Learn how The UPS Store remains adaptable by offering non-traditional centers that franchise owners can tailor to meet the needs of different communities.
One of the most important traits of a successful entrepreneur is adaptability. Entrepreneurs must develop a keen awareness of their market to identify existing or emerging needs and be able to adapt their business strategy to meet those needs.
The UPS Store believes it’s important to help our entrepreneurial franchise owners stay nimble and able to adapt to market changes. That’s why we offer franchise owners the freedom to choose a store type that fits the needs of customers in their communities and aligns with their business experience and passion.
To truly customize their center, The UPS Store owners can choose from a variety of non-traditional locations designed to expand their service offering, provide additional value to local customers and grow their business.
Store in Store Model
Our Store in Store concept enables franchise owners to open centers within other businesses like pharmacies and hardware stores. This model has been especially successful in smaller markets where existing business owners bring on a The UPS Store center to provide customers the printing and mailing resources that are often scarce in rural areas.
The UPS Store-in-Pharmacy
Michael and Ben Hertz’s family has owned and operated Elmora Healthcare & Pharmacy in Elizabeth, New Jersey for eight decades. Over that time, the Hertz family built a well-established customer base and an exceptional reputation in the community.
But Michael and Ben weren’t content on resting on those laurels. They wanted a big idea to take their business to the next level.
Thanks to the family’s connection with The UPS Store (Ben previously worked at a The UPS Store center and his uncle still works for the company), Michael and Ben had their answer. They decided to open the first-ever The UPS Store center in a pharmacy.
"Our focus has always been on customer service, which is why The UPS Store is such a natural fit," said Ben. "The UPS Store name brings even more clout to our business and allows us to bring new products to our customers while remaining true to our customer service roots."
The pharmacy has seen an increase in foot traffic from customers who have a need for both businesses’ services. Chris Larriva transitioned from his previous position in the pharmacy to running the day-to-day operations for The UPS Store and has seen how well the two service sets complement each other.
"People are coming into the store to initially pick up a few pharmacy items, but are starting to take advantage of the services offered by The UPS Store at the same time," Chris said. "And now pharmacy customers are even shipping out their medicines and other items ahead of vacations and work trips."
And, most importantly for a business that prides itself on delivering exceptional customer service, Elmora Healthcare & Pharmacy’s customer base seems to really appreciate the convenience of being able to accomplish more tasks in a single trip.
"There isn't another location nearby that can do what The UPS Store does,” said Ben. “We're hearing a lot of comments like, 'This was such a good idea,' and, 'Thanks so much for doing this.’”
The UPS Store-in-Hardware Store
Local business owners have long struggled to compete with big box stores and online competition. Consumers still love the small shop feel, but convenience often trumps sentiment, which makes it tough for local shop owners to compete.
Michael Collins, a local hardware store owner in Margate, New Jersey, understood the need to innovate and adapt to compete with larger competitors. He also recognized his small island beach community didn’t have centralized packing and shipping services. To reach a store with those services, residents had to leave the island and cross a bridge.
So, Michael opened a The UPS Center in his hardware store.
“We saw that our community was lacking a resource that offered island residents packing and shipping services, with the closest location miles away,” said Michael. “There was a hole that needed to be filled, and The UPS Store center seemed like the natural fit for our business and community.”
Like Elmora Healthcare, not only did The UPS Store fill a need, the combined services of the two businesses complement each other well. For example, local contractors can shop for tools and supplies in the same location they print off their blueprints.
Even though Michael brought in a large, established brand in The UPS Store, he’s maintained the store’s overall environment while making it easier to compete.
“Convenience is number one. You have to separate yourself from the big-box type stores,” said Michael. “We have the small store feel here, but still offer everything our customers want.”
Other Non-traditional Locations
Stores within stores aren’t the only way The UPS Store is bringing innovative mailing and shipping services to local communities. The UPS Store is also popping up in communities within larger communities – like military bases and college campuses – where mailing and shipping services are very important, yet tough to find.
The UPS Store-on-Campus Model
A few years ago, administrators at Arizona State University (ASU) realized that mailroom management for the school’s 13,000 campus residents was outside their area of expertise. At the time, they were relying on student employees to sort and deliver mail without a reliable tracking system. As you might expect, this led to a lot of lost packages and misplaced letters.
To combat the issue, ASU teamed up with The UPS Store to condense 14 delivery locations into two non-traditional franchise centers. The UPS Store implemented a state-of-the-art Parcel Management System to monitor and track packages during shipment. It worked; the system virtually eliminated the lost package issue on campus.
The UPS Store also has a variety of services that college students are likely to need. When students head home in the summer, The UPS Store provides shipping options, professional packing services and moving supplies to get their belongings home safe. And, our temporary summer storage program allows students to store larger items like refrigerators and furniture between semesters.
The UPS Store has had a presence on college campuses for a while and is continuously innovating to improve their services for students, faculty and staff. For example, The UPS Store recently teamed up with the tech company Luxer One to start piloting “smart lockers” on college campuses. The smart-locker technology tells The UPS Store’s employees which locker to deliver packages to then sends students an access code. That way, students can pick up their packages any time of day without having to wait in line.
If you’re interested in opening a non-traditional The UPS Store center, contact us today.
