China Express Company ends the most challenging season of the year

Double 11 boom in the past, Chinese express companies ended the year's most challenging season. Double 11 of the day 180 million parcels, November 11 to 16th 346 million parcels, these figures have doubled. After several years of actual combat, this year, the two-11 express package delivery and transit links a lot smoother, but the "last kilometer" distribution pressure still challenges the express company's limit.

Express delivery for the end of the easy "jam" of the old, various forms of the end of the "accelerator" have been born, some people praise this is a public good, some people say this is business opportunities, but also some people questioned its sustainability. The last mile of the battlefield, the smoke has risen.

Beijing Times reporter Liao Feng

-Dilemma

Express delivery terminal Easy "jam"

"The query shows that the parcel has been sent out for several days, and it has already arrived in Beijing, why haven't you received it?" "Ms. Lin of Beijing bought a pair of shoes in Guizhou, four days after delivery, one day the package is actually in Beijing."

The experience of Ms. Ulin, express Company also very helpless. Trucks into the city layer is blocked, the city traffic jams often occur, and in the Double 11 although courier company for sorting, transshipment center recruit a lot of temporary workers, but more professional terminal delivery courier is extremely short. Express delivery of the "last kilometer" is often the plight of the courier into a "slow pass" the culprit.

According to incomplete statistics, Beijing's major courier logistics companies at all levels of the total number of outlets, over 6,000, due to the end of the network repeat the end of the construction of various operating costs (venues, personnel, energy, communications, etc.) waste as much as 50%. No one in the home or only the elderly, children inconvenient to receive goods, "two delivery" wasted the social resources, the university teachers and students during the day, waiting for the task of sending a person due to urgent leave after the students to reminders ... As the courier logistics industry personnel for the field workers, every major national holidays, express logistics orders surge, it is the sending of a large number of people returning to the time ...

The state Post Office has already recognized the above problems, the end of October to consider the adoption of the "on the promotion of courier terminal Delivery service level guidance", put forward in a variety of forms to enhance the delivery of terminal delivery service level, such as encouraging and guiding the courier enterprises to local conditions and third party to carry out cooperation, To encourage enterprises to explore the use of intelligent express boxes and other services such as equipment.

-Business Opportunities

Multi-party layout "last kilometer"

Express "Last Kilometer" of "jam" is keenly aware of capital, unconsciously, many have begun to layout. Self-mention point, self-service express counters, Third-party collection platform, the end of common distribution ... They all came to the "last mile" acceleration.

1 Self-mention point

Flexible cost reduction

This year, the small two of the private goods shop found that consumers are increasingly favored in the parcel delivery address as a point of reference. In addition to protecting privacy, this year's dual 11 since the point as a courier Terminal Distribution diversion tool, received unprecedented attention.

Rookie network since the mention of some of the cat signed the chain of convenience stores, property companies, community shops and other components, the cat by the number of packages to subsidize, consumers do not have to pay extra. Collection Service category basically covers all the conventional small goods, consumers in the days of the cat, Taobao after the list can be viewed from the point of view of the vicinity of the location, select the goods by SMS notification and password from the package. "The main advantage of the self-mention is mobile, flexible, someone on duty, reduce the cost of courier company Terminal distribution." "The rookie network Director said.

At present, the rookie network in the country 64 cities have 11,000 from the point, the same length of 3 times times, the number of parcels received increased 10 times times year-on-year. This year, the peak number of orders from the point of order appeared in the Double 11 day, up to 310,000, and then fell back to 50,000 to 60,000 daily.

In addition to the Ali Department, Beijing-east, when the electricity business, the Express company is also stepping up the layout from the point. Shun Fung and convenience stores and other Community external resources cooperation earlier, Shen Tong Express chairman Chen Dejun revealed that shentong this year plan to take 30 million yuan to build terminal delivery system.

Express at the end of the company also entered the large real estate property companies profit view. Vanke currently developed hundreds of real estate, nearly tens of millions of people are the backbone of the network shopping, according to the service radius of the courier, you can arrange 2000 to 5,000 service points.

2 Self-Service Express Cabinet

Low utilization rate of subway in CBD

Double 11 days ago, a row with the supermarket self-service storage box similar to the Self-Service express cabinet, in Beijing subway mouth springing up, and Beijing Railway Transportation Assets Management Unit Operating Self-Service Express Ark, is Beijing Pass Hing Park Interconnection Technology Co., Ltd. The plan of the company is that the initial distribution of the Beijing Subway 28 outlets, the year will complete 100 outlets layout.

These self-service cabinets are about 2 meters high, with dozens of different sizes, equipped with real-time surveillance cameras, must use the Courier IC ID and password, or the consumer's express number and take a password to open. Promotion period, the main electric business officials on the Internet also can not see the delivery of a self-service express cabinet, but the consumer online shopping can be actively informed selected from the point.

Chengdu Tri-Thai Electronic Industry Co., Ltd. Development and operation of "Courier Easy" self-service express Cabinet has been resolved the consumer self-service courier problems, courier easy to have a coin, and have a traditional electronic cabinet. "Courier Easy" initially run in Chengdu, set foot in the local boutique community, high-end buildings, with the supervision of Community supervisors, now stationed in Chengdu more than 200 communities. This August, three Thai electronics issued a notice that will invest 60 million yuan in Beijing, Shanghai and other 15 cities to set up subsidiaries, plans for the next 4-5 years in the country to lay 40,000 outlets. The cost of each courier equipment is about 30,000 to 40,000 yuan, and express enterprises to the collection and temporary storage of the partition, the initial consumer free.

It is understood that self-service express cabinets in the university and community acceptance of a higher degree, Beijing, Shanghai, many colleges and universities are already in use. However, the effect in the business district and the subway is not very satisfactory.

Postal Department of the Hunan-mail technology, Shanghai Box Express, Fujian friends and other companies, also in research and development, operating self-service express box, and from the register to expand outside. and Rhyme Tatsu, Yuantong Express Company also through procurement and outsourcing, in the community or schools have Express Company logo intelligent Express box.

3 Third party collecting platform

Collecting and wrapping +O2O experience

As a result of various types of social resources can be developed for the point, and the electricity dealers, courier companies personally layout from the point of exclusion caused by the time consuming power, very little profit. At this time, a number of neither distribution business, the platform of the non-electric business, also does not own any property of the light assets company turned out for the electrical and courier companies to develop and maintain their own points. Cat's strategic partner-Shenzhen Cat House e-Commerce Convenience Service Co., Ltd. is similar to the role.

Cat House Side Docking Express Company resources, while for the electric dealers point community from the point of "Cat House", direct shop in accordance with the standard from the O2O experience shop form to establish, can carry out clothing test wear, consumers can buy goods through the store in the electronic terminal direct purchase of merchandise, the franchise shop is in the convenience store, laundry, nail shop and other community business, based on the state, Provide package collection service. Although the early July this year in Shenzhen before the establishment of the sea, Cat House is currently in Shenzhen layout 15 flagship stores, 692 agents, signed a total of 1081 agent points.

GE, founder of Cat House, said for agents, the company contracted to use the shop 1 to 2 cubic meters of space, according to the collection of parcels to provide a single 8 cents to 8 yuan subsidy, if there are too many goods, or more than two days of goods are not received, Cat House will send people to go and continue to contact the recipient. "For the shop owners, they can get subsidies and increase the flow of people, adding to the icing on the cake." "The current collection subsidy is temporarily provided by the sky Cat."

December 2011 Online receipt of the treasure Net is a "lighter" company. Consumers through the receipt of a treasure site or customer service Phone Select Convenient collection point, the registration package information, after The courier will be delivered parcel delivery collection points, consumers within 7th can take the goods from the collection point password to collect goods. In this process, receive the treasure to provide the information system support, simultaneously expands the line to raise the point. For consumers, receiving the Goods collection service is still free, but for more than 100 yuan package, you need to choose the insured service and pay the collection point.

4 End Common distribution

Favored by schools and high-end communities

"The last kilometer" cannot be all by itself, and there is a distribution part. "Beijing City 100 Logistics Co., Ltd. Executive director Chailin said, some businesses are more valuable goods, I personally sign the inspection, this situation must be door-to-door." For this kind of special requirements, the general courier service and product structure is difficult to meet, at the same time, if there is no one at home, the Courier will have to run back and forth. The city's 110-day frequency of the end of the common distribution for the express company or the construction of the logistics to provide a solution to the problem of the choice, the current Amway, the cat, when, Jingdong, Dream Bazaar and many express companies have become 100 of the city's users.

The city's 100 model has been well managed by schools and high-end neighborhoods that favor at present, its network in Beijing has developed to 170, the form of flexible, according to the regional distribution of the end of the demand, both the area is not less than 50 square meters, no less than 10 staff reserves of standard stores, but also with community supermarkets, Laundry cooperation stores, as well as the only self-service courier Cabinet outlets.

Beijing's many universities, the city 100 by renting school site to set up their own points, the campus 80% Express at the end can be digested by themselves. In the residential area of the network, in addition to their own and terminal distribution, but also has a richer function, such as the provision of fruits, vegetables, fresh and other characteristics of agricultural products, sea product distribution, in addition to providing mobile phone recharge fees, credit card repayment, personal property insurance, ticket booking and so on.

100 of the city's own business outlets to subsidize, the end of door-to-door distribution business to the electricity, express companies charge 1-2 yuan/piece, consumers do not have to pay.

-Analysis

"Last mile" doesn't go well.

The ideal is very plump, the reality is very bone feeling. In order to express the "last kilometer" acceleration of a variety of industries to be profitable, but also face a lot of difficulties-business model is immature, the interests of all parties are difficult to coordinate, policy constraints need to break through ... For the Nuggets, the "last mile" is not a good way to go.

Business model remains to be tested

Last year, the Terminal service business suffered a large loss, relying on other businesses to "subsidize" to not let the overall performance is too bad-this is the Beijing City 100 Logistics Co., Ltd. launched the first year of the true portrayal of the new business.

"Now the company's main source of profit or front-end personalized distribution." "Chailin, the city's 100 executive director, told reporters he expects the end-service business to be profitable for at least 3-5 years," and that the emerging business must be supported by a diversified business. At the same time, express Terminal Services to local conditions, a variety of ways to flexible collocation, rather than blunt replication promotion. ”

And the City 110, "Courier Easy" business is not yet profitable, but the three Thai electronic announcement of the project plan, the stock immediately trading. Minsheng Logistics Co., Ltd. chief economist Shing said, self-service express cabinets such products, in the design, production and sales have no threshold, but dot scale effect, user size, product user stickiness and value-added services are operating must face and solve the core issues. The future can let three Thai electronic profit mode is "express real estate", through the convergence of the development of value-added business. It is understood that the main business of Sanyo Electronics is financial electronic equipment and system software, when "Courier Easy" by courier to attract users, it is easy to the ATM machine and Self-Service Express Ark Formation Association, will be "courier Easy" pick-up and bank card Formation Association, the development of Community self-service financial services, and then cut into the consumption link, Further development of community e-commerce, property value-added services and other value-added services. Of course, these ideas need to be tested in practice.

The game of interest is everywhere

There are express company insiders to reporters blunt, and the city 100 of such end distribution companies, they have a series of concerns: if the end of the distribution company control of the "last kilometer" market, not with its cooperation in the Express Company will not be able to enter the community, difficult to get into the pieces and into a passive When the express company and the end of the distribution company cooperation, the latter will not wanton price increases? The direct embodiment of the courier service quality of the end of the distribution link to the third party, will not affect the company's brand?

In view of these concerns of express companies, the city 100 in the establishment of a few large courier to absorb the shares, forming an alliance of interests, but the end of the distribution link cooperation has also been from the region to join the resistance of the franchisee. "Express companies see we also have front-end distribution business, very worried about our opportunity to look at pieces." Fortunately, after two years of Running-in, many express companies have found the difference between the business, cooperation is relatively smooth. Chailin told reporters.

Cornell (China) vice president of Management consulting company Min Analysis, to the nationwide "last kilometer" market rapid expansion and profitability, express industry I am afraid that only China post and the most advantageous, "state-funded background, perfect dot layout, there are not bad money." "When several express companies in the market developed into an oligopoly, the network cloth point has been quite perfect, the end of the distribution and self-mention business can be single-handedly arranged."

Long way to make a profit

"If there is no other business for the blood transfusion, the single self mentioning business is difficult to see the day of profit." "A courier industry veteran told reporters that if the input and output is not proportional to the current free from the consumer network of the future is likely to charge, and China's network to buy a group of more sensitive to postage," and how many people willing to pay for this extra? ”

Last January, Jingdong Mall's subway since the point of the line operation, but it was suspended in July, because the operating cost of fixed stalls is too high, a set of self-service express cabinets required equipment costs about 50,000 yuan, the latter part of the regular maintenance expenses are also larger. Self-courier cabinets and offline self-mention outlets have economies of scale characteristics, cloth points need a lot of input, the cost of pressure is very large.

Those that have been set up in partnership with cafes, florists, convenience stores, and so on, seem to be able to pay no extra rent, while shopkeepers can earn a service charge, but many of the potential costs remain. For example, some from the point of "overflowing", or a parcel stranded for many days, not only need to be guarded, and the shopkeeper can not arbitrarily collect stranded gold, but also have to call the recipient. These situations have led to a lot of complaints from the shopkeepers that have stopped.

Cat House CEO Ge Frankly, the company is still in the "Burn Money" stage, from the cat's subsidy has not played the role of "hematopoiesis", "when can profit, depending on the degree of O2O (online interaction level) and consumer recognition of the degree of self." "In China," such as express door-to-door is deeply rooted.

Expect more policy details

Solve the Express "last kilometer" problem has been supported by policy. Since last August, the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Finance have selected more than 20 cities to develop common distribution pilot projects in the area of service for residents, and the central government has been arranging funds for this year.

However, more operational aspects of the details are still brewing. For example, on the standard of self-service courier cabinets, the state Post Office policy and Regulation Department said that the current is still under discussion. October 9, the National Postal Standardization Technical Committee to review the adoption of the "Intelligent Express box industry standards", but when announced, the relevant departments have many concerns. A post office insider told reporters that the current market of self-service express Cabinet standards are different, the standard once issued, it means that sales, operation of the market has a number of products will be eliminated. In addition, who can operate, how to operate self-service express cabinets, but also involves a lot of interest relations.

There are people in the industry pointed out that the existence of the express point for the electricity business and consumers to deal with the process of adding a link, "for example, the provision of self parcel services and face-to-face inspection of the provisions will create contradictions." In the event of damage, the consumer's advocacy process will be more complex. ”