Actionable insights straight to your inbox

logo_equities.svg

UPS Launching Same Day Delivery Pilot Program

Demand for rapid delivery, which was already becoming popular prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, surged over the past year as consumers avoided in-store shopping.

Image source: UPS

United Parcel Service (NYSE: UPS) is launching a pilot program to explore whether or not a same-day delivery model is feasible for the company, according to The Wall Street Journal

During an investor day webcast on Wednesday, UPS chief executive officer Carol Tomé said, “We don’t have a same-day product today, as you know, and so we’re looking at it. We don’t have this all the way figured out, but we’ve got a team of people looking at it.”

Tomé did not offer any other details on the concept being tested and an UPS spokesperson told The Wall Street Journal the company does not comment on its pilot programs.

UPS rival FedEx Corporation already offers same-day delivery in a limited number of locations and has been testing the use of robots to make local deliveries, the newspaper noted.

Amazon.com Inc, one of UPS’s biggest customers, and Instacart Inc, are also among the current providers of same-day delivery services.

Demand for rapid delivery, which was already becoming popular prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, surged over the past year as consumers avoided in-store shopping. 

The increase in e-commerce has left UPS, FedEx and the United States Postal Service inundated with packages and has forced retailers to find new ways to get goods to consumers while containing soaring delivery costs. 

As a result, a growing number of companies, including Walmart and Target Corporation, have added more curbside and same-day delivery options to help meet that demand. The pandemic has also seen restaurant delivery platforms, such as DoorDash Inc and Uber Technologies Inc, expand into groceries.

_____

Source: Equities News

With pandemic-induced supply chain bottlenecks receding, semiconductor stocks have been riding a bullish trend, making higher lows and higher highs.
To say the current situation isn’t pretty now seems an understatement, and it’s likely to remain chaotic for a while. Which is why it’s so important for leaders of all kinds not to fall prey to the very human tendency to go negative.
Bargain-hunting friends of mine have been asking: “Should I buy First Republic?” After all, First Republic is prestigious. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg got a mortgage there. Dozens of customer surveys rate its satisfaction scores higher than super-brands like Apple and Ritz-Carlton.
Many of us economy-watchers have been expecting recession, though with significant differences on odds and timing. Regardless, recent banking developments just made recession more likely and may have accelerated its onset.