UPS has reportedly told drivers across the country to stop picking up packages from six retailers, including Nike, as the carrier attempts to keep up with a record-breaking online shopping season amid the pandemic, according to an internal message obtained by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ).
The other retailers cited were Gap, Macy’s, L.L. Bean, Hot Topic, and Newegg. The message was confirmed by various UPS workers in different regions around the country.
The move comes amid rising demand for delivery companies’ services with lockdown orders and other coronavirus restrictions limiting the number of people shopping in person. Experts in the industry told the WSJ that they expected such restrictions to be imposed if retailers exceeded their allowances for packages.
UPS and FedEx have recently raised prices and promised to hold merchants to volume agreements.
A Nike spokeswoman told the WSJ that the company expects “the majority of these orders to meet estimated delivery dates and are communicating with consumers any changes in delivery.”
An L.L. Bean spokeswoman told the newspaper that while there have been delays for pickups at a few of its stores, UPS is “actively picking up packages from our warehouse facility and our retail locations daily.”
Photo courtesy UPS
