UPS announced a significant expansion of its UPS Standard service, becoming the only carrier to offer delivery to residential addresses in the eight largest markets in Europe without an additional Saturday surcharge. The change gives businesses of all sizes a reliable way to get packages to their customers on Saturdays, reaching over 130 million households across these leading markets.

“Through our new Saturday service, we’re giving greater flexibility to businesses, helping them improve their customer experience and grow in today’s market,” said UPS EMEAI President Daniel Carrera.

“It marks another step in our strategy to make logistics a competitive advantage for our customers by providing them with more options to ship than ever before.”

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When asked about their delivery expectations for online purchases, nearly two-thirds of global shoppers anticipated receiving their items within 24 hours.

In many cases, this service expansion can improve time-in-transit and provides recipients with several additional options to schedule a delivery, including UPS My Choice. It follows a series of investments and new services including Time Window Delivery, Delivery Photo and Follow My Delivery, which provide greater convenience, control, and a superior experience for recipients.

Saturday residential delivery makes logistics a competitive advantage for small businesses by attracting consumers who want faster deliveries, including on Saturday. The service will also tap into nearly 40,000 UPS Access Point locations such as neighborhood corner shops with extended evening and weekend hours, giving customers the flexibility to pick up their parcels when it suits their schedule.