Company continues to be ranked among top 20 businesses overall
SAN DIEGO, January, 2010 – The highly anticipated annual Entrepreneur® “Franchise 500” has once again placed The UPS Store® at the top of the postal and business services category. This marks the 20th consecutive year the company has earned the honor. In addition, the company continues to rank in the top 20 of the overall listings.
“As we begin our 30th year in business, our franchisees continue to provide the personalized service that has made us the industry leader,” said Stuart Mathis, president of Mail Boxes Etc., Inc. (MBE), franchisor of The UPS Store. “We see this honor as a testament to our ability to adapt to the marketplace and the changing needs of our customers, small-business owners in particular.”
The company has achieved unit growth despite the recent economic downturn. This is attributable, in part, to the company’s participation in the International Franchise Association’s (IFA) VetFran program, which provides financial incentives to veterans interested in opening a franchised business. Last year, MBE increased its incentive to $10,000 off the $29,950 franchise fee for opening a new franchise location. Additionally, with the new VetFran incentives, veterans will only pay $3,750 of the original $15,000 initial application fee, which is applied to the franchise fee.
Another aspect of the company’s growth has been a focus on special-venue locations, such as hotels and convention centers, colleges and universities, and military bases. In 2009, the company opened 19 special-venue locations and expects to exceed that number in 2010.
At the unit level, same-store sales have been supported by a strong corporate retail solutions program that provides retail products and services designed to help companies operate more efficiently. These business solutions integrate UPS® technology and systems with The UPS Store retail presence to provide business services, returns and exchange programs, and alternate delivery locations, among other offerings.
The introduction of an online printing program in 2009 further enhanced the service offerings available to consumers and small-business customers. With nearly 4,400 locations, its size and accessibility position
The UPS Store as a leader in the online printing arena.
Individuals interested in joining The UPS Store network will find more details at www.theupsstore.com/franchise. For more information on the IFA’s VetFran Program, visit www.franchise.org.
With approximately 4,800 locations in the United States, Puerto Rico and Canada, The UPS Store and Mail Boxes Etc.® network comprises the world’s largest franchise system of retail shipping, postal, document and business service centers. 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., a UPS subsidiary. In Canada, locations are independently owned and operated by licensed franchisees of master licensee MBEC Communications, L.P.
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Editor’s Note: To view and/or download B-roll of The UPS Store franchisees demonstrating proper packing techniques for a variety of items, please visit The UPS Store mediaroom. To schedule a live pack-and-ship demonstration, please e-mail pr@mbe.com.
Contact:
Becca Andrews, The UPS Store
(858) 455-8982