UPS Delivers Hassle-Free Holidays

Global Volume Increase with Rise in Online Shopping;
55,000 Seasonal Workers to Help Deliver 527 Million Packages;

MISSISSAUGA, ON, Oct. 29, 2012 /CNW/ - UPS (NYSE: UPS) will give its customers the gift of hassle-free holidays again this year as it prepares to deliver more than half a billion packages around the world this holiday season, an all-time record for the global logistics giant.

UPS expects to deliver 527 million packages between the U.S. Thanksgiving and Christmas this year, surpassing last year's record of 480 million. The company predicts its busiest day of the year will be Thursday, Dec. 20, when an estimated 28 million packages will be delivered around the world - the equivalent of more than 300 packages delivered every second of the day. On an average day, UPS delivers 15.8 million packages.

To handle this massive increase in volume, UPS will hire 55,000l seasonal employees across the U.S. to work as driver helpers, package sorters, loaders or unloaders.  For more information on job opportunities visit: upsjobs.com.

UPS peak air day is projected to top 6.5 million deliveries compared to normal daily air volume of 3 million packages.  UPS will fly more than 400 additional flight segments per day to facilitate on-time delivery of holiday gifts across the world.

Once again, trends show the popularity of e-commerce and mobile accessibility are likely to delay online shopping and compress deliveries into the final two weeks before Christmas. UPS expects online tracking requests to reach more than 69 million on its peak tracking day, Tuesday, Dec. 18, as holiday shipments surge.

"UPS provides total logistics solutions for both shippers and consumers, whether they're doing business in online retail or traditional brick and mortar stores, or both," said Alan Gershenhorn, UPS chief sales and marketing officer. "These solutions make the entire transaction seamless, transparent and hassle-free, from the point of sale to final delivery as well as handling returns and repairs. This gives UPS customers the best possible experience by helping them better manage their already busy schedules, especially during the holidays."

Give Mother Nature a Gift

For environmentally-conscious gift givers, UPS offers carbon neutral shipping. For as little as five cents, customers can select UPS's carbon neutral option at the end of the online shipping process to offset the carbon emissions associated with their shipments and support globally recognized environmental projects.

Shipping Tips for Consumers 

With 21 shipping days between the U.S. Thanksgiving and Christmas, consumers can help ensure their packages reach their destination on time by knowing a few key shipping deadlines. Most UPS ground packages shipped within Canada will reach their destinations in one-to-four days. Last-minute shoppers who ship their packages Friday, Dec. 21, can rely on UPS Express services for delivery by Monday, Dec. 24.

Just like the resourceful elves at the North Pole, UPS offers a variety of methods to help deliver a hassle-free holiday for consumers.

• Leave the Packing to UPS: With nearly 4,700 The UPS Store® and Mail Boxes Etc.® locations in Canada, the U.S., and Puerto Rico, shipping and packing help is always nearby. Participating The UPS Store locations offer the Pack & Ship Guarantee. If a participating location packs a customer's item, ships it via UPS and the item is damaged or lost in transit, the customer will be reimbursed for the item's value (subject to the lesser of actual value, replacement or repair cost), the cost of packaging materials and service plus the shipping fee.
• Click on UPS.com: Customers can visit UPS.com for do-it-yourself holiday shipping solutions and purchase and print shipping labels. Packages can be picked up by a UPS driver, placed in one of 40,000 UPS drop boxes or dropped off at a UPS Customer Centre, The UPS Store, Mail Boxes Etc. or other authorized shipping outlets.

For holiday shipping information, tips and solutions visit the UPS holiday season media resource site - pressroom.ups.com/holiday

• UPS Mobile - m.ups.com
• Facebook - facebook.com/ups and facebook.com/theupsstore
• Twitter - @UPS_Canada and @TheUPSStore

UPS (NYSE:UPS) is a global leader in logistics, offering a broad range of solutions including transporting packages and freight; facilitating international trade, and deploying advanced technology to more efficiently manage the world of business.  Headquartered in Atlanta, UPS serves more than 220 countries and territories worldwide.  The company can be found on the web at UPS.com and its corporate blog can be found at blog.ups.com. To get UPS news direct, visit pressroom.ups.com/RSS.

SOURCE: UPS Canada Ltd.