Pinduoduo has made more moves in the express delivery industry.
The reporter checked the official website of the National Postal Administration and found that recently, Shanghai Yucan Information Technology Co., Ltd. has obtained a license to operate express delivery services (excluding letters) at a service station. The license is valid until September 20, 2028, and the express delivery service brand is "Pinduoduo Station". According to Tianyancha information, the legal representative of Shanghai Yucan Information Technology Co., Ltd. is Zhao Jiazhen, who is also the legal representative of Shanghai Xunmeng Information Technology Co., Ltd. and the co CEO of Pinduoduo Group.
In addition to Shanghai Yucan Information Technology Co., Ltd., the official website of the National Post Office shows that Nanjing Yucan Information Technology Co., Ltd., Shandong Yucan Information Technology Co., Ltd., Guangxi Yucan Information Technology Co., Ltd. have also obtained licenses for service stations to operate express delivery services (excluding letters). This means that Pinduoduo Station has obtained a courier station operation license in multiple places.
Behind Pinduoduo's emphasis on post station business, the investment of e-commerce in logistics is worth paying attention to. As an important carrier of future express delivery models, the changes in the layout of express delivery stations also affect the new story of the "last mile" of logistics.
Why does Pinduoduo need a station?
With the acquisition of the express delivery "license", Pinduoduo's layout on the "last mile" of express delivery is entering a critical stage.
In 2022, while developing community group buying business, "Duoduo Maicai" under Pinduoduo has also targeted express delivery collection services and achieved docking with express delivery companies such as Three Links and One Delivery, Jitu, and Postal, connecting the express delivery signing process. Nowadays, Pinduoduo's ambition to develop its post station business is becoming clearer.
The other end of the express delivery station business is led by e-commerce. Express delivery expert and chief consultant of Double One Consulting, Gong Fuzhao, analyzed to First Financial reporters that express delivery stations are located at the end of the logistics process near users, and are very important for both Duoduo Maicai and Pinduoduo's e-commerce business. With the peak of e-commerce traffic dividends, the competition on e-commerce platforms has become more intense, and the attention of various platforms to service and logistics is also constantly strengthening. In March of this year, Alibaba withdrew Cainiao's independent listing and increased its investment in Cainiao. One of the reasons is that Cainiao Logistics, as an important infrastructure for e-commerce, needs to strengthen its coordinated development with e-commerce business in the process of Alibaba's revitalization of Taobao.
Focusing on users and valuing user experience is a major characteristic of Pinduoduo's e-commerce business, while express delivery stations connect both consumer after-sales service and the end data of e-commerce platforms. "The data on e-commerce platforms is not connected to the data on express delivery. Pinduoduo's post station business can better grasp the data at the end of e-commerce, understand user characteristics, connect information links, and analyze how to optimize services and decision-making." Gong Fuzhao said that express delivery post stations are also important data assets for e-commerce platforms.
Although the new policy of "door-to-door express delivery" has received attention, post stations are still an important carrier for future express delivery models. According to Gong Fuzhao's analysis, the proportion of delivery from store to container in the express delivery industry has exceeded 70%. From a strategic configuration perspective, Pinduoduo needs to develop its own stations and grasp the key links of logistics in its own hands. At the same time, with the growth of demand for post stations, the "post station systems" launched by various platforms to express stations can also generate revenue in SMS sending and receiving services. Gong Fuzhao believes that the post station business itself is actually a profitable and relatively stable business.
Nowadays, the acquisition of the operating license for express delivery stations has eliminated hidden dangers for the development of Pinduoduo stations. However, in this strategically important business, Pinduoduo still needs to face more competitors.
The large cake at the end of the express delivery
The express delivery end also has a fierce competitive landscape.
At present, express delivery stations are mainly divided into three types: self operated stations on e-commerce platforms, direct operated stores of express delivery companies, and third-party collection stations. Backed by Alibaba's Cainiao Station, the previously tested JD Express flagship store, as well as various express delivery companies such as Zhongtong Tuxi Express Supermarket and Yuantong Mama Station, third-party collection platforms represented by Xiaobing Station compete with Pinduoduo Station.
For Pinduoduo, the expansion of Pinduoduo stations still faces many challenges. Previously, Cainiao sued Pinduoduo for unfair competition. The second instance verdict showed that the court found that Pinduoduo's promotion of the "Duoduo Maicai End System" and unauthorized use of Cainiao's commercial logo in "self pickup points" at the end stores of Cainiao Station involved unfair competition, and ordered Pinduoduo to compensate Cainiao for 5 million yuan in economic losses. In the competition among express delivery stations, Pinduoduo, a latecomer, still needs to think more.
Subsidies were once a major weapon promoted by Pinduoduo Station. Gong Fuzhao stated that in the early stages, Pinduoduo relied on subsidies to attract many branches to use the Pinduoduo station system. However, now the industry landscape is relatively stable, and the era of subsidies has passed. The system differentiation advantages of various express station brands are not obvious, and Pinduoduo needs to establish more advantages.
Zhao Xiaomin, CEO of Guanshuo Capital and expert in the express delivery industry, believes that with the comprehensive integration of online and offline, and the promotion of policies on the public convenience attributes of express delivery stations, leveraging the role of Pinduoduo stations in the convenient living circle may become a driving force for Pinduoduo.
At present, the development of terminal logistics is showing a trend of diversification. Whether it is the combination of door-to-door delivery, self pickup, and customized services in the delivery process, or the trend of combining commercial flow and logistics in the express delivery terminal system, it shows that the logistics terminal needs to make greater attempts to combine the interests of all parties. This also means that the challenges of operation and integration will be even more severe for participants in end logistics. How to use the post station as a fulcrum and integrate Pinduoduo's own resources to enable Pinduoduo to play more functions may become a key issue.
However, despite the large number of players in the industry, the express delivery end is still considered to have imaginative growth potential. Gong Fuzhao believes that obtaining a station license will enable Pinduoduo to more naturally land in more cities and expand its market share, but the impact on other players in the industry is not significant. This is because the plates at the end of the package are large enough and still need to be excavated.
"In the future, express delivery stations will be like tobacco hotels, basically in every community." Gong Fuzhao said that in his view, the density of express delivery stations is far from reaching saturation, and there is still vast room for growth in many markets and central and western regions.