UPS Predicts Record Holiday Season
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UPS Inc. says it has been preparing for what it expects to be a record-breaking holiday shipping season by building additional automated facilities and adding jets to its fleet to handle more packages as online shopping continues to grow.
The shipping giant said retail sales are forecast to grow more than 5%, and online holiday retail sales are likely to reach a new high.
EARNINGS: UPS Net Income Up 15.9%, Revenue Rises 5%
The addition of automated facilities allows the company to handle another 400,000 pieces per hour, UPS said. The company expects to deliver more than 32 million packages a day, up 50% over its regular daily volume.
The company is hiring 100,000 seasonal workers for the holiday shipping season, which starts the week of Thanksgiving, spikes the following week and lasts past Christmas with returns and purchases using gift cards. This year, however, a late Thanksgiving means a shorter holiday shopping season overall.
UPS also expects that a shift toward more widespread next-day delivery will drive increased demand for its services.
UPS ranks No. 1 on the Transport Topics Top 100 list of the largest for-hire carriers in North America.
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