南方财经全媒体记者杨雨莱广州报道

When it comes to speedy delivery, SF Express pioneered express courier services in China. In 1993, SF was founded in a small fishing village in Shunde, Guangdong Province. Starting with time-sensitive delivery services, SF paved its own way to become China’s leading express logistics integrated service provider, and the world’s fourth largest express company. 

Be that as it may, China's logistics industry is highly competitive. In terms of market share, SF doesn’t command the lion’s share, boasting an unassuming 10.1% in 2022, lower than ZTO, YTO, STO and Yunda Express. However, due to the relatively high price for each order, SF’s operating revenue holds pole position. From this perspective, the title of “logistics tycoon” is not exaggerated at all.

This leading position is attributable to SF’s self-built logistics network. Here is something you may not know. SF is the first among all private logistics companies in China to purchase its own planes. Wang Wei, SF’s founder, once said, “A logistics company without planes is not a real logistics company.” As of this year, SF has 85 cargo planes in service. That amount not only far surpasses most of its peers, but rivals many civil aviation companies.

Apart from its plane-purchasing spree, in 2022, SF invested 11.8 billion yuan in its warehouses and sorting centers, nurturing an enormous and solid logistics network. By 2022, SF had built approximately 30,000 domestic delivery outlets and 20,000 overseas ones, along with transit depots at all administrative levels in China, as well as warehouses at home and abroad.

SF’s ambition to go global is also pressing. And the first to tackle is the Southeast Asia market. In 2010, SF made its initial entry overseas in Singapore. And in 2021, it completed the acquisition of one of the largest logistics companies in Southeast Asia, Kerry Logistics. In Thailand, roughly 1 out of 5 packages is a Kerry Logistics delivery. 

SF’s ambitions are of course not limited to Southeast Asia. To date, SF has established international express and supply chain business in 98 countries and regions all over the world. Take the most recent “Black Friday” as an example. This is one of the most precious expansion opportunities all year. This year, SF worked with Amazon, to provide a value-added service of “compensation for late delivery” to all Amazon sellers.

Today, overseas business has become SF’s second growth curve. In 2022, its income from supply chain and international business reached 87.87 billion yuan, accounting for 32.8% of its total revenue, with a year-on-year growth of more than 100%. However, SF’s overseas expansion is not all smooth sailing. Facing challenges from home, such as J&T and Best Express, as well as from overseas giants like UPS, FedEx and DHL, SF still has a long way to go, to gain a firm foothold in the overseas market.

And according to its 2023 Q3 report, SF’s net profit attributable to shareholders for the first three quarters reached 6.26 billion yuan, with a year-to-year growth of 40%. This provides reassurance for the company’s annual performance.

Even though the road ahead is riddled with challenges, SF should have the confidence needed to press ahead on multiple paths, marching forward into the world, and continuously identifying new opportunities.

出品：南财国际传播中心 21新媒体中心创意互动中心

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英文翻译&配音：李莹亮

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