Sunrise industry from the grassroots: the present situation and prospect of express delivery

Recently, a number of experts accepted the "Economic reference newspaper" reporter's interview, have said that "the next 5 years is the key period of the development of domestic express industry, is the adjustment structure, up the steps, or be squeezed to the next step or even completely out, the survival of the enterprise to see this crucial years." ”

It is noteworthy that the development of modern express industry and even the economic development of various regions of the world inseparable, in the last century 50-60 years of North America, Europe's economic recovery led to the gradual formation of modern express industry; After the 70 's, the Japanese economy began to become the world's leading, Japan's several close to the collapse of the traditional companies in succession to imitate the West, transformed into a company operating express, and the introduction of services in line with Japan's characteristics, so that the Japanese express service industry surpasses; into the 80 's, the rise of Asia's dragons, the world's major courier companies have to beat, so that Taiwan and Singapore Express industry from scratch, in the late 20th century, become a major courier company's main sourcing center; Since China's reform and opening-up, China's economic development has made the express industry surging in China, the express industry's annual growth rate is much higher than the same year's GDP growth rate .

And since May 1, the "Express Service" series of national standards officially implemented. An "errand" industry has a national standard, not to be surprised by people. In just a few years, from the "grassroots" growth of the express has been developed into annual income of more than 75 billion yuan, the number of practitioners more than 700,000 people, an annual increase of more than 30% of the "Sunrise industry." But on the other hand, the express industry is "barbaric growth", the site promotion brings "indigestion", high service complaints, the cost of the survival under the pressure, the security risk of taking the process ... All sorts of problems also make the industry face development bottleneck. Express delivery is already facing the key to transformation and upgrade.

From the "grassroots" out of the sunrise industry

Zhejiang Tonglu people Chen Dejun once rode bicycles in the streets of Hangzhou to send express; After that, to Shanghai, 5 o'clock every day to get up, to the train station to receive goods, and then send out a piece. A map of Shanghai in hand is broken and replaced, and more and more people are running errands. Until 1993, he set up his express company in Shanghai. And so far, this is called Shentong Express Enterprise Network has a total of about 100,000 employees, daily business volume reached 2 million or 3 million votes, annual turnover of nearly tens of billions of dollars, a huge express network has covered the whole country. Shentong Express is the growth of the Express industry "grassroots story" of the typical version.

According to the National Post Office of the Express Industry survey results, starting from 2006, the output value of the annual growth rate of about 30%. Among them, 2006 national scale above the express enterprise altogether handles 1.06 billion pieces of business, realizes the income nearly 30 billion yuan. By 2011 business volume amounted to 3.65 billion, realize income 75 billion yuan.

Qiang, director of the Express market supervision Office of Shaanxi Provincial Postal Administration, said that in recent years, the development of the express industry policy environment is better, on the one hand, the state to encourage the development of services; On the other hand, the 2009 postal Law revised the first time to give private express legal status, promote the private capital

At the same time, the emergence of E-commerce is also the rapid development of express industry is an important reason, the resulting net purchase goods door-to-door demand also greatly promote the development of the express industry.

China's express industry in a relatively short period of time to grow the fastest growth, the development potential of the largest emerging services industry, the market size ranked the third place in the world. According to the data from the state post office, more than 6,800 enterprises in our country have obtained express business license in accordance with the law, and 5 of the world's top 500 enterprises have entered the Chinese express market for investment and development and participation in competition. Express business management capabilities and technical equipment level significantly improved, express network from the east to the west, the city to the suburbs of rapid expansion, business outlets reached 64,000, courier practitioners have more than 700,000.

Despite the head of the Sunrise industry aura, the express business in recent years, complaints have been high. Take 2011 years as an example, "express service" by the National Association for Consumer Complaints, one of the six types of hot spots, only the postal system last year to accept the consumer express complaint reached 88,396, an increase of 232%. Express delay, loss of damage, claims difficulties and other issues, has become a courier service of several major "disease."

Contraband into express channels

In recent years, with the rapid development of express industry, criminals use express channels to transport prohibited items increased. "Economic reference newspaper," the investigation found that the illegal goods into the express channel is due to the security process there are many loopholes, buried a security risk.

Loophole one: The inspection system implementation is lax, contraband according to receive not mistake. According to the "Postal law", express enterprises in the receipt of express mail should be inspected on the spot, the user refused to inspect, should not receive mail. However, the inspection system has not been effectively implemented. The reporter in Shenzhen huaqiang north sang da mansion randomly inquired about a number of electronic products in the building counter, many shopkeepers said courier to pick pieces when "generally is directly taken away." Yangjiangquan, chief executive officer of China Tong Express Service Co., Ltd. said, "In actual operation, there must be no open box inspection." For example, Taobao pieces, ten thousand or twenty thousand votes a day, do not have to do every piece of inspection. Too much time and no more hands. ”

Loophole two: lack of inspection means and limited ability to identify. Xu, deputy director of the market Supervision Department of the Guangdong Postal Administration, which handled the radioactive shipments, said that different dangerous items were detected differently, and some needed to be identified with instruments such as radioactive materials. In addition, there are many products, the naked eye is difficult to distinguish whether it is contraband. Lian Hao Tong Express Co., Ltd. General manager Tang Kun said, "powder-like prohibited items are difficult to find, such as drugs." There are also some CD-ROM items, which contain obscene, anti-party anti-government content, the naked eye can not distinguish. ”

Loophole Three: Inspection of the provisions of the unclear, the dismantling of the implementation of difficulties. FedEx Government affairs manager Ningning said that if the intention to use express delivery of contraband, then the sender will be in disguise for contraband, or put it in other items. However, the current system of inspection does not stipulate the extent to which it can be inspected and whether the items can be dismantled in a non-destructive way. Reporter observation found that some courier although in the collection link to implement the inspection system, but also "hastily ended." A package with a number of electronic courier, Courier just opened a glance, did not open each of the Electronic product box check whether the inside part is indeed electronic products. Reporter forward to inquire, the Courier said: "Check too thin, customers will not happy." ”

Loophole four: Excessive reliance on the inspection system, the rest of the link is ineffective. The reporter learned that at present, in addition to aviation parts in accordance with the requirements of the airport, must be on the plane before the X-ray machine for security, off-site transportation and the same city parts of the security check strength is obviously inadequate. The reporter visited the House urgent send, in Qualcomm, Shun Fung, Hao Tong, such as express business outlets, sorting field or transit field, found that the scene is not only the lack of corresponding security equipment, but also very weak sampling strength. In order to pass express Dongguan Transit field for example, at noon, express volume is not large, but in the relay sorting link, two goods Vehicle Express, no one was opened for inspection. This situation also occurred in Shun Fung Courier, according to Shun Fung Express Shenzhen District, the manager of the Zhu Liquan, "The day is a large sampling rate of time", but the reporter stayed a few hours, but did not see someone sampling express.

Profit-making space shrinks every year

High-speed development, the express industry's profit space in fact, shrinking every year. National Postal Service Development Research Center policy and Law Research Department deputy Director Xiaoming introduced, statistics show that 2008, the domestic express average price of 27.04 yuan, to 2011 is reduced to 20.65 yuan. Statistics also show that 2005, the express industry profit margin of up to 30% or more, and to 2011, the average profit rate is only 5% to 8%. Zhongqing Express Industry Association president Ma Binsheng said last year, Chongqing City Express, the average price of private courier is 7.71 yuan, basically can only maintain survival, there is no energy and strength to engage in network construction, improve service quality.

In recent years, online sales of promotional activities to create new highs, every day in each unit, office buildings are always in front of a variety of courier and network shopping distribution staff busy figure. By the end of last year, China's online shopping turnover had reached 784.93 billion yuan, a 66% increase from 2010, far exceeding the real growth rate of 11.6% in China's social consumer goods retail sales, according to IDC, the research Information Agency. However, the electronic commerce of this rapid progress, to the weak foundation of the express company brought heavy pressure.

Xi ' an City Union Express Co., Ltd. General manager Zhan said that the speed of the rapid development of the company's growth rate is far from the booming demand for express. "Why do some express enterprise service is very poor but still live very well?" The key is that Express is a seller's market. He said that before the arrival of several peaks last year, some express companies even restricted some customers, such as more than 30 kilograms of goods do not pick up, then more than 15 kg of goods are not connected, because the volume of business has been saturated.

Shanghai Postal Administration director Li Huide said: "Now the express industry is facing a major problem is that the industrial development lag, can not meet the rapid expansion of market demand, enterprises can not digest." Secondly, cost growth erodes profits and "bigger and stronger" faces difficulties. Yuantong Minhang Seven Treasure branch manager Fang said: "From last October, the company rented the venue annual rent from 180,000 yuan rose to 280,000 yuan, the daily vehicle oil money than the previous two years doubled, the staff canteen rice, vegetables and other prices have increased by more than one times." Do not say to do large-scale, is at hand this more than 20 courier can stay, is a problem. "Chongqing Timely delivery company responsible Feng Rui said, courier monthly wages accounted for the total cost of 85%," Now express enterprises generally have ' labor shortage ', people recruit over the mobility is also very large, can insist on doing 5 months even if the long, mainly this business is too hard, and the company to add too much wages and difficult. " ”

A number of private courier business leaders also told reporters that the land prices have risen too fast in recent years, according to the "strokes hanging" procedures, it is difficult to obtain the work of the land, to increase the warehouse, distribution center to expand production capacity is very difficult.

The transition ushered in a critical period

Reporter found that some benchmark express companies are trying to bid farewell to the "small, scattered, disorderly" direction of efforts to promote the transformation of the industry upgrade.

For example, the degree of information is significantly improved. Yuantong Express Chairman Yuweijiao said, China's private express enterprises and UPS, DHL and other Global Express giants, the biggest gap is the information, intelligence.

Second, air courier is gradually becoming a scale. At present, Shun Fung Express has a direct air cargo routes. Shentong, Yuantong Aircraft Express will also be implemented in succession.

In addition, express "headquarters economy" is forming. Shanghai Postal Administration Director Li Huide introduced, Shanghai has developed into a National Express Enterprise headquarters gathered the most cities. Access to business licensing of various types of express enterprises more than thousands of companies.

In addition, the business model is also obviously optimized. Most of the private express rely on "join system" rapid realization of the national layout, but to change "join" for "direct camp" is imperative. Shentong Express Vice President Chen Xiangyang said that the current Shentong in the country a total of 57 distribution centers, last year to achieve 16 distribution center of the Direct battalion, this year plans to fully realize straight camp.

However, compared with the Global Express giants, domestic express companies still have a huge gap:

First, the scale of business is small. Public information shows that 2010 the largest domestic mail courier business income of 20 billion yuan. By contrast, DHL, UPS, TNT, the major global express delivery giants are 461.913 billion yuan, 335.395 billion yuan and 63.283 billion yuan, respectively, in the Mail Courier 23.1 Times times, 16.77 times times and 3.16 times times.

Second, the distribution capacity is weak. In the distribution capacity, China Mail Express own aircraft 16, and UPS own aircraft 225, there are 295 rental aircraft, DHL has about 250 dedicated aircraft. The courier has more than 4,000 logistics distribution vehicles, UPS has 92,700 vehicles, light goods vehicles, trailers and motorcycles, DHL has about 32,000 distribution vehicles.

Third, the per capita output value is relatively small. Zhongqing Express Association president Ma Binsheng said that last year, Chongqing Express Market International Price is an average of 276 yuan, the domestic pieces of 23 yuan, with more than 8 yuan, "foreign food eat meat, domestic enterprises only gnawing bones." DHL Chongqing Company only 30 people, but last year revenue reached more than 30 million yuan, per capita value of 1 million yuan; But domestic express whether the state-owned enterprises or private enterprises, per capita output value can have 100,000 yuan is very good.

Four, the development way is extensive. Statistics show that in the Express "headquarters economy," the most developed Shanghai, through the Shanghai Postal Administration approved the approval of the express enterprises have more than 860, of which about 70% are large express companies to join the store, the remaining 30% or so is the small express delivery enterprises, low concentration of industry, Low-end market vicious price competition phenomenon is outstanding, the industry's ability to resist risk is insufficient.

Express industry bigger and stronger need policy support

Many of the reporters interviewed by the "economic reference newspaper," experts and scholars, the industry believes that as a "grassroots" growth in the industry, express industry to further strengthen the need for policy support.

First, to effectively solve the express vehicles "difficult to enter the city." According to a number of urban traffic regulations, except for a handful of vehicles with permits, the vast majority of cargo vehicles are not allowed to enter the central urban roads during the day. Because it is difficult to apply to the urban freight car pass, express enterprises generally use the "bus loading", but the bus loading is illegal, fines, seizures have occurred, but also caused the express was deducted, stranded, backlog, delay and so on. Some cargo express vehicles also face "parking difficult." Industry suggestions, speed up research proposed to solve the express transport vehicles "difficult to enter the city", "parking difficult" measures, the introduction of relevant pilot policies.

Second, increase the express industry capacity growth and technological transformation support. A number of express business leaders told reporters that the development of the express industry must buy land, increase warehouses, conveyor belts, assembly lines, sorting equipment and other infrastructure, but also need to speed up the use of electronic tags, short distance communication, things networking and other emerging technologies. It is suggested that the Government should support the enterprises in the field of land supply, and the technical transformation of express enterprises should be included in the related Technical Renovation fund.

Third, improve the courier "Terminal delivery" of the supporting service environment. Reporter learned that the current express business is "Day mail, night sorting, every other morning delivery", it is difficult to do the evening delivery, so often appear during the working day when the reception is not received, resulting in rising costs, quality of service decline, complaints increased. On the service network, enterprises are also their own point of distribution. Industry insiders call for the Express service network into the Urban Logistics distribution service system to improve the courier industry professional supporting services to improve the efficiency of resource utilization.

Its four, promote the profession self-discipline, strengthens the Express Enterprise service standard system construction. For the development of Express enterprises in the "Overlord clause", price fraud, goods stranded, missing, compensation, and so on, it is urgent to express the association and other social organizations, strengthen the Express enterprise self-discipline, promote service standard system construction, express service time standards, packaging standards, take the allocation of standards, compensation standards and other services to make norms.

Its five, integrated E-commerce and logistics distribution industry. Experts suggest, in order to make express enterprises and E-commerce coordinated development, the next step should be to strengthen the integration of the two industries. Yu Yan, deputy director of the Courier administration of the state Post Office Market Supervision Department, said that without the development of E-commerce, express companies will not develop rapidly in a short time. We should advocate the express service in the electronic commerce linkage development, makes it no longer becomes restricts the electronic commerce further development "the short board".

Lingbo, vice director of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and Finance, said that the binding of the electrical business and express logistics will indeed bring unexpected benefits, but because of the lack of overall planning and perfect laws and regulations, some of the electrical business logistics links are still not standardized operation or illegal operation of the state. The Government should strengthen the contact with E-commerce enterprises, formulate relevant policies and regulations and self-discipline standards, accelerate the integration of E-commerce and logistics distribution industry.

For the safety of Express, China Express Association, Deputy Secretary-General Shaozhonglin that the volume of business, too late to inspect, is an objective existence of the problem, in the short term, it is difficult to change, the proposed classification of the express implementation of the method. To account for nearly half of the express business of the Courier network to buy Express, the implementation of the "Contract + sampling" system, shop and express enterprises to contract the manner of the Legality of the goods, once the shop defaults, as stipulated in the contract to punish; The personal Express will need to strictly implement the inspection system; to the roadside, hotels and other high-risk locations to receive the Express mail, In addition to the implementation of the inspection system, it should be accompanied by a subsequent inspection procedure.

Some people in the industry said that now the pressure of the express security checks are placed in the collection of this link, what has become the responsibility of the courier. Inspection means should be diversified, for example, to increase the spot and distribution center of the sampling rate, increase security equipment input, for each dot equipped with X-ray machine.