UPS is launching a self-storage service allowing customers to have packed bins picked up and delivered to a UPS facility for storage.
UPS launched Storage on Demand after a team of four UPS employees pitched the idea at a company innovation competition and brought it to market in nine months.
The service is available in greater metro Atlanta including Roswell, Marietta, Alpharetta and Sandy Springs, according to the company, which says it plans to expand to other U.S. cities "in the near future."
"Millennials are moving into small homes in crowded urban areas. Baby boomers are downsizing for retirement," said UPS strategy and innovation manager Darren Kamensek, a co-founder of Storage on Demand.
The pitch from UPS is that people could use the service to store holiday decorations or clear space in a spare room, garage or closet; college students could use the service to store belongings over the summer and small businesses could use it store inventory or records.
Storage on Demand will allow customers to request the "valet storage" service through a mobile-friendly website, according to UPS. Then, customers can use the website to request same-day delivery of the stored items to their front door.
According to UPS, prices start at $5 per month and Storage on Demand is offering a promotion for the first three months free.
In launching the business, UPS cited statistics from SpareFoot Inc. indicating self-storage is a $38 billion industry growing at a rate of 7.7% annually.
The service will also make use of available space in UPS facilities.
