Image source: Air Cargo News

Southeast Asia has become an emerging e-commerce hotspot, with the total e-commerce volume in the region expected to grow by 14.3% this year, according to Emarketer. Considering that e-commerce transactions account for only 4.6% of overall retail sales this year and the continued impact of the epidemic, the region's e-commerce potential is enormous.

Ouyang Chongguang, the Southeast Asia market leader of Alibaba's logistics arm Cainiao, said, " Currently, Cainiao's weekly flight from China to Singapore has increased to 7 flights. The capacity has doubled compared with that the same period last year. Our terminal distribution efficiency in Southeast Asia is more than 50% higher than the same period last year."

Southeast Asia is now a core market for Cainiao to serve global trading and manufacturing upgrades. Cainiao has started operating its eHub digital hub in Kuala Lumpur last year, Ouyang said. Cainiao hopes to provide consumers and small and medium-sized businesses with fast and stable international shipping services by continuously upgrading logistics trunk lines and other infrastructure and taking the lead in Southeast Asia to reach the ultimate goal of 72-hour parcel delivery.

To date, Cainiao's official logistics transit service has covered ten countries and regions outside of China. In addition, Cainiao also provides official direct delivery services for consumers in Singapore, Malaysia and other markets.