Courier giants brace for Singles Day with smart tech

HANGZHOU - China's major logistics firms have increased their automation in preparation for a delivery surge after the Singles Day shopping festival, which fell on Monday.

The event, also known as Double 11 shopping festival, began in 2009 and has become one of the largest online shopping sprees in the world.

SF Express started hiring temporary staff 45 days ahead of Double 11, preparing for a peak in shipping orders between Nov 11 and 20, according to Li Chahong, who works at the company.