a The Bear Essentials Of Holiday Shipping (NAPSA)—Twice a_ year, Christie’s auction house holds an auction devoted to adult collectors of vintage teddy bears. A few years ago, a bear fetched nearly 100,000 British pounds. For those with a little less cash this holiday season, there are morerealistic ways to buy a teddy bear as a gift for a child or someone young at heart. One retailer of adorable plush bears and collectibles is The Boyds Collection, Ltd., which ships bears all around the world for the holidays. One of Boyds’ largest markets is Canada. Consumers there buy the bears and figurines at gift shops, through online retailers or television retailer QVC. Getting the bears to these outlets quickly is essential for the holidays, as consumer demand climbs andretail outlets need to have up-to-date inventory. “Collectors who can’t find their bears at one store always can go to another,” explains Joe Macharsky, chieffinancial officer for Boyds. Bear-iers to Going Global Just one thing stands between Boyds andits international retail customers: the complicated logistics of international shipping. Required customs documentation can be confusing and onerous. Goods can be held in customsif paperworkisn’t filled out correctly and the right duties aren’t paid. Transportation logistics can be costly and complex, especially since Boyds’ orders are destined for hundreds ofdifferent stores. UPS came up with a solution that works just right. UPS— which will deliver more than 340 million packages globally this holiday season—consolidates multiple retailer shipments and clears them all at once when they cross the Canadian border. By choosing the UPS World Easeservice, Boyds not only streamlines and P Ge ei As BEAR HUGS—They’ll be lots of bear hugs this year thanks to easy shipping. simplifies cross-border shipping, but also integrates UPS shipping automation with its existing technology systems. BrownIsn’t Just for Bears Here’s how it works: At Boyds’ distribution center in Pennsylvania, Boyds puts all the collectibles for one store into a box with a special barcode and loads it onto a UPStrailer with other Boyds’ boxes headed to Canadian retailers. This way, Boyds’ products quickly clear customs together and get to their destinations faster. Electronic customs information about the consolidated shipment can be transmitted ahead of time, so shipments are pre-cleared. Once in Canada, UPS separates the shipment into individual orders bound for multiple destinations across the country. UPS WorldShip software is integrated with Boyds’ software/fulfillment systems so Boyds’ staff always can track downits bears. With on-time, reliable and affordable delivery, Boyds has the bear necessities for international commerce.
