The UPS Store is extending its reach--in stores and services

United Parcel Service of America Inc. is extending the reach of its franchised retail chain The UPS Store. New store openings doubled in the past year to more than 300 while interest from potential franchisees nearly doubled, the company says.

The UPS Store is the former Mail Boxes Etc. chain, which UPS acquired last year. More than 90% of Mail Boxes Etc. franchisees chose to re-brand to The UPS Store. Mail Boxes Etc. Inc. is now a subsidiary of UPS. UPS has a goal of 5,000 UPS Stores by 2007 from 3,300 today. UPS plans to open stores in what it considers under-served areas, such as urban neighborhoods, Free Enterprise Zones, college campuses and military bases.

UPS also is extending the services that the UPS Store can offer to retailers to include using the UPS stores as drop-off points for returned cell phones. “Many cell phone companies don’t have storefronts and this gives them a very clear place with a trusted brand name to send their customers to,” says a UPS spokesman. In addition, the UPS spokesman says computer sellers could use a UPS Store as a drop-off point for customers who need computers repaired and UPS could use its own technical expertise to repair them. It has no takers on that service so far, the spokesman says.

In addition, UPS has equipped thousands of stores with wireless Internet access for consumer use. UPS also reports that UPS shipping volume from UPS Stores more than doubled in the past year.