Cainiao
Chinese logistics and package delivery company
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cainiao Smart Logistics Network Limited (Chinese: 菜鸟网络科技有限公司), formerly known as China Smart Logistics Network, is a Chinese logistics company launched by Alibaba Group, jointly with eight other companies, on 28 May 2013.[1] On March 26, 2024, Alibaba, which holds approximately 64% of Cainiao's shares, said it would acquire the remaining 36% of Cainiao's shares.[2] As of May 2018, Cainiao was one of the largest unicorn companies in China, valued at 100 billion yuan.[3][4]
| |
| Industry | Logistics |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2013 |
| Headquarters | Hangzhou, China |
Key people | |
| Parent | Alibaba Group |
| Website | www |
Cainiao ensures delivery within 24 hours to any region of China. The company also shares resources with other logistics companies.[5]
Etymology
The name Cainao combines the Chinese words 菜; cài; literally:; 'legume' and 鸟; niǎo; literally:; 'bird', as part of a metaphor meaning "the bird that only eats legumes." An animal like this would be considered weak, clumsy, or underdeveloped (unlike a meat-eating, strong, and experienced bird of prey). Thus, "Càiniǎo" could be translated as an inexperienced, novice, or beginner entity,[6] which in the Chinese context has a positive connotation of humility and willingness to learn.
Services
Cainiao Station
Cainiao operates a network of courier pick-up points known as Cainiao Stations (Chinese: 菜鸟驿站) across the Chinese mainland. These stations are strategically situated in residential neighborhoods and on university campuses, serving functions akin to traditional post offices. When a courier package is destined for a location within a Cainiao Station's service area, it is rerouted to the station and stored there. Recipients are notified to collect their packages, which are organized on numerical shelves and assigned a unique 4-digit code as they enter the station. Customers can locate their package using this code, and after finding it, they scan it at a self-service checkout machine to complete the pickup. Additionally, some Cainiao Stations provide services for sending packages.[7][non-primary source needed]
Cainiao Express
Cainiao Express (Chinese: 菜鸟速递) is a courier service. Customers can ship packages and documents by requesting a pickup through the Cainiao app. Cainiao can also be used as one of the shipping methods when selling items on Xianyu, a classified ads and online shopping app for used goods.[8] Cainiao also provides return shipping for items bought on Taobao.
