Technology.
Connecting people and life: the rise and innovation of rookie stations.
Introduction. In 2023, Cainiao Post Station has become a dazzling star in China's express delivery industry. With more than 170,000 post stations and a total revenue of 77.8 billion yuan for the fiscal year, the start-up has become a leader in the world's end-to-end smart logistics network after 10 years of ups and downs. This article will delve into the development history, service pros and cons, profit model and latest service innovation of Cainiao Station, aiming to reveal the key factors behind its success.
First, the development process: the rise of smart logistics network.
The rise of Cainiao Station is not achieved overnight, but after the accumulation of 10 years of development since its establishment in 2013. Initially, Cainiao Station focused on community and campus express delivery collection business, and was committed to solving the problem of last-mile delivery。In 2015, Cainiao Post became popular with its innovative community service model and became one of the most popular express collection points nationwide. Through cooperation with major express companies, Cainiao has realized the open sharing mode of smart express cabinets, providing users with a convenient way to handle packages from different express companies。By the end of 2020, Cainiao Station has completed the construction of smart express cabinets and terminal equipment in more than 600 cities across the country, covering communities in more than 200 cities and more than 3,000 colleges and universities, providing services for hundreds of millions of consumers.
2. Success factors: digital capabilities and community service innovation.
The key to Cainiao Station's ability to stand out in the highly competitive market is its continuous accumulation of digital capabilities and innovative community service models. This spirit of innovation enables Cainiao Post Station to accurately grasp the best dividend period in the logistics industry, promote the accelerated transformation of the channel model of brand owners, and bring more growth opportunities to subsequent sites. Therefore, Cainiao Station is not only a logistics platform, but also an important link connecting people and life and promoting social development. Its success is not only backed by solid technical support, but also by a keen insight into user needs and a brilliant achievement created by continuous innovation.
3. Pros and cons of services: challenges while solving the last mile problem
In the initial stage, Cainiao Station solves the pain points of consumers and couriers with its collection service, especially in the process of online shopping, which often occurs in the process of express delivery to the home but no one receives it. This kind of collection service greatly facilitates the problem of receiving the parcel by the recipient, especially in some communities or places where direct delivery is prohibited, it is very convenient to store the parcel at the Cainiao Station. This not only effectively solves the delivery problem of the last delivery to the customer's home that has plagued the express delivery industry for a long time, but also brings a smoother experience to consumers and couriers
However, over time, the collection service has also faced some problems. The initial number of post stations providing home delivery services gradually decreased, mainly because both the courier and the post station had working time restrictions, and home delivery required a lot of labor costs, which was not essentially different from that of couriers. This has caused some inconvenience to consumers, for example, some office workers find that the post house is closed when they are ready to pick up their parcels after work, resulting in the inability to pick up the parcel in time. At the same time, direct rejection becomes more complicated, as you need to sign for the package first by filling in the address of the collection point, and subsequent returns become more cumbersome. In addition, it is also common for parcels to be lost at express collection points, especially in poorly managed post stations, which may lead to picking up the wrong parcel or being signed by the staff for a long time without picking, making it difficult for users to retrieve the parcel in the future
Despite this, Cainiao Station did not stop at these problems and continued to improve and innovate. For example, in response to the limitations of home delivery services, post stations are gradually introducing more flexible solutions, such as timed delivery, smart appointments, etc., to improve the user experience. On the issue of refusal, Cainiao Station solves the pain points of users by optimizing the process and providing more convenient return services。For the management of lost parts, the post station has strengthened the training and supervision of employees, improved the management level, and reduced the occurrence of lost parts. This series of improvement measures shows that Cainiao Post has maintained flexibility and innovation in terms of service pros and cons.
Fourth, the profit model: the way to success under the diversification strategy.
Although Cainiao Inns offers free pick-up services and can even store packages for a week without charge, there are still questions about its profit model. How does such a convenient service maintain operations and achieve great success? The diversification of Cainiao Station's profit model reflects its business acumen and keen insight into market changes.
One of the primary channels of profitability is cash on delivery. This means that the seller negotiates with the courier to store the item and pays the Cainiao Post Station. This direct charging model not only guarantees the income of the station, but also promotes the smooth progress of the transaction. In addition, the post station receives a service fee through return and mailing servicesPostage rates in non-remote areas of the country are usually between 10 and 20 yuan, and post stations can take a certain profit from it。In the internal cooperation of small post stations in the province, the postage difference has also become one of its profits.
In addition, Cainiao Post also makes money through advertising。Advertising space is set up inside the station, and hundreds of yuan can be earned every month in advertising costs. This advertising revenue channel provides additional revenue opportunities for the station. At the same time, the station also provides retail services, such as the sale of beverages, ice cream, grilled sausages and other products, further expanding its profit model. In addition, intelligent services such as shared charging treasures also bring certain benefits to the station
This diversified profit model enables Cainiao Post Station to respond flexibly in the face of market changes. It not only reduces the dependence on a single profit, but also enables the post station to better adapt to the changes in the development of the industry and create more possibilities for future innovation and development.
5. New service model: innovative practice of community ** and laundry service.
With the development of society and people's continuous pursuit of quality of life, Cainiao Station not only stays in the traditional express service, but also actively carries out new service models. Community** and laundry services have become an important part of its innovative practices.
In terms of community, the successful case of Cainiao Station in Hefei, Anhui Province is eye-catching. The rookie post station operated by Ruan Jian has successfully introduced ** into the first choice of shopping for residents in the community. As of 2022, the annual sales of its post station ** will reach the million level, becoming the national sales champion. Approximately 400 parcels are processed per day, and the order volume is stable at around 1,000 orders per day, with a maximum of 4,000 orders per day. By participating in Ruan Jian's ** activities, residents have got more affordable goods and a more convenient shopping experience。Especially in the approaching holiday period, people directly look for Ruan Jian to meet their shopping needs. This successful case proves that Cainiao Post Station not only meets the shopping needs of residents through the introduction of community ** services, but also brings considerable sales revenue to the post station
Another example is Chang Xue, who actively launched new community services after the Cainiao Post Station was upgraded to a digital community life station. In the context of intelligent development, people have more time to engage in other affairs, and she makes full use of this opportunity to carry out services such as ** and laundry**. At first, there was fierce competition, especially from traditional dry cleaners, who could only accept two or three pieces of clothing a day. However, by improving the quality of service and self-breakthrough, she has successfully amassed a group of loyal users。After the accumulation of user groups, she launched the "Post Station Laundry" applet door-to-door pick-up and delivery service, which further improved the convenience and user experience of the service. Gradually, she expanded her business to provide diversified services such as clothing repair and intermediary information, so that her post station evolved into a real community service center. Today, the Cainiao Station has been in operation for 8 years, expanding from the initial 50 square meters to more than 300 square meters, of which the Cainiao Station, the post laundry and the community** have become its core three business pillars, achieving considerable revenue and profits.
6. Conclusion: Innovation-driven, connecting people and life
In the Internet era, the success of Cainiao Station is not only a logistics platform, but also a link between people and life. The key factors for its success are continuous innovation and a keen understanding of the market. Through the accumulation of digital capabilities, Cainiao Station has solved the problems of the traditional express delivery industry, and through the innovation of community services, Cainiao Station has become an indispensable part of the life of community residents。The pros and cons of the service brought convenience in the early days, but the problems that came with it also gave rise to more flexible solutions. The diversification of the profit model provides the driving force for the sustainable development of the rookie station, and the continuous innovation of the new service model has opened up a broader market space for it.
Overall, the successful experience of Cainiao Station is worth pondering in the industry. In an ever-changing market environment, innovation and adaptation to change are the keys to the survival and development of enterprises. With its outstanding performance, Cainiao Station has become a model enterprise in the Internet era and has provided successful inspiration for other enterprises. The bond between people and life will continue to play an important role in future development, and Cainiao Station will undoubtedly continue to play a leading role in this process.