China’s ‘stay home’ Spring Festival triggers delivery boom

• Chinese authorities had advised people to stay put to stem the spread of COVID-19
• Chinese express delivery business up 223 percent year on year
• China’s express delivery firms had dispatched 10 billion parcels domestically in just 38 days this year

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Delivery companies in China reported an enormous spike in business during the Spring Festival as millions of Chinese have stayed put for the annual holiday.

On Thursday and Friday, the first two days of the week-long Spring Festival holiday, Chinese express delivery firms handled some 130 million parcels, up 223 percent year on year, showed data from the State Post Bureau.

Ahead of the Spring Festival holiday, an important occasion for family reunions that usually sees mass human migration across the country, Chinese authorities had advised migrant workers and residents to stay put to stem the spread of COVID-19.

To make up for the loss of family gatherings, holiday parties and get-togethers, many have chosen to send “gift parcels” or make purchases online for their families and friends far away, giving rise to logistics demand.

The government has pledged to guarantee sufficient supplies of daily necessities and asked e-commerce platforms and logistics companies to ensure normal operation during the period.

As of Sunday, China’s express delivery firms had dispatched 10 billion parcels domestically in just 38 days this year, creating a new record.

The spell is much shorter than the 80 days in 2020 and 79 days in 2019, said the State Post Bureau.