Shanghai's courier services back to normal

Courier company staff load parcels into a van yesterday in downtown. Deliveries began to get back to normal after the Spring Festival break. (Photo: Shanghai Daily/Zhang Suoqing)

Courier firm deliveries began returning to normal yesterday in the city as delivery staff returned to work earlier than usual after the Spring Festival.

In previous years, it has taken as long as the Lantern Festival — the 15th day of the Chinese new year — for normal service to be resumed.

It was reported that the late date of this year's Spring Festival and efforts by employers saw staff return sooner.

Companies such as SF, STO, ZTO, YTO and Yunda said parcels accumulated during the holiday will be delivered within a few days.

The number of parcels decreased during the holiday because many online stores stopped accepting orders for fear of shipping delays, an STO Express employee said.

SF Express announced yesterday that it has ended its 10 yuan (US$1.6) service fee for delivery during Spring Festival and resumed its one-day express delivery services.

Some courier firms introduced higher delivery charges before the holiday as they were struggling with staff shortages as many delivery staff were heading home early for the festival.

Most delivery staff do not have long-term contracts, making it easier for them to take leave or simply quit during the festival.