UPS Forecasts Record-Breaking Holiday Shipments
October 27 2016 - 9:30AM
- UPS forecasts record holiday delivery of more than 700 million
packages
- Black Friday-to-New Year’s Eve deliveries up more than 14% with
two more operating days from 2015
- 13 of 21 holiday delivery days before Christmas to exceed 30
million packages
- New temporary processing facilities and operational technology
increase capacity, efficiency and flexibility
UPS (NYSE:UPS) plans record seasonal global delivery volume with
an increase of more than 14 percent above the peak delivery period
last year. The company and its customers benefit from two
additional delivery days during 2016. This year the company expects
to surpass 700 million packages delivered globally in 25 days
between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve.
UPS has increased the level of planning and close collaboration
with its largest holiday shippers in order to develop early
seasonal shipping forecasts. Based on current information, the
company anticipates a record 13 of the 21 delivery days before
Christmas to exceed 30 million packages daily. UPS delivers
approximately 18 million packages daily during typical non-peak
shipping periods.
“Online and mobile commerce is simultaneously creating new
opportunities and challenges for the retail industry, yet a
constant remains: the holiday season is the most important time of
the year for retailers,” said Kate Gutmann, senior vice president
UPS Sales and Solutions. “We are committed to helping make this
year’s peak season a success for our shippers in all
industries.”
Since Christmas falls on Sunday, UPS is developing operating
plans that smooth volume throughout the busy weeks, advancing
pickups and processing through the weekend prior to its peak
delivery day – currently scheduled for Monday, Dec. 19th – to
ensure customers enjoy timely deliveries.
A similar approach from Black Friday through Cyber Weekend
(Nov. 25-27) will advance delivery processing and smooth volume
flow across the following week as merchants fulfill orders from
distribution centers and through store inventory earlier in the
season.
More than 30 million consumers are expected to use the UPS My
Choice® service to receive text or email alerts letting them know
when packages are on the way. UPS My Choice allows members to plan
when and where they receive packages. With the new Follow My
Delivery map feature, members can now monitor the progress of their
most urgent UPS® Air and UPS Worldwide Express® packages on a live
map when out for delivery.
UPS My Choice also reduces not-at-home delivery attempts, since
preferences can be set by consumers to re-direct the package to a
nearby UPS Access Point® location for convenient pickup or to avoid
the eyes of children hoping to discover gifts.
UPS Access Point locations -- The UPS Store® or other
neighborhood businesses, including local dry cleaners, drug stores
and coffee shops -- have desirable evening and weekend hours to
accommodate package pickup according to a consumer’s busy schedule.
They provide a secure location for consumers to retrieve their
delivery if they are unable to receive their package at home, or if
they live in a multi-tenant building that does not provide package
collection as part of concierge services. Consumers can also drop
off their returns at UPS Access Point locations.
Flexing the Network Capacity
Throughout 2016, UPS has been preparing for its busiest shipping
season with the opening of 15 new or expanded hub facilities across
the U.S. The company also is installing mobile delivery villages
and adding thousands of delivery car positions to support its
expanded ground delivery fleet during the period.
Operational efficiency also will come from other advanced
technologies that provide better visibility into the contents of
full trailers loaded by shippers and tendered to UPS for
processing. UPS benefits from the truckload brokerage technologies
of Coyote Logistics to arrange contract transportation and increase
back haul utilization during the busy peak season.
“In addition to investing in temporary seasonal processing
facilities, UPS is implementing new technology and automation
systems to increase capacity, efficiency and flexibility within the
operations. We have completed the full U.S. deployment for our
sophisticated route navigation system, ORION, to reduce miles
traveled even with more delivery stops and volume carried,” Gutmann
added.
UPS plans to employ more than 95,000 temporary seasonal workers,
including delivery helpers who ride with drivers, and package
sorters, loaders and drivers.
Candidates for seasonal jobs can apply on UPSjobs.com. This
holiday work often is an entry point for future permanent jobs and
career advancement. Thirty-seven percent of 2014-15 seasonal hires
stayed on as UPS employees.
The UPS Delivering the Holidays media kit with photography and
video b-roll is available at pressroom.ups.com/holidays or to
download assets. To view and download a copy of the UPS year-end
holiday schedule, visit ups.com/holidays.
UPS 2016 Holiday By the Numbers
Thanksgiving-December forecast |
700+ million
packages |
Delivery days during period |
25 days |
Average daily delivery volume (ADV) |
Approximately 28 million
packages |
Forecast percentage increase |
14 Percent |
Forecast percentage (same day basis) |
5 Percent |
Peak delivery week |
Dec. 19-23, 2016 |
Peak week daily delivery volume (ADV) |
Approximately 30 million
packages |
Busiest tracking day |
Dec. 21, 204 million tracking
requests |
Hiring |
95,000 seasonal workers |
UPS My Choice® |
30 million members globally |
UPS Access Point® locations |
8,000+ U.S. / 25,000+ total |
The UPS Store® locations |
More than 4,900 |
About UPS
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 longitudes.ups.com.
To get UPS news direct, visit pressroom.ups.com/RSS or follow
@UPS_News on Twitter.
Susan Rosenberg
srosenberg@ups.com
404-828-6130
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