UPS Rolls out Re-Branding Program to Mail Boxes Etc. Franchisees <b></b>

Atlanta--UPS recently announced a plan that will allow3,300 Mail Boxes Etc. (MBE) franchisees based in the 48 contiguousUnited States to convert their retail centers to The UPS Store.

The program also enables storeowners to considerably lower theprices they offer consumers for UPS air express, ground andinternational shipping services.

UPS acquired MBE in 2001. Since that time, the two companieshave been working together and with MBE franchisee representativesto identify opportunities to improve the MBE business model, whichfocuses on the shipping and business needs of consumers and smallbusinesses. The answer came following a year-long pricing test inSan Antonio and Phoenix MBE centers, as well as an additionalfour-month branding test in four other U.S. markets.

While the new pricing program showed positive results in alltest markets, it was The UPS Store name, which was tested in St.Louis and Seattle, that fueled the strongest customer response. Inthese areas, December year-over-year comparisons showed thatfranchisees who converted to The UPS Store increased their overallUPS shipping volume by 70 percent, in addition to increasingcustomer traffic and other key performance metrics. There are noplans to change the trade name of MBE's internationallocations. Currently, MBE has more than 1,000 units outside theU.S. -Business Wire