UPS shipments up due to ecommerce sales
Consumers are increasingly shopping online, which United Parcel Service attributed to the growth of Next-Day air shipments.
The organization increased packages delivered by 4.5 percent during the first quarter of 2012, up from 12.67 million to 13.24 million packages. Next-day air shipments saw particular growth during this time frame, rising from 1.15 million to 1.21 million compared with last year. Meanwhile, deferred air shipments – or packages sent at 2- or 3-day rates – increased 9.9 percent.
"I think it’s just the law of larger numbers," Paula Rosenblum, managing partner at research and advisory firm Retail Systems Research, told Internet Retailer. "If you're shifting to buying online but you’re in a hurry, you’re going to request expedited shipping."
Separate data from comScore has noted double-digit increases in ecommerce spending for the past few years, further highlighting the growth in online shopping among American consumers.
