. “This collaboration will give these consumers much-neededchoice, control and convenience over their package deliveries andmerchandise returns.”
For more than three decades, Greeneville, TN-based PackageExpress Centers has worked with independent, small-town businesses,ranging from pharmacies to hardware stores, to offer full-serviceUPS shipping services, including packaging expertise. About 50locations have been testing the addition of full-service UPS AccessPoint location features in recent months, and a full offering isbeing implemented across the Package Express Centers network. Thetest has received positive reactions from participating businessesand customers.
“In some of these towns, anyone waiting on a package or needingto return a parcel will often feel out of luck and out of place dueto a lack of options,” said Stephanie Hopson, President of PackageExpress Centers. “We are excited to bring this UPS serviceenhancement to our network of businesses across the nation’sheartland. This new UPS Access Point rollout will assist retailers,their communities and UPS customers by making their shipping moreconvenient.”