Cainiao Network, (Cainiao), the logistics arm of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, announced additional initiatives to support the expected surge in logistics demand ahead of the "Double 11", one of the biggest online shopping events in the world.
Cainiao said this "Double 11," it has secured 3,000 flights and will be tapping into its overseas distribution centres, and overseas warehouses in over 30 countries and regions to support merchants' pre-stocking needs and improve the overall experience for its 1.3 billion consumers globally.
Most notably, Cainiao has announced six export logistics guarantees to support Chinese exports, namely: priority export warehouses where merchants opting to use Cainiao's priority export warehouses will be able to enjoy shipping guarantees in over 20 countries and regions, and compensation for delayed deliveries; first-mile pick-up and smart order consolidation which has reduced shipping time by 17%; expedited digital customs clearance as Cainiao partnered with over 60 customs clearance facilities globally, and an international line-haul network as it reinforced its international logistics network and secured various freight routes spanning air, sea, rail and land to safeguard cross-border shipping stability.
More flights, expanded warehouses
The Chinese logistics company said as of last week, Cainiao's priority export warehouses in China saw a 300% increase in pre-stocked goods compared to last year, while goods pre-stocked in the Middle East and Latin America grew by over 200% year-on-year.
Together with Alibaba's eCommerce platform AliExpress, Cainiao noted that its priority export warehouses span nearly 100,000 sqm, servicing Chinese cities such as Guangdong, Zhejiang and Shandong.
Meanwhile, this year, Cainiao also launched its Huanan warehouse to leverage automation processes for parcel handling, and sorting, as well as smart allocation of air shipping slots which will improve operational efficiencies by over 30%.
Cainiao has also launched a dedicated air freight route to Singapore and Malaysia to support the export of Tmall fashion products manufactured in China's industrial belt, improving delivery timeliness by 40%.
"This is estimated to bolster the export of over 240 million fashion products to the Southeast Asian region. Furthermore, consumers in Singapore and Malaysia will benefit from up to 50% savings in shipping fees, with deliveries in as fast as five working days," the Hangzhou-headquartered logistics firm added.
Ahead of the "Double 11" shopping event, Cainiao has also bolstered its overseas distribution centres in the United States, Chile, Poland and Brazil — enhancing last-mile delivery timeliness by 15%.
With regard to last-mile delivery, Cainiao has established over 1,000 lockers in France, Poland and Spain.
In 2021, the Alibaba Group reported a "new high" of US$74.1 billion in gross merchandise sales for the November 11 "Singles Day," surpassing 2020's performance.
Last year, Cainiao, also used e-shipping labels to replace traditional paper sheets for over 1.2 billion parcels, while 15 million parcels shipped from its warehouses were delivered in their original boxes or using biodegradable, plastic-free packaging.
