United Parcel Service (UPS) is moving up its guaranteed delivery time for 2nd Day package service to 10:30 a.m. from 12 p.m., as well as adding a Saturday delivery option. UPS said those moves are part of an overall expansion of its 2nd Day service that also includes the addition of 9,300 ZIP codes – bringing the total for that service to 26,800 ZIP codes.
“Today’s businesses are under enormous pressure to squeeze more time out of their days and fit more days into their weeks,” noted Kurt Kuehn, senior vp-worldwide sales and marketing for UPS. “The acceleration of our 2nd Day service … provides them faster and more flexible services to help meet these challenges.”
Kuehe noted that demand for such “deferred delivery” shipping options such as its 2nd Day service is increasing from specific customer segments, including manufacturers, online retailers and wholesalers. For example, the earlier commit time of 2nd Day helps manufacturers meet just-in-time schedules more economically while giving them more time in the day to assemble finished products, while ensuring wholesale goods arrive earlier to retailers, providing them more time to restock inventory.
