With the holidays quickly approaching, you may be planning to ship and receive more packages than usual in the coming weeks. And when you do need to drop off a package to be shipped (or pickup a package), it can sometimes be challenging to get to the FedEx Office or UPS Store during business hours as these visits often require a special trip to a part of town that you weren’t otherwise planning to visit.
Even receiving packages at home can be tricky for working families.
The holiday shopping season seems to bring out the worst in “porch pirates,” who are looking to take unattended packages from the porches of empty homes during the day.
Homeowners have gone to great lengths to prevent the theft of their packages, including installing cameras, purchasing lockboxes, and having someone wait at the house to receive important packages.
We were surprised to learn that there are so many alternatives for shipping and receiving packages. This was great news for those of us who find it difficult or inconvenient to get to the FedEx Office or UPS Store during the day!
Many of these alternate locations allow you to drop off packages for shipping and re-route your packages for delivery so you can pick them up there at your convenience!
The best part of these FedEx and UPS access points is that many of them are conveniently located at retailers where you probably have other errands to run and their hours of operation tend to be more user-friendly than typical FedEx or UPS or locations too.
We wanted to let know about these package-shipping and receiving options before the holiday rush begins, so we created this handy guide to FedEx and UPS access points for your information. We hope you find it helpful!
1. Office Depot/OfficeMax
If you can’t get to the FedEx Office before closing time or don’t feel like going out of your way, try your nearest Office Depot or Office Maxlocation, where you can purchase shipping services inside the store or drop off a package with a shipping label that you’ve created at home.
Most locations also offer a dedicated, self-service packing area with packing and shipping supplies available for purchase. Visit the Copy & Print Center, usually in the front corner of the store, where team members will be available to help you pack your shipment at select locations. Services are offered 7 days a week during normal Office Depot and Office Maxstore hours.
2. Walgreens
There are nearly 8,000 Walgreens locations that currently offer FedEx services. Many are open 24 hours, including holidays, making it more convenient than ever to pick up and drop off your FedEx packages.
3. Dollar General
FedEx dropoff and pickup are now available at select Dollar General locations. These services are available during normal hours of operation for each store, but do vary by location. Simply drop off an outgoing package at the register, or have a package re-routed to a Dollar General and wait for notification that it’s ready for pick-up!
4. Select Grocery Stores
Many grocery stores like Albertsons, Kroger, Fred Meyer, Jewel-Osco, Randalls, Safeway, Shaws, StarMarket, and Vons are now participating in FexEx’s Onsite program.
Although the services offered may vary by retailer, these locations generally allow customers to drop off packages with a pre-paid shipping label (printed at home), ship online returns, and have packages delivered and held securely until they can be picked up by the customer. These retailers typically offer FedEx services during their normal hours of operation.
5. Walmart
FedEx Office also has locations inside nearly 100 Walmart stores, with more on the way! These FedEx Office Locations allow you to pack, ship and receive packages, and take advantage of FedEx’s printing services during your trip to Walmart!
6. CVS
UPS recently added thousands of CVS Pharmacies to its UPS Access Point Network. Now customers can ship and receive packages and make Amazon returns in-store at many CVS locations nationwide.
7. Michael’s
UPS recently added over a thousand Michaels stores to its Access Point Network. Customers can now send their packages to a Michaels UPS Access Point location that’s close and convenient for them to pick up. They can also drop off pre-labeled UPS packages at the store, where they will be picked up by UPS with outgoing packages.
8. Advance Auto Parts
UPS has added an undisclosed number of Advance Auto Parts stores to its Access Point Network as well. These locations are marked with special signage, and they’re staffed by store employees. They’re typically open during normal store hours, making these access points more accessible to customers who can’t get to a UPS store during business hours.
9. Staples
UPS also has locations inside approximately 1,300 Staples stores. Customers can ship UPS packages seven days a week from these UPS access points, which are located inside the Print & Marketing Services area of select Staples stores.
Thank your delivery drivers during the holiday season with this fun idea!
