UPS said it expects pick-up volume on Cyber Monday, Dec. 2, to eclipse 32 million packages globally, an increase of 10%. The continued consumer shift toward global ecommerce is driving higher demand for shipping services, UPS said in a press release.
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“We have seen year-over-year how ecommerce and the growing trend of mobile commerce continues to shape how consumers shop,” said Alan Gershenhorn, UPS chief sales and marketing officer. “Our suite of solutions is uniquely positioned to help our ecommerce customers meet the changing consumer demands.” Overall, UPS expects peak season daily volume to increase by 8% this year. UPS expects to pick-up more than 34 million packages globally on its peak day, Dec. 16. On its peak delivery day, Dec. 17, UPS expects to deliver more than 29 million packages.
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There are 26 shopping days between Thanksgiving and Christmas, six fewer than last year, making it the most compressed holiday season since 2002. To handle the increase in volume, UPS will hire 55,000 seasonal employees across the U.S. to work as drivers, helpers, package sorters, loaders or unloaders.