Logistics firms gear up for Singles Day

Delivery firms and pickup stations are getting ready for the world's largest shopping festival on Nov 11 organized by e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd, as its logistics arm Cainiao Network Technology Co Ltd prepares for the event with a vast, military-scale campaign.

The number of parcels generated from the Singles Day promotion from Nov 11 through 16 is projected to smash last year's record of 657 million to hit 1 billion, putting mounting pressure on couriers as they overcome traffic congestion to satiate customers' appetite for sameday delivery, said Yu Yan, an official in charge of courier supervision under the State Post Bureau.

Yu called for enhanced coordination among vendors, couriers and pickup stations, especially in counties and townships, to ensure smooth "last-mile" delivery. She added the bureau would constantly update peak-shopping alerts to notify both suppliers and consumers.