UPS sees busier, intense holiday shopping season

ATLANTA » United Parcel Service Inc. expects this holiday season to be busier than last, thanks to the growing popularity of online shopping. And more intense, thanks to the calendar. The world’s biggest package delivery company said Friday that it foresees peak season daily volume rising 8 percent this year. It expects to deliver more than 29 million packages Dec. 17, topping last year’s peak-day deliveries by more than 1 million.

UPS plans to hire 55,000 U.S. seasonal employees to work as drivers, helpers, package sorters, loaders and unloaders. Besides the increased volume, there are just 26 shopping days between Thanksgiving and Christmas, six fewer than last year, making it the most compressed holiday shopping season since 2002.

UPS expects Cyber Monday on Dec. 2 will see a 10 percent increase in pickup volume, surpassing 32 million packages. The peak day for package pickups will be Dec. 16, UPS said, with 34 million packages being picked up around the world.