UPS recently announced that it is expanding its shipping operations to include spirits, wine and beer to consumers in 39 wine importing countries and nine spirit importing countries throughout North America, Asia, and Europe.
UPS’ expansion will cover 23 countries throughout Europe, the current market leader in terms of wine consumption and production, and includes the primary markets of Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
The expansion will also include a number of emerging markets throughout Asia Pacific, including China, Hong Kong, Japan, Macau, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand.
Driven by a fast-growing middle class and a demand for premium alcohol products, China is expected to surpass the United States as the world’s third largest wine importer by 2020. In 2016 alone, the country imported approximately $890 million worth of spirits from global retailers and distributors.
UPS said its expansion will also include Mexico, Argentina and the Dominican Republic. Mexico in particular has seen a considerable increase in its alcohol consumption market since 2007, growing by approximately 40 percent in that time.
Further, the expansion will allow UPS to deliver alcohol shipments to five Canadian provinces covering approximately 95 percent of all alcohol imports.
“It was hard telling our international visitors they couldn’t have our wine because we couldn’t get it to them,” Taylor De La Rosa, hospitality and logistics manager for the California-based wine manufacturer Boeger, said. “We are always looking for ways to expand globally and have our wines on tables around the world.”
Depending on the destination, the company said shipments to international customers can arrive within three days time.