UPS Stores
05-18-2008, 10:29 PM
#1
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UPS Stores
Note: yes, I do post about UPS every once in a while. 
Are the UPS Stores all franchises or are some like McDonald's in that they are owned by the company? Do owners of a franchise make money? I had to go to Target today and drove by the nearest UPS Store that's been there for years, and found to my dismay that the space now sports a large "For Lease" sign. No trace of Brown anywhere! No sign of its impending doom either at any time. Darn it all, now I'll have to schlep over to a Kinko's.
Are the UPS Stores all franchises or are some like McDonald's in that they are owned by the company? Do owners of a franchise make money? I had to go to Target today and drove by the nearest UPS Store that's been there for years, and found to my dismay that the space now sports a large "For Lease" sign. No trace of Brown anywhere! No sign of its impending doom either at any time. Darn it all, now I'll have to schlep over to a Kinko's.
05-19-2008, 03:35 AM
#2
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My understanding is that each store is independently owned. Hate to say it, but think this is a big reason that I get better service there than at Kinkos. The owner, at least that is what his name tag says, is there a lot of the time and really cares if his business wins or fails.
05-19-2008, 10:03 AM
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I'm a brown guy and must say I prefer going to Kinko's. Granted, the UPS stores I've been to had some great service and folks were friendly to me but it seems that every one of them has a different schedule: some close at 6pm, others at 8pm, some are not open on weekends, etc. Whereas Kinko's you always know is open 24/7 - I really like that. Also, there are many more Kinko's stores than there are UPS stores, I think we could learn something from purple here... Just my ½¢
05-19-2008, 10:06 AM
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Originally Posted by 767pilot
... There is a law suit from a number of them that will say not as much as they had expected to make.
05-19-2008, 10:27 AM
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Originally Posted by ⌐ AV8OR WANNABE
I think the main reason is that in the past Mailboxes etc, aka UPS stores used UPS but also FedEx and DHL services and they were able to negotiate special deals from the three thus making more money. When UPS bought them out obviously they had to ship UPS only (even though some of the stores got a 2-year deadline to switch from Mailboxes etc to UPS stores...)
Actually, not all UPS Stores only ship via UPS. Case in point: I was recently in Napa Valley, and my wife and I bought a bunch of wine. We went to a UPS Store to ship it home. As the clerk was pricing the service, I noticed that she was on the DHL shipping page. I asked if the wine would be shipped via DHL or UPS. She said that due to third-party issues and alcohol in CA, it had to be shipped via DHL. I have no idea what that meant, but sure enough, it went via DHL. It made absolutely no sense to me - going to a UPS Store to ship via your own company, just to give money to the competition. I joked with my wife that had we gone to a Kinko's, we could have shipped with UPS!
05-19-2008, 11:24 AM
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Originally Posted by 1800 RVR
Actually, not all UPS Stores only ship via UPS. Case in point: I was recently in Napa Valley, and my wife and I bought a bunch of wine. We went to a UPS Store to ship it home. As the clerk was pricing the service, I noticed that she was on the DHL shipping page. I asked if the wine would be shipped via DHL or UPS. She said that due to third-party issues and alcohol in CA, it had to be shipped via DHL. I have no idea what that meant, but sure enough, it went via DHL. It made absolutely no sense to me - going to a UPS Store to ship via your own company, just to give money to the competition. I joked with my wife that had we gone to a Kinko's, we could have shipped with UPS!
05-19-2008, 12:19 PM
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Originally Posted by ⌐ AV8OR WANNABE
Wow, didn't know that. You sure you were shipping wine? I know UPS won't accept other stimulants...
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