Technology
Integration of e-commerce and express delivery industry: innovation in night pickup service at Cainiao Station.
i.The integration of e-commerce and express delivery.
With the rapid development of the Internet, e-commerce is playing an increasingly important role in China's daily life. A dazzling array of goods, specialties from all over the world, and fast and safe courier services have become an indispensable part of people's lives. Especially in recent years, with the vigorous development of e-commerce, the express delivery industry has also achieved rapid growth. According to the data, in 2023, China's express delivery business volume has reached 132 billion pieces, and the annual per capita express delivery usage has exceeded 90 pieces. This figure intuitively shows the deep integration of e-commerce and the express delivery industry, as well as the huge role of e-commerce in promoting the development of the express delivery industry.
The rise of e-commerce has not only changed the way people shop, but also disrupted traditional business models. The traditional retail industry is facing increasingly fierce competition, while e-commerce platforms have won the favor of more and more consumers with their convenient, fast and diversified advantages. At the same time, the rise of e-commerce has also given birth to the rapid development of the express delivery industry. Express delivery has become an indispensable part of the e-commerce ecosystem, providing consumers with fast and reliable delivery services, facilitating the smooth circulation and transaction of goods.
ii.The challenge of the express delivery method.
However, with the continuous development of e-commerce, the challenges of express delivery methods are becoming increasingly prominent. The demand of different groups of people for express delivery is becoming more and more diversified, which brings a new test to the traditional express delivery method. Take young consumers as an example, they are away from home most of the time, and prefer to hand over the express delivery to the post station for escrow. However, due to work and other reasons, many people get off work late, resulting in the post station has been closed, and the inability to pick up the mail in time has become a major problem in their online shopping life. In this case, the traditional express pickup model can no longer meet the diversified consumer needs.
In addition to the problem of late returnees, the traditional express delivery mode also faces problems such as uncertain time and inability to ensure the accuracy of delivery. Especially in the fast-paced city life, many consumers are often unable to guarantee that they will receive their parcels at home during the time period of the courier delivery. As a result, many packages cannot be delivered in time and need to be rescheduled, causing inconvenience and annoyance to consumers.
iii.Night pick-up service at Cainiao Inn.
In order to solve the problem of difficult pickup for consumers, since the first half of last year, Cainiao Station has begun to pilot the "night pickup" service, that is, to create a "self-service pickup before 24 o'clock" service model. This innovative service makes use of digital equipment, which can still be on duty after the station manager gets off work, so that consumers can complete self-service pickup through the Cainiao app before 24 o'clock。The specific operation is very simple, just open the app to scan the door of the post station will be automatically opened, after entering the system will automatically close the door and inform the entry into the monitoring area, the user will then find the express on the shelf according to the pickup code, and scan the barcode on the package with a high-speed camera to complete the delivery. The whole pick-up process is efficient and convenient, even faster than going to the post station to pick up the parcel during the day. At present, this new service has been piloted in more than 5,000 rookie stations in Shanghai, Hangzhou, Chengdu, Xi'an, Guangzhou and other cities, and will be promoted nationwide in the future.
iv.The significance of the night pickup service.
The opening of the night pick-up service of Cainiao Station not only meets the urgent needs of consumers to pick up their parcels after returning late, but also further liberates the productivity of station managers, freeing up more time and energy to improve the service quality and operational efficiency of the station. This innovative service can also solve the problems of door-to-door delivery during the day or the shortage of manpower on holidays, providing a more convenient and efficient core service for community life. In recent years, Cainiao Post Station has been digitally upgrading the receiving experience of consumers, focusing on the core values of pickup efficiency, pickup convenience, and pickup safety, and has launched a variety of solutions such as open post stations, post station "busy status" viewing, and self-service checking, so as to continuously improve consumers' all-weather and full-link pickup experience.
v.The long-term goal of enhancing consumer satisfaction.
Through these innovative services, Cainiao Station is committed to improving consumer satisfaction and the overall level of express delivery services。The night pickup service not only solves the problem that consumers are difficult to pick up their parcels when they return late, but also provides consumers with a more convenient and efficient way to pick up their parcels. At the same time, this also promotes the further development and upgrading of the express delivery industry, and promotes the closer integration of e-commerce and express delivery industry. In the future, with the continuous progress of technology and the continuous change of consumer needs, it is believed that more similar innovative services will appear, bringing consumers a more convenient and faster life experience.
vi.Epilogue.
The integration of e-commerce and express delivery industry continues to promote the development and upgrading of the industry, and the night pickup service of Cainiao Station is one of the innovative attempts. The launch of this service not only solves the practical problems of consumers, but also is an important measure to improve the quality of service and user experience. In the future, we hope to see more innovative services emerge to provide consumers with a more convenient and efficient shopping and delivery experience, and promote the continuous integration and development of e-commerce and express delivery industry.