United Parcel Service Inc. (UPS), a global package-delivery and supply-chain management firm, has launched Storage on Demand (SOD), a valet self-storage service for the metropolitan Atlanta market. The company uses an online platform that allows customers to schedule item pickup, maintain a visual catalog of stored belongings, and schedule delivery of specific bins to their home or business. The service will initially be available to several Atlanta-area communities, including Alpharetta, Marietta, Roswell and Sand Springs, with expansion to other U.S. cities expected in the future, according to a press release.
Similar to other valet-style storage operators, UPS offers by-the-bin storage targeted at customers who don’t have adequate storage in their home or workplace. Items are stored within the company’s network of warehouses. Pricing runs $5 per bin for a 12-month lease, $6 per bin for six months and $7 per bin for three months. Oversized or bulky items aren’t permitted at this time. All contents must fit within the UPS-provided bins, according to the SOD website. Pricing includes the cost of the bins, storage space and return delivery. Customers own the bins upon terminating their contract.
Customers can request return deliveries of bins through the SOD website. In most cases, deliveries are fulfilled the following day as long as the order is received by 3 p.m., though same-day service may be available to some locations, the source reported.
“Storage on Demand solves a problem that is becoming nearly universal as our population and demographics evolve. Millennials are moving into small homes in crowded urban areas; Baby Boomers are downsizing for retirement; and small businesses need space for excess inventory,” said Darren Kamensek, strategy and innovation manager for UPS and a co-founder of SOD. “The problem is that there aren’t many services that truly provide end-to-end storage and quick, easy retrieval of goods. Storage on Demand solves all of that.”
UPS adopted the valet-storage model after it was proposed by four employees as part of the company’s Transformation initiative, an internal competition designed to leverage its hidden advantages, the release stated. SOD went from concept to reality in nine months. It began local service in Atlanta in July.
“Our global reach, broad customer relationships and unmatched logistics infrastructure give UPS a powerful platform on which to build and scale ideas,” said David Lee, vice president of innovation and new ventures. “In the last two years, UPS has engaged thousands of employees and reviewed hundreds of new business proposals. We are working hard to launch several new innovations in the near future.”
Based in Atlanta, UPS serves more than 220 countries and territories worldwide. It maintains more than 1,800 facilities and 123,000 vehicles as part of its package operations. In 2018, it delivered 5.2 billion packages and documents worldwide.
Sources:
Atlanta Business Chronicle, UPS Launches 'Valet Storage' Concept in Metro Atlanta, With Aim at $38 Billion Industry
Storage on Demand, Website
UPS, UPS Launches On-Demand Self-Storage Service