Cainiao, the logistics arm of Chinese ecommerce giant Alibaba, will invest around HK$5 million to keep logistics flowing amid the Lunar new year shutdown, media reports said. The investment will help the company fund a 1,500-strong workforce across the full chain of logistics operations.
Ray Cheuk, head of operations (Hong Kong), Cainiao Global Supply Chain told the media, “With the pandemic, logistics has increasingly served as an essential service that connects people to goods, services and most importantly, their loved ones. During festivities such as this Lunar New Year, we hope that by keeping the logistics service running, we are creating opportunities for businesses to increase sales revenue and for consumers to connect with their loved ones by sending gifts across the border or to enjoy local produce without having to commute home.
“As Taobao and Tmall’s official logistics provider, we are always seeking new and better ways to deliver more value-added logistics services to benefit businesses and consumers,” he added.
Last month, it was reported that Cainiao is holding discussions with Chinese vaccine makers over logistics for the Covid-19 vaccine. It is reported that the company has established a partnership with Ethiopian Airlines to transport the vaccine to the Middle East and Africa.
Cainiao is also is set to drive digitalisation of last-mile logistics in Malaysia, media reports said. In order to do so, Cainiao has partnered with Yunda Express. It was reported that around 100 collection stations near communities and business districts across the country will be strategically set up, with plans to expand to 500 stations to include West Malaysia by 2022.