UPS forecasts holiday surge

United Parcel Service expects to handle 430 million packages globally between Thanksgiving and Christmas and has added flights in China to meet surging export demand. The projected volume for the peak holiday season marks a 7.5% increase over last year.
Retailers surveyed by UPS anticipate holiday sales rising about 3%.
Chief Executive Officer Scott Davis said, "Our customers are cautiously optimistic. It doesn’t sound great, but last year we were flat, and the year before that we were minus 4 percent."
More consumers are buying gifts in the final seven or eight days before Christmas rather than the traditional month in advance. That means UPS won’t know until a few weeks before the holiday whether retailers will need fresh express shipments of electronics.
Manila Bulletin.com.ph reports UPS has about 30 aircraft leased for the holiday season. Exports from Asia jumped 34% in the third quarter.