University of Arkansas only campus nationwide with UPS package locker

A UPS package locker at the University of Arkansas offers 24-hour access for package pickup and serves as a teaching tool for students and faculty in the supply chain management department of the Sam M. Walton College of Business.

The UA is the first location in Arkansas and only university campus nationwide with a UPS Access Point locker, said John Kent, director of the Supply Chain Management Research Center.

As one of the more than 300 lockers in 35 states, it’s part of the carrier’s Access Point network, which includes over 8,500 locations in the United States, said Kalin Robinson, director of new product development for UPS. “We are always evaluating new opportunities, and this is a chance to do just that.”

This past spring, the locker was installed along the street at the southeast corner of the student union. This fall, groups of students in the retail supply chain management class have studied its use, and UPS has provided shipment numbers for the students to track. “This specific locker is a strong performer,” Robinson said.

UPS allows customers to “select when and where they get deliveries,” and with UPS My Choice, customers “can reschedule or reroute package to other locations,” including the locker. “More than half of shoppers (52%) are interested in using alternate delivery locations to receive their packages at locations with extended hours,” according to the UPS Pulse of the Online Shopper study.

The locker provides added convenience and security for customers to receive their packages, Kent said. UA students who live on campus might direct their shipments to the locker instead of having it shipped to their dorm, and students could pick up their package at any time. Customers can pick up a package at the locker using its touchscreen kiosk and entering an authorization code from their smartphone app, and the locker door will open automatically.