In recent years, due to the rapid development of cross-border e-commerce, domestic express delivery companies have “entered the sea” one after another. While domestic business is booming, cross-border business has also made great progress.
The cross-border business of domestic express delivery companies began in September 2013, when SF Express laid out its layout in the US transit market. Subsequently, major domestic express delivery companies have pushed their business abroad. In less than a year, China Post, SF Express, YTO Express, Yunda Express, Zhongtong Express, Shentong Express and Best Express, the pillar companies of domestic express delivery, have completed the initial layout of overseas expansion. Here, we take SF Express as an example to see the current situation and characteristics of domestic express delivery companies compared with foreign express delivery companies.
As of now, after nearly 6 years of development, SF Express’s international express delivery services have covered more than 50 countries such as the European Union, the United States, Japan, South Korea, and ASEAN, especially in South Asia, with a coverage network of more than 90%. Now for SF Express, increasing market share is a very important task.
Compared with TNT, DHL, UPS and other companies that are already very mature, have a large market share and a relatively complete service system, SF Express’s fees are cheaper. In addition, due to its geographical advantages, SF Express is faster than major European and American express companies in Central Asia and Southeast Asia.
However, compared with those mature international express giants, SF Express still has many disadvantages: it has a clear disadvantage in the number of transportation tools; in terms of customs clearance capabilities, it has not yet developed its own independent destination customs clearance system; it has not yet formed a developed distribution network in the world. For example, when goods are airlifted to the United States, they can only be handed over to UPS for processing after arriving in Los Angeles; it does not have its own service system, and if there are problems with the products, the problem items can only be returned to China for processing.
SF Express is a relatively mature express company in China, and it is also the first among many express companies to enter the international market. Its current status, characteristics and problems also reflect the characteristics of domestic express companies that have just started international business, such as ZTO, STO, YTO, Yunda, etc.