OREANDA-NEWS. RnR Market Research Offers Report by Research on China Express Delivery Industry Report, 2016.

Thanks to the rapid growth in e-commerce industry, the online shopping habits of the Chinese consumers have been gradually developed and deepened. In 2015, the online shopping market sales reached RMB3.8 trillion in 2015, with a CAGR of 50% over the past five years, thus driving a surge in express delivery industry.

In 2015, China’s express delivery business volume totaled 20.67 billion pieces, up 48% from a year earlier, with a CAGR of 54.6% over the past five years; express delivery revenue came to RMB276.96 billion, up 35.4% from a year earlier, registering a CAGR of 37.0% over the past five years. In H1 2016, the business volume of Chinese express delivery firms reached 13.25 billion pieces, up 56.7% from the same period of last year; the business revenue totaled RMB171.46 billion, a year-on-year growth rate of 43.4%. In the first half of 2016, express delivery revenue saw a rising proportion of up to 69.3% in the postal service industry revenue.

Regionally, eastern China constitutes the mainstay of the express delivery industry, with the business volume accounting for as high as 82%, and central and western China 11.2% and 6.8%, respectively. By provinces/municipalities, the top 5 ones in terms of express delivery business are respectively Guangdong, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Shanghai, and Beijing, all of which hold a combined share of 69% in the total business volume. The top 5 provinces/municipalities by express delivery revenue are Guangdong, Shanghai, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, and Beijing, sweeping an aggregate of 69.6% of the express delivery revenue.

In terms of competitive landscape, competition between major players pricks up, including EMS, SF Express, STO, YTO, ZTO, and Yunda. In 2015, China’s express delivery market concentration continued to fall, with the top 8 companies by revenue accounting for a combined 77.3% of the total nationwide, and the top four 50.4%. The two rates slid 0.6 percentage point, respectively, compared with a year ago. The decline in industry concentration reflects fiercer competition in China's express delivery market.

With the intensifying competition in express delivery industry, major companies are beginning to increase capital to cope with challenges. In 2016, the major four private express delivery firms (SF Express, STO Express, YTO Express, and Yunda Express) happened to venture into capital market through back-door listing. Moreover, it is rumored from time to time that ZTO might go public in the United States. In 2015, after completing the fourth round of financing, Quanfeng Express seeks to be listed in the main board and National Equities Exchange and Quotations (NEEQ). Additionally, some enterprises jumpstarted financing process, with TTK Express completing the first two rounds of financing of footing up to over RMB1.5 billion in February and August 2016. Fast Express obtained the first round of financing of RMB250 million in May 2016.