It may not exactly seem like your routine errands are the backbone of modern civilization.
And for the most part, that is a bit of an exaggeration.
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It’s not like your weekly trip to Publix or Walgreens is holding up society like some kind of house of cards, and if you miss a week, it will all come crumbling down.
But every one of us does our part.
And that means our weekly runs to the grocery store, drugstore, dry cleaners, restaurant, or gas station do have an impact on both the local and broader economy.
Which is part of the reason consumer spending matters.
It’s also why many economists bellyache over prices; a small percentage point up or down can have outsized impact on how the average consumer approaches shopping.
Take eggs, for instance.
As prices steadily climbed and supply dwindled over the past several months, some customers hoarded eggs for fear of a shortage.
In turn, many supermarkets sold out of eggs entirely or put a limit on how many cases per customer were permitted for purchase. And prices continued to climb.
It’s a small way to represent just how much consumer spending matters — even if a lot of those changes take place in the margins.
UPS is closing more stores soon.
Image source: Shutterstock
Consumer spending habits have changed
Of course, changes in customer behavior goes both ways.
In some cases, increased popularity and spending spike prices, squeezing supply.
But in many cases, especially recently, a decrease in interest or shifts in routine have turned prices (and profits) ever-downward.
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This is what has happened on many Main Streets across the U.S.
As more of us shop online for our everyday needs, small mom-and-pop shops that cater to niche specialties — like carpets, auto parts, upholstery, crafts, or party supplies — suffer.
Profits get smaller, and many stores have had to make the difficult decision to either scale down operations significantly to make ends meet — or shut down entirely.
UPS makes a hard decision
And sometimes, it’s not just mom-and-pop shops that suffer.
UPS (UPS) , a juggernaut in the U.S. shipping and fulfillment space, has weathered many changes over the past several years.
The company used to work hand-in-glove with Amazon to get packages to their final destinations, but it has agreed to reduce its partnership and cut shipments by about 50% by mid-2026.
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It’s also in the midst of modernizing its operations; it plans to close about 200 facilities around the U.S. by 2028, and intends to cut up to 20,000 jobs by the end of 2025.
And now, UPS is closing three stores owned by one franchise in Pennsylvania.
The UPS stores are located in:
62 Dallas Shopping Center, Dallas, Penn.1330 Main St., Dickson City, Penn.1114 Texas Palmyra Highway, Honesdale, Penn.
A spokesperson said the closures are not related to the broader restructuring efforts.
Rather, franchisee Dave McQueen said he was unable to sell his UPS stores and would be shuttering them in the next several weeks.
A UPS store spokesperson added that the closures are “due to the expiration of the franchise agreements, and the franchisee has elected not to renew.”
