UPS expands its Worldwide Expedited Service

UPS said this week that it has expanded its air service for international shipments, UPS Worldwide Expedited.

Company officials said that UPS is tripling its coverage area and providing delivery in two-to-five shipment days to more than 220 countries and territories, adding that this effort will help shippers expand their global reach and balance delivery speed.

“UPS customers were asking for more deferred delivery options to move products while reducing costs,” a company spokesperson told LM. “In challenging economic times, UPS saw the opportunity to capitalize on a growing market need.”

Prior to this expansion, UPS only offered Express Services which are typically delivered in one to three business days.

The spokesperson added that in terms of shipper benefits, shippers will now have more reliable delivery options for their less urgent shipments at a more economical rate.

As for future plans regarding UPS Worldwide Expedited, the spokesperson said that UPS will continue to evaluate expanding the service from more origins in the future where feasible.

UPS officials added that a muddled economic environment in recent years lends credence to reasons as to why shippers need to leverage the global market for both stability and growth opportunities.

“Companies that expand beyond their domestic borders are better insulated from economic downturns at home,” said John Sutthoff, UPS vice president of international marketing, in a statement. “Even in today’s sluggish economy, we have customers who are growing their businesses by doing what UPS did decades ago—going global.”

UPS first expanded outside the U.S. in the mid-1970s when it began offering domestic shipping service in Canada and West Germany. And during the 1980s, it established an integrated service network that could provide pick-up and delivery service all over the world.