With just 26 days between Thanksgiving and Christmas, count on Fairview Park’s The UPS Store to make sure your good wishes are delivered on time
By Patricia Nugent
Santa might have a workshop full of elves and eight magic reindeer to deliver his precious cargo around the world, but at The UPS Store in Fairview Park, you have all that and much more at your disposal.
“We’ve already extended our store hours—with longer days and Sunday hours—and have beefed up supplies and staffing,” says store owner Kim Myers. “This is our favorite time of year. We’re ready for the crush. It’s go time.”
Rounding out Kim’s merry team are Michaela Ferrara, Collin Lowry and Sherry Lucas.
Kim reports that her family-owned and operated store can take your holiday stress away by doing all the packing and shipping for safe delivery. They can also make traveling easier.
“This time of year, with many folks hitting the roads and airways, we have lots of customers who have us ship their luggage directly to their destination,” she says. “With the airlines charging more for bags now, it doesn’t cost that much more. And it makes trekking through the airport a breeze.”
Other popular items to ship for travel include golf clubs, skiing equipment and surfboards to their vacation destination.
Protect Yourself from Porch Pirates
With more and more people buying their goods online, the incidence of “porch pirates” has increased, especially around the holidays. It’s estimated that one in four people has had packages stolen from their front porch.
Kim reports that UPS is taking a proactive approach.
“Rather than having expensive online packages sitting on your doorstep when you’re not at home, let The UPS Store receive them for you,” Kim suggests. “It’s easy. You just go online and have packages rerouted here for a small fee. We’ll notify you via email or text when you have a package waiting here.”
Not only does it take worries about porch pirates off the table, it also ensures your packages won’t suffer the effects of snow, sleet, rain or wind.
Getting What You Pay For
“One of our customers packed his grandchildren’s Christmas gifts himself and shipped them. The precious gifts were ruined because the box sat in the rain all day on his daughter’s front porch, and the colors ran together on the clothing,” she says.
“It wouldn’t have happened if he had let us do the packing. Every item we package is put into a poly bag, surrounded by air pillows and shipped in a crush-weight box.”
Rounding Out the Extra Services
Beyond just packing and shipping, Kim and company do everything from printing (get your holiday cards here) to packing, faxing, scanning, shredding, laminating, notarizing, consulting and designing everything you might need.
“Another popular service we offer is private mailboxes,” she adds.
“For people running small businesses and working from home, or travelers and snow birds who seek privacy and a street address, this is the perfect solution. We accept packages from all shipping carriers, e-mail or text receipt notifications, and there’s 24-hour access to the boxes.”
When it’s Return Season
The day after Christmas starts the season of returning. The UPS Store has you covered there, too.
“With the new Amazon 360 program, we consolidate all Amazon returns,” says Kim. “You just drop them off at The UPS Store in Fairview Park and we do the rest.”
The UPS Store is located within the Fairview Shopping Center at 21887 Lorain Road in Fairview Park. Extended holiday hours are Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.; Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 4:00 p.m. Call 440-333-4877 or email Store5508@theupsstore.com to schedule special shipping arrangements or to find out more about their services. Visit Locations.TheUPSstore.com for more general information.