Price hikes begin before Nov 11 shopping frenzy

People have already warmed up to the yearly online-shopping carnival on Nov 11, despite its being a month away. Online stores are discounting new arrivals with promotions, while express companies do the exact opposite and move prices up.

China's leading express delivery firm ZTO reported on Friday it would adjust fee starting the day of Nov 11. According to an announcement sent to its customers, service outlets of ZTO across the country could make their express fees adjustable to cater for the increase in parcel volume during peak days.

To better inform customers, ZTO said increased delivery fees mainly come from transportation costs and rising demand of couriers.

This phenomenon is not new. In the past several years, express delivery companies like STO and Yunda have already altered fees to obtain a bigger share of the spoils.

Back in 2018, Yunda Express announced the express delivery fee to Shanghai will be raised 0.5 yuan per order from Oct 1 to cope with rising costs on transportation and employees.

Statistics from the State Post Bureau of China showed express delivery platforms dealt with 331 million orders on the 2017 shopping festival, a third of the year's total, as 3 million laborers and 90,000 trucks were used. Thirty million square meters of field were also rented for storing and distributing parcels.

Shortages of labor have also intensified the industry. Over 80 percent of courier option to resign from their delivery outlets, working there no more than a year. Zhang Yuan, a former courier, said it was hard to persist in the job because of low income, working from dawn to dusk and frequent complaints from customers.