Shopify integrates with UPS in advance of holiday shopping season

Cloud-based e-commerce platform Shopify has integrated the rates and service offerings of parcel delivery company and logistics provider UPS in preparation for the upcoming holiday season.    UPS and Shopify Inc. have launched a platform integration that give small U.S. businesses access to UPS’s competitive, pre-negotiated domestic and international rates that save on list prices, along with a streamlined shipping and fulfillment solution, UPS said in a statement.
   UPS services and solutions are now integrated into the Shopify’s cloud-based, multi-channel commerce platform for small business to utilize. Current services include UPS 2nd Day Air and UPS Ground as well as tracking and billing. 
   “By embedding UPS natively into Shopify’s platform, merchants will get the breadth and reliability of UPS’s services to more than 220 countries and territories, while easily managing all aspects of shipping and fulfillment in one place,” said Jerome Roberts, UPS’s vice president of global product innovation. “Shopify merchants now have access to UPS’s industry-leading tools and can provide the same high quality services as large ecommerce companies.”
   Additionally, UPS has set up a dedicated support line for Shopify merchants to receive free consultations and shipping advice, as many are preparing for Black Friday/Cyber Monday. The hotline number is 1-833-232-6946 and will be available 24/7 through the end of November, said UPS.
   “UPS and Shopify believe entrepreneurship should be accessible to everyone, and we share a unique passion to empower small businesses who form the backbone of the global economy,” said Maia Benson, head of global shipping and fulfillment at Shopify. “Working with UPS helps level the playing field for small businesses to compete against larger brands with guaranteed delivery times and competitive rates previously unavailable to many small- and medium-sized merchants.”
   Future Shopify Shipping enhancements may include savings on pickups, the ability to ship to 8,800 UPS Access Point® locations, UPS My Choice service for customers to personalize delivery times and locations, simplified online solutions for returns, and other elements of UPS’s suite of ecommerce solutions, UPS said.