A Cainiao delivery truck. Photo credit: Alibaba Group
Logistics service Cainiao is rolling out special offers for bargain-hunting shoppers in Hong Kong who visit southern mainland China to stock up on holiday essentials and gifts, the company said on Thursday.
The cross-border commute by trains, ferries or bus gives Hong Kong residents access to big box stores like Alibaba Group’s hypermart chain Freshippo in nearby Shenzhen.
Traffic between the two cities is picking up ahead of the Lunar New Year holidays later this month, with daily border crossings by Hong Kong residents rising from around 211,000 in early January to more than 385,000 recently, according to government statistics.
Cainiao is keeping pace.
During the first 10 days of February, the logistics company will provide discounted shipping options for goods purchased by Hong Kong residents at seven Freshippo outlets in Shenzhen.
Shipping costs start at RMB4 ($0.56) for the first kilogram of products, and shoppers can opt for same-day delivery on items purchased before 5:00 pm China Standard Time or place orders in advance to receive them the next day.
Cainiao’s services extend beyond the Alibaba ecosystem as well. Shoppers at wholesale grocery chain stores like Sam’s Club or Costco can also use its mobile application to send purchases to Hong Kong.
Hot Items
Many shoppers taking advantage of Cainiao’s latest offer are stocking up on gifts for family and friends during the Lunar New Year, also known as the Spring Festival.
These presents are often small foodstuffs: think decorative boxes of cookies, dried seafood, canned birds’ nests and more.
Mixed nuts are a particular favorite among gift-givers, who can enjoy six cans of these tasty snacks for 30% less than it cost last year at Freshippo, thanks to optimized supply chains.
Consumers are price-sensitive, and 80% of Spring Festival presents cost less than RMB400, according to Cai Danping, head of the Lunar New Year campaign at Freshippo.
“Spring Festival consumption must be affordable and gifts are given face-to-face,” he said in the statement.
