UPS rebrands Kiala parcel shops in Belgium

Parcel delivery giant UPS is rebranding its Belgian parcel shops as UPS Access Points. About 900 retail-based parcel collection and drop-off points in Belgium and Luxembourg were acquired by UPS in February 2012, as part of the Kiala network, which already had parcel shops in the Benelux region, France and Spain.

Since then UPS launched UPS Access Points in Britain and Germany, and began rebranding its Kiala network in Spain as UPS Access Points last year.

The company said on Friday it now has UPS Access Point or Kiala outlets in more than 13,000 locations in nine European markets — Belgium, Luxembourg France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands and the UK.

It also has UPS Access Points outside Europe, in Mexico, Canada and the United States. Plans are to expand the global network to 20,000 locations by the end of this year.

UPS said the completion of rebranding the Kiala network is on track for 2016.

My Choice

Along with the rebranding in Belgium, UPS has launched its UPS My Choice service, which allows consumers to manage their parcel deliveries — either having items delivered to a new address or a UPS Access Point, or schedule a delivery for another time.

The service also allows packages to be held during a vacation period.

UPS said it was responding to consumer demand for more convenient package delivery, but added that its services also helped reduce the environmental impacts of parcel delivery, by reducing failed delivery.

Karl Haberkorn, managing director UPS Belgium and Luxemburg, said: “These additional services address the results of our 2014 Pulse of the Online Shopper survey in which consumers indicated they want more control over when and where their purchases are delivered, and a convenient returns process.

“Additionally, it contributes to our sustainability efforts by reducing the number of return trips a driver needs to make to an address, which lowers carbon emissions.”