Keeping packages safe over the holidays

MARQUETTE COUNTY — With the holidays around the corner it’s a good idea to start sending gifts to family and friends across the nation. It’s also good to set up tracking for any packages that may have very valuable items in them. More U.S. consumers are shopping online than ever before. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, e-commerce sales grew nine times faster than traditional in-store sales between 1998 and 2017, and that rate of growth continues. This increase in package deliveries can create a large problem of theft.

Many people associate porch theft with the holiday season, but the reality is it happens year-round. Porch piracy certainly spikes when more packages are delivered in the end-of-year rush, but the threat is present whenever packages are waiting alone on your front porch. UPS does have tips to help stop packages from going missing and to also make sure they arrive safely.

“This time of year it doesn’t hurt to get that tracking number and give it to the recipient,” said Susie Lynch, Co-Owner of UPS in Marquette. “This is so they can be watching for the package. So if you are concerned about the area that they live in you can require a signature, so that it is not just left out by their doorstep. It also never hurts to put another address label inside the package. This is just in case something happens outside on the shipping label, so that they can still find out where that package is going to go in a timely manner.”

To learn more about package theft visit: Package Theft Statistics: 2024 Report – Chamber Of Commerce