"Double 11" shopping festival sees China handling record-high single-day parcel volume

China

"Double 11" shopping festival sees China handling record-high single-day parcel volume

2025-11-13 12:05 Last Updated At：22:27

China's express delivery sector handled a total of 13.938 billion parcels during the peak days of the "Double 11" shopping festival, with the highest single-day volume surging to a record-breaking 777 million, according to data released by the State Post Bureau on Wednesday.

The national postal authority said that between October 21 and November 11, courier companies handled an average of 634 million parcels per day, 1.18 times the normal daily volume, which underscores the sector's expanding capacity amid growing e-commerce activity.

First held in 2009, "Double 11" has continued to stimulate robust consumer spending in one of the world's largest consumption markets.

While delivery volumes surged, return logistics also saw substantial growth and picked up speed, particularly for bulky items that previously faced complicated return procedures. The industry has responded by implementing digital systems that streamline the process through intelligent platforms coordinating home pickups and direct warehouse routing.

This digital transformation is revolutionizing the returns experience for both businesses and consumers.

"Customers can simply apply for a return or exchange on the platform with one click. We then provide door-to-door pickup and ship the items directly back to our warehouse, bypassing any transfer handling. This significantly improves efficiency and ensures the quality of returned products." said Jiang Nan, business manager at Hebei Samate Children's Toys.

The surge in both outbound and return volumes reflects the changing landscape of e-commerce logistics.

"During this year's major e-commerce promotion period, outbound orders increased by approximately 42 percent, while return orders grew by about 21 percent. Through deep collaboration with major platforms and utilizing our intelligent transport transfer system and smart routing to directly match destination stations, we ensure safe shipment with full-process visual monitoring," noted Feng Zhiqiang, operations head at a major courier's Xingtai branch.

Industry experts see broader implications in these developments beyond just record numbers.

"The continuous expansion of the express delivery market scale highlights the crucial role of the postal and courier industry in expanding domestic demand, stimulating consumption, and boosting steady economic growth. By expanding into rural markets, the industry has established efficient two-way flows between urban and rural areas, effectively stimulating service demand in the countryside. Furthermore, through deep integration with advanced manufacturing, the express delivery supply chain is transforming toward high-end and intelligent development," said Liu Jiang, director of strategic planning department at the State Post Bureau's Development Research Center.

Zhejiang applies digital tech to strengthen Typhoon Dolphin defenses

As Typhoon Dolphin approaches, east China's Zhejiang Province has turned to digital technologies and advanced equipment to boost early warning systems and ramp up emergency readiness.

Typhoon Dolphin, the 13th typhoon of 2026, is forecast to make landfall along the coast between Zhejiang and northern Fujian from Sunday afternoon to Monday morning.

Zhejiang raised its typhoon emergency response to Level I, the highest level, on Saturday night, according to the provincial flood control and drought relief headquarters.

To better handle the typhoon, the provincial water resources department has been using a digital twin platform to simulate potential rainstorm and flood paths by integrating rainfall and hydrological data.

The platform can automatically generate response plans, identifying evacuation zones and estimating the number of people to be relocated.

"After the Level I emergency response was activated, we have been assessing the flood risks in every river basin on an hourly basis. We rely on the digital twin system to monitor water levels and rainfall changes at over 10,000 hydrological stations across the province. It allows us to analyze fast and issue warnings timely," said Chen Zhigang, an investigator with the flood and drought disaster prevention division of the provincial water resources department.

The typhoon is expected to bring strong winds and abundant moisture and affect a wide area. It may move slowly after landfall, bringing prolonged heavy rainfall and posing high risks of extreme weather and severe damage.

"This typhoon is moving relatively slowly and may linger over our province longer than a typical storm. For us, the key tasks are monitoring, forecasting and early warning. We will keep tracking the evolving rainstorm situation and issue timely alerts to support personnel evacuation and subsequent defense efforts," said Chen.

In addition to the digital twin platform, a range of advanced equipment has been deployed across Zhejiang to strengthen its typhoon defense.

In Ningbo, intelligent inspection robot dogs are now patrolling water conservancy facilities around the clock, feeding back operational data in real time.

In Wenzhou, a fixed-wing communication drone with a six-meter wingspan has completed all testing and is on standby. In the event of road, power or network outages, the drone can take off vertically, stay airborne for up to five hours, and support simultaneous communication for up to 1,200 people in a single mission.