Mei Ri Jing Ji Xin Wen·2025-12-26 00:12Core Insights - The express delivery industry in China is experiencing a shift towards "anti-involution," leading to an increase in per-package pricing and improved profitability for companies [1][3] - The demand for e-commerce logistics remains resilient, supported by robust internet infrastructure and diverse e-commerce platforms in China, which is the world's largest e-commerce market [1] - New e-commerce models such as live streaming and short video sales are rapidly developing, creating a symbiotic relationship between e-commerce and express delivery [1] Industry Growth Characteristics - The express delivery sector has entered a phase of moderate growth, with core drivers shifting from "penetration rate increase" to "structural growth," characterized by: 1. Package smallization due to increased repurchase frequency of affordable goods [2] 2. Rising demand for reverse logistics driven by higher e-commerce return rates [2] 3. Expansion of new models like live e-commerce and community group buying [2] Market Performance and Projections - In 2024, China's online retail sales of physical goods reached 13.08 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 6.5%, maintaining its position as the largest online retail market globally [2] - The express delivery volume and revenue for 2024 were 174.5 billion packages and 1.4 trillion yuan, respectively, reflecting year-on-year growth of 21% and 13% [2] - By November 2025, the cumulative express delivery volume reached 180.74 billion packages, with a year-on-year growth of 14.9% [2] Pricing and Profitability Trends - In October 2025, the average revenue per package in the express delivery industry was 7.48 yuan, a decrease of 3.0% year-on-year, but the decline in revenue per package is slowing [3] - Major companies like Shentong and Yunda reported increases in per-package revenue of 7.4% and 4.5%, respectively, indicating the effectiveness of the "anti-involution" pricing policy [3] Industry Consolidation and Competitive Landscape - The concentration of the express delivery industry is increasing, with the market share of the top eight companies (CR8) reaching 87.0% by October 2025, up 0.1 percentage points from the previous period [3] - Leading companies are optimizing the competitive environment through the "anti-involution" policy, resulting in simultaneous increases in market share and profitability [3] Cost Structure and Efficiency Improvements - For SF Express, labor and transportation costs accounted for 84% of total per-package costs in 2024, with significant potential for cost reduction in the last-mile delivery segment [4] - The introduction of autonomous delivery vehicles could reduce transportation costs per package from 0.16 yuan to 0.05 yuan, representing a cost reduction of 69% [4][5] Investment Opportunities - Despite a recent adjustment in stock prices for express delivery companies, the continuous improvement in profitability presents significant investment opportunities [6] - For instance, SF Express's dynamic price-to-earnings ratio was 17.60 as of December 17, 2025, down from a peak of 121.04 yuan in 2021, indicating potential for recovery and growth [6]