Recently I’ve been hearing radio ads promoting photocopy and bindery discounts at The UPS Store. Photocopy? Huh? If this isn’t an example of how to dilute your brand I need to go back to school. *cough*
Why do I say that? Because the UPS brand is all about delivering my package. It’s not about copying in color for only 39 cents a sheet. It’s not about the fact that they can also bind my presentation for me. It certainly isn’t about color prints vs black and white.
Looking back a few years, remember how when FedEx purchased Kinko’s they purposefully kept the Kinko’s name? That was a smart move on their part because for one, Kinko’s had a name. The two brands stand on their own.
When UPS purchased Mailboxes Etc. last year they didn’t get as good a deal. Mailboxes Etc. didn’t have mass market appeal and was more about your neighborhood post office box — not photocopying and printing. Despite this fact UPS is trying to be all things to all people. A big mistake. It won’t hurt them in the long run however they will only dilute the UPS name and waste time and money. UPS means shipping. It can’t also mean “color copies.”
What should UPS have done? They should have made a gutsy move to purchase Alpha Graphics and rebranded the stores as Alpha Graphics UPS. That would have kept both ideas separate in my mind and would have presented a business advantage.
Lastly, if Alpha Graphics had said no I still think it makes sense to purchase Mailboxes Etc., however what was done next should have been different. UPS should have come up with a clever name (something cool like Kinko’s) and launched a new photocopy center overnight.
We all know what this is really about. It’s not about photocopies and it certainly isn’t about helping small businesses print their next set of generic business cards. This is about major shipping services having a location. A place in people’s minds that they can reference any time they need to ship something. In this case, FedEx Kinko’s is doing everything right and UPS should focus on what they do best — shipping.
1,505 responses to “The UPS Store vs FedEx Kinko’s”
New Yorkers dont have time to watch these television news shows. If it was seen, it was forgotten the next day.
Plus. They didnt actually ship the package and pay the money.
FURTHERMORE,
If they came to one of my stores, they would not have let
him ship those books and that vase in a big box with no
popcorn because it was way too big and it should have been
put in another or smaller box. That would actually save
him the oversize charge, plus it would have been broken.
Its funny how everyone on here seen that and didnt notice
that.
Anonymous, are you making bbq for the holiday. Take a day or two off the blob.
Valid Points … and as a matter of fact, yes, I’m taking a little vacation this weekend … so I’m sure you’ll be waiting anxiously next week for my comments.
I was in an MBE store this past weekend speaking with the owner and I discussed one issue that I now support … and that’s resolving the chargeback issue in regards to weight differences between franchise stores & UPS. It does seem that store owners aren’t getting the fair shake on that issue, although I hope it’s resolved soon (before the holidays at least).
PS. I was the only one in the store for a good 25 minutes. Geesh, online shipping & better technology for the do-it-yourself crowd (faxing, copies, etc.) … must be really taking it’s toll? Franchise owners should have ‘integrating ecommerce’ included in their Top 3 list (of any list)… or their doomed to making peanuts while watching all their customers go online or to Kinkos!
Annonymous, you must have owned a MBE to talk about it so much. You were in there for 25 minutes. You must have had
a great time.
There is one MBE left here where I am and they are doing better than both UPS Stores. Because they offer what the customers want.
Can you change the topic? Its getting damn boring. Nobody
cares about New York Pricing. If you didnt get screwed in NY you didnt get to enjoy it.
Great attitude representing the disgruntled few in this lawsuit, I guess it’s okay for someone to be charge 4 TIMES MORE than their competitors … it appears to be just part of the MBE culture!
How sad when the only rationale offered is that everyone in NYC must be getting price gouged like MBE’s were proven by Fox News ($70-80 MORE than competitors UPS Store & Kinkos)…
http://www.myfoxny.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail;jsessionid=A277DE9A7164B4639FBF0E1854FFA186?contentId=1755954&version=2&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=1.1.1&sflg=1
Being an ex owner of a UPS Store I was lucky to have dumped that piece of junk at a loss ofcourse. My mistake when I bought the junkie franchise was not asking the salesman how many they owned if they were so lucrative.
I hope that if there are any people reading this please do your home work and stay away from this crappy franchise. You’ll make tons more money and work a lot less hours starting your own lawn care business.
Mike
I was about to sign a Franchise Agreement with The UPS Store. Thank you for saving me, my money, my life.
Good for you!!!! Because when you sign an adhesive,dishonest and unfair franchise agreement with MBE/UPS, it stops being “your money”, and starts being “theirs”.
Unless you’re buying an existing profitable store, signing for opening a new franchise store is huge financial challenge, and not for everyone, but as seen above, it’s amazing what happens via due diligence…
What bothers me the most in this forum is the attitude that you can’t win with the UPS Store…
I won’t re-state all of the details that I already mentioned above, but you CAN be successful in this business…UPS ground margins are 45%, and every other UPS shipping gross margin is higher…
The basic question is: Can you obtain enough volume at these margins to make it?
My store has grown another 16% so far this year, and I am projecting my gross sales to be ~$525,000 for 2007. At the $500,000+ level, I think you can be quite successful (assuming you aren’t in a very high rent location).
The important research for prospective owners is to figure out if your area is capable of the $500K + mark.
I don’t have a magic bullet for my store growth…we provide outstanding customer service, and I am in a growing area with solid anchors that draw people in every day (large employer in the area, good grocery anchor, etc).
It’s not rocket science: This franchise concept will work if you consider what I mention in this post and earlier in this forum. The concept will fail if you have a poor location and below average customer service.
The “UPS screwed me” attitude is defeatist and serves no useful purpose. Either work with the hand you are dealt, or sell your business.
Dave, it’s nice you’re successful. No one has said that some are not able to succeed under the UPS Store business plan. However, as you say, it apparently takes about half a million dollars in gross sales–and no high rent–to do so. The vast majority of the stores are nowhere near that sales figure, and for reasons that have nothing to do with owner’s ability and dedication, likely will never be.
“for reasons that have nothing to do with owner’s ability”
… those reasons, as Dave has previously indicated, being positive attitude & excellent customer service, have allowed his successful UPS Store business to continue growing. Take a hint, quit being so disgruntled, and get off your ass to get what you want in life … and don’t lose any sleep waiting for the lawsuit lotto ticket to save you financially!
Well anonymous,
We all share your zeal but in reality ability and dedication is surely a large part of it there is other things involved as well. This franchise is nothing short of a racket. When you pay out royalties that far exceed any money you put in your own pocket each month there’s something wrong with that picture.
To also let you know if you don’t already is that you must purchase your supplies thru MBE approved vendors of which they must pay a fee to MBE for being on that list.
Being a previous owner who did put in 7 days a week and long hours along with other owners I knew the majority of owners will never do more than keep their heads above water.
None of the owners I knew where waiting on that magic lotto ticket. They all figured they would consider hitting the jackpot if they were able just to get out from under that franchise and get on with their lives and find something they could actually do and make a living at.
Like one of my drivers told me. Why would I invest $250k in this when all I got to do is pick up your packages at $23.00 hr with a great bene package and retirement package and I never had to spend a dime?
All I am saying is that if anyone is thinking about buying this franchise do your homework and get out and talk to other owners and not the ones the salemen send you to.
But then again I guess you already know that.
One other thing anonymous I forgot to say in previous comment is that you truly are an idiot or work for MBE directly. My guess is you work for MBE so lunch is over now you dolt so back to your cubicle and quit bothering us that are trying to help others stay away from this racket and end up losing their life savings.
“Being a previous owner” … aahh, another failure who’s trying to blame others for their mistakes.
“Anonymouse,” you have no knowledge whereof you speak, no dog in this fight, and sound more and more like a UPS apologist with every post. You wanna run your vulgar, ignorant, fat mouth, put your money where it is and buy one of these places, then you can talk. Otherwise, shaddup and grow up, butt-boy. We’re wise to you.
Amen, he’s a total puXXy. No balls and no brains, just a big mouth that kisses a lot of ass. He’s that annoying guy in the stands who has an answer for everything but never played a day in his life. Fkn lacky.
Dave, please explain to me how you feel about your franchise company?
Do you feel that MBE and UPS are doing an acceptable job promoting all our businesses and allowing for store owner profitability? Who benefits most from our forced vendors arrangements and our ad money?
Do you think the FOC contract you signed is restrictive and unconscionable? Is this the business model that you thought it was, and was it presented to you correctly in its entirety? How have conditions changed, and who changed them and why?
Do you think UPS has your back if a drop off package burns down your store or god forbid hurts someone after you accept it? Are you compensated for this huge risk and your ongoing services to UPS?
Are your shipping rates = to what they should be considering our volume and service to UPS? Do other customers get treated better then us? In a predatory manor are we singled out?
Were the old MBE’ers right to mistrust UPS and are the individuals who choose to litigate the only brave, smart owners who fight the hard fight for the rest of the rubber stamp, lemmings?
Do you think you are a valued partner of UPS or a fool with a expensive location to be used and abused as they see fit?
Do they purposely piggy back on your customer service levels with out proper compensation?
Do not sit here and tell any real owner this is a acceptable situation for any of us. If it is for you you must have no standards for a partnership and no point of reference to understand a mutual relationship. How successful would you be it all these things were not working against you in so many ways. I don’t believe anyone who claims that they understand this business and doesnt feel that its a crock of shit set up by corp. con artists. Just well paid ones leeching on our hard work. They are theives and they should pay the consequences.
if Dave grows his STR another 50%,he will be in the same league as most of the litigants. Keep it up Dave!!! (I mean your store)
Hey Mr.Hughes,
It’s Dave (not the store) and his skills & abilities which are the primary reasons for his success, and it’s YOU & LACK of skills n abilities, along with your total reliance on everyone else, as reasons for your failures. Don’t forget that simple point…
As for your STR % theories, well, it’s the internet, you can be whoever you want to be, who are we to wake you up! lol
“Anonymouse,” you have no knowledge whereof you speak, no dog in this fight, and sound more and more like a UPS apologist with every post. You wanna run your vulgar, ignorant, fat mouth, put your money where it is and buy one of these places, then you can talk. Otherwise, shaddup and grow up, butt-boy. We’re wise to you.
Just a reminder of what kind of lowlife “Anony-mouse” is, here are some of his past aliases.
Ace: Happy or Sad | IP: 69.169.147.99 Sep 4, 5:02 PM
Anonymous | IP: 69.169.147.99 Sep 4, 1:00 PM
Anonymous | IP: 69.169.147.99 Sep 4, 7:06 AM
Anonymous | IP: 69.169.147.99 Sep 3, 9:15 PM
Nov 14 | IP: 69.169.147.99 Sep 3, 9:54 AM
Anonymous | IP: 69.169.147.99 Sep 3, 7:30 AM
What a Mess! | IP: 69.169.147.99 Aug 30, 10:46 PM
What a Mess! | IP: 69.169.147.99 Aug 30, 9:43 PM
silence speaks volumes | IP: 69.169.147.99 Aug 30, 9:01 PM
Won’t Be Fooled Again | IP: 69.169.147.99 Aug 28, 6:03 AM
Won’t Be Fooled Again | IP: 69.169.147.99 Aug 28, 6:02 AM
BYE-BYE ACE | IP: 69.169.147.99 Aug 27, 10:30 PM
ACE | IP: 69.169.147.99 Aug 27, 10:14 PM
ACE FOLDS THE HAND | IP: 69.169.147.99 Aug 27, 9:55 PM
ACE | IP: 69.169.147.99 Aug 27, 8:53 PM
Anonymous | IP: 69.169.147.99 Aug 27, 1:29 PM
Anonymous | IP: 69.169.147.99 Aug 27, 10:40 AM
Anonymous | IP: 69.169.147.99 Aug 27, 5:21 AM
Anonymous | IP: 69.169.147.99 Aug 26, 7:28 PM
Anonymous | IP: 69.169.147.99 Aug 26, 5:31 PM
Fooledagain,
I’ll copy the same response our blog moderator provided regarding the IP address, which was the same response as the last four times you brought this issue up.
From the Moderator-
“There is a different Anonymous that hasn’t posted since March. It could be the same person with a different internet connection.
Name: Anonymous | IP: 24.59.33.3
Posted Mar 25, 7:35 PM”
Okay, that was attempt No.5 for fooledagain. While I could care less about who others think I am or the disgruntled few attempts to dodge questions by focusing on IP addresses, etc. How about I do this.
CHRIS (moderator),
Since it’s such a big issue for some here in regards to IP addresses, by any chance are there other instances on this blog where different screen names were issued for the same IP address?? That may help improved some creditability issues for your blog, ie. fooledagain.
Thank you in advance.
No, twit, that wasn’t an “attempt.” That was another reminder, in case there’s the slightest chance anyone’s really reading this whole thing. Well, let’s just think about this. As Chris says,
“It could be the same person with a different internet connection.”
Since the “other” Anonymouse hasn’t posted since March, and you promptly started posting with a different address–but exactly the same blather–even to misspellings, types of profanity, and boot-licking attempts to justify the actions of UPS, while demeaning the franchisees–what do ya suppose the odds are that the “other” Anonymouse is actually the same old fraud and liar as ever–you.
Step right up and place your bets, ladies and gentlement!
What…no takers? Somehow, I’m not surprised.
Thanks for the rants fooledagain, but no one cares expect for you. This is your pathetic attempt to dodge responding to the Fox News disaster against your MBE locations. Getting nervous about more bad press for the upcoming holiday season?
http://www.myfoxny.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail;jsessionid=A277DE9A7164B4639FBF0E1854FFA186?contentId=1755954&version=2&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=1.1.1&sflg=1
As for whether anyone on your disgruntled team here posts under multiple identities, which I don’t really care, I’d like to start that bet. I would like to hear a response from our hopefully non-biased-for-a-minute moderator to prove what is obviously occuring among the disgruntled few.