UPS, Postal Service to reunite for delivery of low-budget shipments

Core Insights - UPS has reached a tentative agreement with the U.S. Postal Service to provide last-mile delivery for its Ground Saver service, addressing previous tensions over rate hikes [1][2] - The agreement is part of UPS's strategy to reduce costs amid declining volumes in its domestic parcel business [1] Group 1: Ground Saver Service - Ground Saver is UPS's low-cost ground service, which was rebranded after the Postal Service raised prices on its SurePost product [3] - The service typically takes one to two days longer than regular Ground delivery and is mainly used by large businesses for low-value e-commerce shipments [4] Group 2: Financial Performance and Challenges - UPS faced higher delivery expenses, totaling $85 million in Q2, due to an inability to optimize delivery stops, which impacted profitability despite a 5.5% increase in domestic revenue per piece [5] - The company raised Ground Saver rates significantly, aiming to encourage retailers to opt for more premium shipping options, but this led to a diminished value proposition for Ground Saver [6] Group 3: Market Dynamics - Price increases for Ground Saver resulted in retailers seeking cheaper shipping alternatives, as they typically absorb e-commerce shipping costs to prevent cart abandonment [7] - In Q3, Ground Saver's average daily volume dropped by 32.7% year-over-year, attributed to the decision to phase out 50% of Amazon volumes by mid-2026 and a decline in lower-yielding e-commerce volumes [8]