Courier STO Express launches Japan hub in expansion spree

STO is not alone in its expansion plans. Twelve private Chinese express companies, such as Shanghai-based YTO Express Co Ltd and Shenzhen-based SF Express (Group) Co, have applied for international business licenses from the State Post Bureau of China.

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In 2009, SF Express established SF Airlines Co Ltd, China's first private express delivery airline.

The moves signal its ambition to cash in on cross-border online shopping, which is set to boom in coming years, said Xu Yong, principal analyst at China Express and Logistics Consulting.

"As more tech-savvy customers learn to snap up the cheapest possible items online, they may broaden the scope of their searches to include major international online vendors. The need for reliable and affordable cross-border delivery is becoming evident," said Xu.

The value of online exports in the world's top e-commerce markets will grow fivefold to $130 billion by 2020, according to a study by London-based management consultancy OC&C and US-based search engine Google Inc in January.

"Cyber Monday" and "Black Friday" are no longer strange terms to China's price-conscious middle class. A growing number of English-speaking credit card holders have joined the international fray by picking up things that tend to be unavailable or too costly in China.

According to consultancy Bain & Co, more than 50 express companies offer shipping to China, boosting the increase of parallel channels for overseas shopping.

When shoppers buy on a foreign website, they can fill in a local address offered by the courier and transfer the products back to China. The courier makes a tidy profit on shipping fees and commissions.

"I think it is great news for us customers," said Chen Chengzi, a regular overseas online shopper in Shanghai. "I hope the delivery speed could be shortened from the usual one month to ideally 10 to 15 days."

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