UPS is significantly expanding the cadre of countries available to its U.S. customers using the company’s Saturday pick-up solution for export shipments.
An additional 122 countries located in all regions of the world have been added to the current 57 destinations, including 20 new markets in Europe, 28 in the Americas, two in Asia Pacific and 72 in the Middle East and Africa. Businesses that schedule a Saturday pick-up for their UPS Worldwide Express portfolio packages from the U.S. to 179 international markets will have their shipments processed and shipped on Sunday and delivered as soon as Monday.
Nando Cesarone, president of UPS International, said the expanded delivery options should help smaller businesses looking to increase cross-border trade.
“Small and medium businesses account for 98 percent of all exporting companies in the U.S.,” Cesarone said. “But only 1 percent of all businesses in the U.S. are exporting… That’s why we’re tripling the number of high-growth international markets that growth-minded companies can export to on a Saturday. An extra pick-up day for businesses, especially the smaller ones, seeking to expand their customer base is another way to show that selling across borders can be as straightforward as shipping at home.”
UPS noted that exporting can benefit companies by opening doors to new customers and providing revenue diversification. It cited data from the International Trade Administration that shows companies that export to multiple countries are around 8.5 percent less likely to go out of business than companies that do not export.
UPS said its Saturday pick-up service also means a reduced chance of online shoppers abandoning shopping carts because a faster delivery enhances online competitiveness and builds the e-tailers’ brand internationally. E-tailers in the U.S. looking to go cross-border further benefit from fewer lost sales by choosing ship-from-store options and other UPS fulfillment solutions.
Paired with more than 28,000 UPS Access Point locations worldwide, including independently owned and operated businesses that offer online shoppers a convenient place to pick up shipments, the service expansion significantly enhances U.S. exporters’ ability to get packages to their customers in a timely manner, the company said.