New UPS Service Transforms Package Delivery to Fit Busy Consumer Lifestyles

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Self-Service Technology Empowers Consumers To Control Deliveries; A True Industry "First"

UPS (NYSE: UPS) today announced the launch of UPS My Choice, a new service that places greater control over home delivery in the hands of the consumer.

UPS My Choice helps avoid the disappointment and hassle of missing a home delivery by empowering the consumer to take control of UPS deliveries the day before arrival. This ground-breaking service increases the likelihood of a successful delivery on the first attempt by providing delivery alerts, specific delivery time frames, reroute options, visibility tools and electronic signature release - all by accessing ups.com through a computer or mobile phone.

"Our residential customers want the flexibility to easily fit package delivery into their busy daily lives," said UPS Chairman and CEO Scott Davis. "UPS My Choice is an example of how UPS has leveraged technology to introduce a level of self-service and choice to consumers never before seen in our industry."

UPS My Choice provides convenient options that align with the way consumers work and live. Customers can choose between two levels of membership. UPS My Choice members will receive phone, e-mail or text alerts notifying them a day in advance of when packages will arrive and providing a four-hour window for the delivery. They also will have the option to electronically authorize release of packages that require a signature and, for a $5 transaction fee, to reroute a package to another delivery address or have it delivered to the nearest The UPS Store location.

UPS My Choice Premium Membership, available for a $40 annual subscription, provides all the benefits of a regular UPS My Choice membership but in addition, members gain access to an online delivery calendar that shows the status of UPS home deliveries. Premium members also are offered a two-hour confirmed delivery window. A $5 transaction fee is charged only upon successful delivery of the package within the two-hour commitment.

The 2010 online holiday shopping season illustrated how consumers are conducting more transactions online. According to comScore, the 2010 U.S. online holiday shopping season brought in a record-breaking $32.6 billion in retail spending. This marked a 12 percent increase over 2009. Cyber Monday made history when consumer spending exceeded $1 billion for the first time in a single day. As internet commerce continues to grow, package delivery is becoming an important element of the full customer experience.

"Our shippers view package delivery as a critical piece of the customer experience," said Alan Gershenhorn, UPS's chief marketing officer. "UPS My Choice is a great stride forward in improving the convenience and flexibility of home delivery. We are extending our passion for logistics to residential customers through the introduction of this service."

UPS customers who ship to consumers at home recognize the significance of the new service, Gershenhorn continued. Firms like QVC, one of the largest multimedia retailers in the world, are applauding the idea of a tool that allows customers to receive more of their packages on the first delivery attempt.
"QVC is pleased to be among the first multi-channel retailers to bring UPS My Choice to our customers, so they can be notified of incoming packages," said John Hunter, QVC executive vice president, customer fulfillment services. "We know our customers will appreciate and embrace the flexibility to make alternate delivery arrangements and assure their QVC purchases arrive at a time that works within their busy schedules."

UPS delivers annually to over 100 million residential addresses. For years, the company has been describing an emerging world of personalized commerce in which consumers pull the product they want, when they want it, from whomever they choose. Several years ago, UPS began building the technological infrastructure to give consumers the flexibility and control required to manage their own deliveries.

"UPS My Choice is the extension of sophisticated logistics down to the individual consumer," said Davis. "It's the revolutionary next step in a technology drive that has transformed UPS's ability to control the flow of packages around the world."

The new service will be available on Oct. 3. For more information about UPS My Choice or to pre-register for the service, visit ups.com/mychoice/pr.
 
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