Shape Up To Ship Out: Holiday Shipping Success Starts With The Package

Pros at The UPS Store, Mail Boxes Etc. Prepared to Help

ATLANTA, Nov. 30, 2005 – More than half of all U.S. consumers describe themselves as feeling “rushed,” “fragile” or “bursting at the seams” heading into the holidays, and they freely admit they don’t have the proper packing and shipping materials once they find the right presents.**

The experts at The UPS Store® and Mail Boxes Etc.® never tire of helping customers understand that proper packing is the best way to ensure the safe and secure delivery of packages:

1. Don’t dumpster dive for old boxes. Used boxes can break apart in shipping and leftover labels can create confusion about a package’s destination. Always use a new corrugated box designed for shipping and never wrap it in paper or string, which can get caught in package sorting equipment. Put a second label inside the box in case the label affixed to the outside becomes unreadable.

2. For the best value, ship early. Plan ahead to save money and avoid last-minute shipping stress. Procrastinators can ship as late as Dec. 22 for delivery on Dec. 23, but they’ll pay a premium for the service.

3. Pack like a pro. Choose appropriate materials, such as bubble cushioning, polystyrene “peanuts,” corrugated dividers or plastic foam to provide proper cushioning – at least two inches of packing materials on all sides of each item. Also, use professional packing tape to seal the box. Better yet …

4. Leave it to the experts. Most people underestimate the amount of packaging necessary to ensure that their precious cargo arrives at its destination intact. Experts at The UPS Store and Mail Boxes Etc. are specially trained to handle any packaging challenge. They know the best techniques to pack your gifts, saving you time and effort.

5. Track your package. Choose a shipping company, like UPS, that provides a package tracking number. Tracking lets you notify recipients when to expect a delivery and affords you peace of mind that your package arrived on time.

“People are turning to professional packing and shipping services to help alleviate holiday stress,” said Stuart Mathis, president of Mail Boxes Etc. Inc., a UPS subsidiary and franchisor of 4,300 The UPS Store and Mail Boxes Etc. locations nationwide. “Our packaging experts help businesses and consumers with the packing and shipping of fragile items, electronic gadgets and perishables so packages arrive in the same condition they were sent.”

This year, there are 30 shopping days between Thanksgiving and Christmas but only 20 shipping days. UPS recommends consumers ship as soon as possible to ensure the broadest range of options between ground and air services. Procrastinators can ship holiday packages as late as Dec. 22 using UPS Next Day Air® services.

To brighten the holidays for needy children, now through Dec. 23, The UPS Store and Mail Boxes Etc. locations are conducting a campaign to raise $1 million for the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation through in-store sales of donation cards and die-cast replicas of Dale Jarrett’s No. 88 The UPS Store/Toys for Tots car.

Mail Boxes Etc., Inc., a UPS company, franchises The UPS Store and Mail Boxes Etc. retail locations. The UPS Store and Mail Boxes Etc. locations together comprise the world’s largest franchise network of retail shipping, postal and business service centers with more than 5,500 locations in more than 40 countries. In the United States, The UPS Store and Mail Boxes Etc. locations are independently owned and operated by licensed franchisees of Mail Boxes Etc., Inc. Outside the United States, locations are owned and operated by MBE master licensees or their franchisees. For additional information, please visit www.TheUPSStore.com or www.mbe.com.

An online store locator is available at www.TheUPSStore.com or www.mbe.com to find information about the nearest locations, products and services, hours of operation and directions and maps.

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** Two similar surveys conducted by Opinion Research Corp. in 2004 and 2005. Survey of 1,042 adults for The UPS Store and Mail Boxes Etc. network conducted from Sept. 22 to 24, 2005. Survey of 1,051 adults for The UPS Store and Mail Boxes Etc. network conducted from Sept. 30 – Oct.3, 2004, with a margin of error of +/- 3 percentage points.

Contact Information

Brandyn Jennings

The UPS Store & Mail Boxes Etc.

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