Wuhan restarts: Express delivery gets a boost

As Wuhan resumes business and production, the express delivery and logistics sectors have seen rapid growth, with some even surpassing the volume during the Singles Day shopping gala, Changjiang Daily reported.

"The fast pace of work is coming back," Huang Jingqiang, head of JD Logistics Wuhan Gutian intelligent distribution center, told the newspaper. Presently, nearly 2,000 parcels arrived at the center every day, while 3,000 were sent out from there.

JD Logistics saw an increase in its freight traffic one week before Wuhan lifted its lockdown. Between April 1 and 7, the freight volume arriving at JD Logistics Wuhan Asia No 1 intelligent distribution center increased by thirteenfold, while that leaving the center went up by over eighteenfold.

Mail and express delivery volume has seen an obvious rise since April 8, echoed an official from China Post Wuhan Co, adding that the volume over a few days even surpassed the level during Singles Day.

Presently, more than 4,500 express delivery sites have fully resumed their business, the official added. On April 23, a total of 2.9 million pieces of mail and parcels were picked up, 90 percent compared to the same period last year; more than 3 million parcels were delivered, 147 percent of that in 2019.

In addition, changes in the products ordered also provide clues. Starting from April, as some merchants have resumed businesses, Wuhan residents bought a variety of items.

Besides daily necessities, clothing, cosmetics, travel supplies, and even some big items requiring manual installation experienced sales growth. Meanwhile, office supplies such as printers, ink cartridges and printing paper also sold well.