UPS expands global time-definite delivery network

UPS Inc. said today it added 14 countries to its “Worldwide Express” network, which provides time-definite deliveries in a 1- to 3-day window depending on destination.

In addition, the Atlanta-based company has begun Saturday deliveries and implemented later pick-up times in seven countries on the Indian sub-continent, the Middle East and Africa, known in the UPS universe as ISMEA.

The 14 countries include Nigeria, Panama, Bolivia, Kenya and Finland. The additions emphasize service to Africa, a relatively underserved continent that will be heavily dependent on e-commerce and, by extension, package deliveries. E-commerce accounts for just 1 percent of Africa’s retail sales, according to data from DHL, the largest express carrier serving the continent. There are very few shopping malls in Africa north of Johannesburg, meaning that e-commerce will likely be the predominant way that consumers buy their goods.

The countries now receiving Saturday service are Ethiopia, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Maldives, Suriname, and Tunisia.

In addition, UPS said it improved its time-in-transit service to 24 countries, most of them being emerging markets; India is one of those markets, UPS said.

The company has also added postal codes in 26 European countries, as well as in South Korea, China, Hong Kong, and Singapore.