Ross Stores, Inc. vs United Parcel Service, Inc.: Strategic Comparison
Key Differences at a Glance
| Field | Ross Stores, Inc. | United Parcel Service, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $22.8B | $88.7B |
| Founded | 1982 | 1907 |
| Employees | 111,000 | 460,000 |
| Market Cap | $75.7B | $98.9B |
| Headquarters | United States | United States |
Quick Stats Comparison
| Metric | Ross Stores, Inc. | United Parcel Service, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $22.8B | $88.7B |
| Founded | 1982 | 1907 |
| Headquarters | Dublin, California | Atlanta, Georgia |
| Market Cap | $75.7B | $98.9B |
| Employees | 111,000 | 460,000 |
Ross Stores, Inc. Revenue vs United Parcel Service, Inc. Revenue — Year by Year
| Year | Ross Stores, Inc. | United Parcel Service, Inc. | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $22.8B | $88.7B | United Parcel Service, Inc. |
| 2024 | $21.1B | $91.1B | United Parcel Service, Inc. |
| 2023 | $20.4B | $91.0B | United Parcel Service, Inc. |
Business Model Breakdown
Overview: Ross Stores, Inc. vs United Parcel Service, Inc.
This in-depth comparison examines Ross Stores, Inc. and United Parcel Service, Inc. across revenue, market value, business model, competitive positioning, and long-term growth strategy. Whether you are researching Ross Stores, Inc. on its own, evaluating United Parcel Service, Inc., or weighing the two companies side by side, the breakdown below highlights where each company leads and where the gap between Ross Stores, Inc. and United Parcel Service, Inc. is widest.
On the headline numbers, Ross Stores, Inc. reports annual revenue of $22.8B against $88.7B for United Parcel Service, Inc., while their respective market capitalizations stand at $75.7B and $98.9B. Ross Stores, Inc. is headquartered in United States and United Parcel Service, Inc. operates from United States, and those different home markets shape how each company competes.
Ross Stores, Inc.: Ross Stores is a simple business that is hard to copy at scale. The customer sees a discounted rack. The operating model behind that rack is a buying organization, vendor network, distribution system, real estate playbook, and store labor model built over decades.
United Parcel Service, Inc.: UPS is not simply a delivery company. It is a daily density network: the more packages moving through routes, hubs, aircraft, and delivery stops, the more efficiently each incremental package can be handled.
Business Models: How Ross Stores, Inc. and United Parcel Service, Inc. Make Money
Ross Stores, Inc. and United Parcel Service, Inc. pursue distinct approaches to generating revenue, and understanding how each company operates is the foundation of any fair comparison between Ross Stores, Inc. and United Parcel Service, Inc..
Ross Stores, Inc. business model: Ross makes money by buying brand-name and in-season merchandise at discounts and reselling it through low-friction stores at prices generally 20% to 60% below department and specialty store regular prices at Ross, and 20% to 70% below moderate department and discount store regular prices at dd's DISCOUNTS.
United Parcel Service, Inc. business model: UPS makes money from U.S. domestic package delivery, international package delivery, air and ground shipping, brokerage, contract logistics, healthcare cold chain, freight forwarding, returns, insurance, UPS Store services, and digital logistics offerings.
Competitive Advantage: Ross Stores, Inc. vs United Parcel Service, Inc.
The durability of a company's moat often decides long-term winners. Here is how the competitive advantages of Ross Stores, Inc. stack up against those of United Parcel Service, Inc..
Ross Stores, Inc. competitive advantage: Ross wins through buying scale, vendor relationships, merchant experience, real estate density, low-cost store operations, and customer trust in everyday value. The company reported over 800 merchants across Ross and dd's DISCOUNTS at the end of fiscal 2025.
United Parcel Service, Inc. competitive advantage: UPS's advantage is route density, integrated air-ground operations, trusted service quality, global customs and brokerage capability, package tracking data, enterprise customer relationships, and specialized healthcare logistics infrastructure.
Growth Strategy: Where Ross Stores, Inc. and United Parcel Service, Inc. Are Headed
Future prospects matter as much as current results. The growth strategies below explain how Ross Stores, Inc. and United Parcel Service, Inc. each plan to expand from here.
Ross Stores, Inc. growth strategy: Ross growth depends on opening more stores, expanding Ross and dd's DISCOUNTS into underpenetrated markets, improving merchant productivity, strengthening in-store execution, and using disciplined buybacks and dividends after funding growth.
United Parcel Service, Inc. growth strategy: UPS is emphasizing higher-yield parcels, SMB penetration, healthcare logistics, international package growth, automation, RFID-enabled package visibility, network reconfiguration, and disciplined capital spending.
Financial Picture: Ross Stores, Inc. vs United Parcel Service, Inc.
A closer look at the financial trajectory of Ross Stores, Inc. and United Parcel Service, Inc. rounds out the comparison.
Ross Stores, Inc.: For fiscal 2025, Ross reported total sales of $22.8 billion, up 8% from $21.1 billion in fiscal 2024. Comparable-store sales grew 5%, net income was $2.1 billion, and earnings per share were $6.61. The company also authorized a new two-year $2.55 billion repurchase program for fiscal 2026 and 2027.
United Parcel Service, Inc.: UPS reported USD 88.7 billion in 2025 revenue, USD 7.9 billion in operating profit, and 8.9% operating margin. The company delivered 5.2 billion packages and continued shifting toward higher-yielding volume, healthcare logistics, SMBs, B2B, and international opportunities.
Company-Specific SWOT Notes
Ross Stores, Inc.
Ross wins through buying scale, vendor relationships, merchant experience, real estate density, low-cost store operations, and customer trust in everyday value.
Ross wins by buying opportunistically, keeping store costs low, and training customers to expect branded bargains that change frequently.
The biggest risk is margin pressure from tariffs, wages, freight, shrink, or weaker availability of attractive branded closeout merchandise.
Ross growth depends on opening more stores, expanding Ross and dd's DISCOUNTS into underpenetrated markets, improving merchant productivity, strengthening in-store execution, and using disciplined buybacks and dividends after funding growth.
United Parcel Service, Inc.
UPS's advantage is route density, integrated air-ground operations, trusted service quality, global customs and brokerage capability, package tracking data, enterprise customer relationships, and specialized healthcare logistics infrastructure.
UPS wins when package density, reliable service, and integrated air-ground logistics make it cheaper and safer for customers to use UPS than to stitch together alternatives.
The biggest risk is that falling low-yield volume, labor inflation, or Amazon-related shifts reduce network density faster than UPS can reprice and reconfigure operations.
UPS is emphasizing higher-yield parcels, SMB penetration, healthcare logistics, international package growth, automation, RFID-enabled package visibility, network reconfiguration, and disciplined capital spending.
Head-to-Head Scorecard
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Scale | United Parcel Service, Inc. | United Parcel Service, Inc. reports the larger revenue base ($88.7B), which serves as a core operational scale signal. |
| Profitability Potential | Comparable | Both organizations prioritize market penetration or are at equivalent reporting tiers. |
| Company Age | United Parcel Service, Inc. | Founded in 1982 vs 1907. The earlier pioneer typically commands longer historical institutional legacy. |
| Innovation Moat | United Parcel Service, Inc. | Higher aggregate count of major acquisitions and key R&D releases indicates a more active technology absorption velocity. |
| Scale (Employees) | United Parcel Service, Inc. | A significantly larger reported workforce supports enhanced global distribution capability. |
| Market Cap | United Parcel Service, Inc. | Higher public valuation denotes greater forward-looking investor conviction in earnings potential. |
| Future Outlook | Tied | Strategic auditing assesses that both maintain defensive leadership vectors within their core market clusters. |
Who Wins Each Category?
United Parcel Service, Inc. reports the larger revenue base ($88.7B), which serves as a core operational scale signal.
Both organizations prioritize market penetration or are at equivalent reporting tiers.
Founded in 1982 vs 1907. The earlier pioneer typically commands longer historical institutional legacy.
Higher aggregate count of major acquisitions and key R&D releases indicates a more active technology absorption velocity.
A significantly larger reported workforce supports enhanced global distribution capability.
Who Wins: Ross Stores, Inc. or United Parcel Service, Inc.?
Reviewed by Swet Parvadiya, May 2026 - Author Profile
Our analysts compile business strategy profiles from public financial filings, press releases, and analyst reports. Each profile is reviewed for accuracy before publication by our editorial desk and updated on a rolling basis.
Frequently Asked Questions: Ross Stores, Inc. vs United Parcel Service, Inc.
Is Ross Stores, Inc. better than United Parcel Service, Inc.?
Verdict: Between Ross Stores, Inc. and United Parcel Service, Inc., United Parcel Service, Inc. is the stronger overall option based on higher annual revenue. The decision still depends on which factors matter most for your needs, but on the weight of the evidence above, United Parcel Service, Inc. comes out ahead in this Ross Stores, Inc. vs United Parcel Service, Inc. comparison.
Who earns more — Ross Stores, Inc. or United Parcel Service, Inc.?
United Parcel Service, Inc. earns more with $88.7B in annual revenue versus Ross Stores, Inc.'s $22.8B. United Parcel Service, Inc. leads on total revenue based on latest verified figures.
Which company has higher revenue — Ross Stores, Inc. or United Parcel Service, Inc.?
Ross Stores, Inc. reported $22.8B, while United Parcel Service, Inc. reported $88.7B. The revenue leader is United Parcel Service, Inc. based on latest verified figures.
Ross Stores, Inc. revenue vs United Parcel Service, Inc. revenue — which is higher?
Ross Stores, Inc. revenue: $22.8B. United Parcel Service, Inc. revenue: $22.8B. United Parcel Service, Inc. has the larger revenue base of the two companies.
Sources & References
- SEC EDGAR: Ross Stores, Inc. Annual Filings (10-K, 8-K)
- Ross Stores, Inc. Corporate Website
- Ross Stores, Inc. Annual Report 2025 - Revenue and Financial Data
- sec.gov
- sec.gov
- sec.gov
- investors.rossstores.com
- stockanalysis.com
- SEC EDGAR: United Parcel Service, Inc. Annual Filings (10-K, 8-K)
- United Parcel Service, Inc. Corporate Website
- United Parcel Service, Inc. Annual Report 2025 - Revenue and Financial Data
- sec.gov
- investors.ups.com
- about.ups.com