More consumers are making frequent online purchases of everyday goods from Amazon and other e-commerce sellers with the click of a mouse or the tap of an app, causing massive disruption in retailing.

The direct-to-consumer shipping has led to closures of thousands of brick-and-mortar stores -- and changes in how goods are shipped.

For Sandy Springs-based shipping giant UPS, the volume boost is welcome, but having drivers prowl suburbs and drop packages one at a time is far less efficient.

To combat rising costs from frequent deliveries to millions of doorsteps, UPS is finding ways to create “synthetic density,” by increasing the number of packages delivered per stop.

One example of creating “synthetic density” is the online shopping option to pick up an order at the store. Another example is UPS Access Point locations, which are local stores where neighborhood residents can pick up their UPS packages.

To read more about how UPS’s changes could transform the way consumers order goods online and get their packages, how technology is speeding up shipping and what that means for jobs, get the full story on MyAJC.com.

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Family and friends participated in a processional led by a horse-drawn carriage carrying the remains of Cornelius Taylor from Ebenezer to Atlanta City Hall on Monday, February 3, 2025. Taylor, a homeless man, died during an incident involving city workers clearing a homeless encampment on January 16.
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“Our members cannot be bought off,” General President Sean O’Brien said in a social media statement, calling UPS' offers “illegal and haphazard.” (Hyosub Shin/AJC 2023)

Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC