BEIJING — In Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong province, a resident surnamed Li received a parcel recently. It was a smart learning tablet he had purchased via China's leading online shopping platform JD.com.

Receiving his online order, Li was surprised to learn that the delivered parcel was the 180 billionth that China's massive express delivery system had handled this year.

According to data from the State Post Bureau, China's parcel express delivery volume for 2025 had surpassed 180 billion as of Nov 30. This figure marked a milestone, because it was the first time the annual volume had hit the 180-billion threshold. A total volume of around 174 billion was recorded during the whole of 2024, and 132 billion in 2023.

Handling more than 16 billion parcels monthly and processing over 6,200 parcels per second on average now, China's fast-growing express delivery market is evidence of the nation's economic vitality and consumption potential.

Growing consumption

China's express delivery market has been the world's largest for 11 consecutive years, partly driven by robust online consumption.

In the first 10 months, China's online goods sales increased 6.3 percent year-on-year, accounting for a quarter of the country's total retail sales.

Notably, China's express delivery network has also linked agricultural heartlands with consumers nationwide. ZTO Express, a leading express delivery company, has handled 12.9 billion parcels in rural areas and has seen a 21.5 percent increase in express delivery volume for outbound farm products.

"The economies of scale of the postal and express delivery sector have continued to expand, which is significantly enhancing the sector's capacity to drive the growth of industries and regional economies while supporting consumption and the economy's steady growth," said Liu Jiang, an official at the Development and Research Center of the State Post Bureau.

Gao Hongfeng, head of China Express Association, said the new milestone in China's express delivery volume signifies not only the vital role of the postal industry in facilitating the development of a unified national market, but also the steady growth of the consumer market.

Tech empowerment

China's express delivery industry is relying on continuous technological advancements for efficiency in varied scenarios.

In warehouses, technologies such as handling robots, vertical lift robots, high-density storage racks and customized containers enable fully automated storage and goods sorting, significantly boosting efficiency. In the pickup and delivery scenario, meanwhile, the increasing application of drones, unmanned vehicles and robots has effectively reduced the cost of collection and distribution.

Autonomous transport solutions are optimizing the last-mile network, enabling faster and more flexible pickups and deliveries, especially in remote or high-demand areas.

Drones not only accelerate urban deliveries, but also provide critical logistics access in hard-to-reach regions, such as transporting fresh matsutake mushrooms across mountainous terrain in Nyingchi in Southwest China's Xizang autonomous region, doing so in a matter of minutes.

Additionally, autonomous vehicles are scaling rapidly across communities, with industry reports predicting that China's fleet of logistics robots will exceed 200,000 units by 2028.

New scenarios

In line with the nation's efforts to boost consumption, the express delivery industry is tapping more scenarios for the provision of services. Many delivery companies have partnered with souvenir stores, allowing tourists to send purchases home immediately, blending seamless travel experiences with instant consumption.

Meanwhile, advances in cold-chain logistics have enabled the express delivery of perishable goods over long distances, benefiting the entire supply chain and fueling market growth. In the first half, demand for food cold-chain logistics rose 4.35 percent year-on-year to 192 million metric tons. Consumers can now reliably order seafood, fruit and even flowers online, with the effective cold chain ensuring their freshness upon delivery.

Another growing trend is the "delivery-and-installation" model, especially for large household goods such as furniture and appliances. Express delivery firms now offer integrated services including delivery and on-site installation, transforming logistics providers into trusted partners in the home-upgrade cycle.

Underlining the logistics sector's important role in the economy, the express delivery sector is also extending logistics outreach to production plants and creating new business models in the supply chain.

According to Liu, the express delivery sector, an important nexus for supply and consumption, is set to grow further thanks to the country's policies to expand domestic demand and its efforts to build a unified national market.

Xinhua