OGDENSBURG, New York (WWNY) – For almost two decades, the UPS store in Ogdensburg has been the go-to store for Canadian citizens that had items shipped there.
“When I bought the store back in 2003, I saw that there was a need for customers who couldn’t get stuff shipped from the states over to Canada, so we basically started catering to that clientele, that they would need a service where they could have stuff shipped and then come down and pick it up,” said UPS Store Owner Michael Lira.
But during the COVID-19 pandemic with the border closed, business began to suffer.
Even for Canadian customers like Jim Lee, many were not able to get the shipments that were vital to their own businesses.
”Well, there was a tremendous impact because a lot of our goods are not shippable because they are flammable materials; like we’re picking up today paint, and for example, some paint thinner. They don’t want to ship that stuff across the border because of the implications for hazards,” said Lee.
Just how reliant was the store for Canadian customers?
While UPS is an international store, some companies just can’t ship to Canada. This can be a bit tricky for Canadian customers. So, of more than 300 mailboxes at the Ogdensburg UPS Store, about 95% belong to Canadian customers. Some driving more than 6 hours from Nova Scotia to Ogdensburg to pick up their packages.
Now with the border open again, the store is once again getting customers back and putting packages into the hands of their most loyal customers.
“As the confidence grows in the fact that the border won’t close again, the customers come back more and more and they’re feeling more comfortable,” said Lira.
A comfort that goes beyond borders for the quality of service and safely delivered packages.
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