‘Tis the season for holiday shopping, travel preparations, cooking, baking, decorating and more. However, all is calm and all is bright because The UPS Store is giving consumers a few less things to worry about during the busiest time of year.

Whether it’s a new pair of skis for a cousin on the east coast, Grandma’s secret recipe cookies shipped to the west coast or fragile holiday snow globes for every friend on the list, with approximately 5,000 locations across North America, The UPS Store is a convenient one-stop shop to handle all holiday pack and ship needs. Equipped with certified packing experts, The UPS Store can help ensure gifts, large or small, arrive intact and on time.

“At The UPS Store, we’re here to help customers send holiday cheer, whatever the distance between you and your loved ones,” said Judy Milner, vice president of franchisee operations at The UPS Store. “When you can’t hand-deliver your gifts to friends and family, hand deliver them to us and our certified packing experts* will take care of the rest. This season, as you’re checking that to-do list twice, we’ll make your holidays easier by taking special care of all your packed and shipped presents.”

Here are five ways The UPS Store can help gift senders this season.

• Pack and Ship Tips

  If you plan on packing your own gifts before shipping, The UPS Store recommends you take batteries out of items before shipping, and use at least two inches of packaging material on each side of the item. Use a new, sturdy box with secure corners to provide protection, and use packing tape on all package seams. Avoid string and wrapping paper on the outside of packages, and avoid packing with masking, cellophane or duct tape. Lastly, make sure the sender’s and recipient’s addresses are visible both inside and outside of the package.

• The UPS Store Certified Packing Experts

  Should you choose to delegate your holiday packing to The UPS Store, know that many of our associates are professionals trained in packing techniques. They can identify which method works best for each gift – whether it’s insulating home-made holiday treats, keeping fragile items in one piece or finding the right way to package unusually-shaped gifts like guitars. Our packing experts work to ensure that packages arrive exactly as you intend them to: intact and ready to bring holiday cheer.

• Pack and Ship Guarantee

  With The UPS Store exclusive Pack & Ship Guarantee+, customers can enjoy peace of mind knowing their gifts were shipped at The UPS Store. If an item is lost or damaged during delivery, customers will be reimbursed for the item’s value, the cost of packing materials, service and shipping.

• Package Security/Secure Delivery Locations

  The holidays are filled with hustle and bustle, and we know you won’t always be home to accept packages. With a secure mailbox at The UPS Store, customers can have all packages shipped to one secure location. Whether ordering online or expecting a gift from Santa, The UPS Store will keep packages safe until you’re ready to pick them up. And if your schedule changes abruptly, customers can make easy delivery changes by rerouting packages to the closest The UPS Store. Some locations may even send a text or email when a package is ready for pick-up.

• Shipping Deadlines

  The UPS Store wants to make sure your gifts arrive ahead of Santa Claus pulling into town, so mark the calendar with these shipping deadlines for delivery before Christmas.

• For domestic delivery on Friday, December 22, ship packages via:

  • UPS 3 Day Select by Dec 18

  • UPS 2nd Day Air by Dec. 20

  • UPS Next Day Air by Dec. 21

• Saturday delivery for December 23rd is also an option, but incurs an additional delivery charge