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Lore & Background

The name Cainiao 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, which in the Chinese context has a positive connotation of humility and willingness to learn.

In Their Own Story

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.

Reader's Guide

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. Cainiao also provides return shipping for items bought on Taobao.

Did You Know?

• Cainiao was launched by Alibaba Group jointly with eight other companies on 28 May 2013.
• As of May 2018, Cainiao was one of the largest unicorn companies in China, valued at 100 billion yuan.
• Cainiao ensures delivery within 24 hours to any region of China.
• On March 26, 2024, Alibaba, which holds approximately 64% of Cainiao's shares, said it would acquire the remaining 36%.
• The name 'Cainiao' combines Chinese words for 'legume' and 'bird', meaning an inexperienced or novice entity with a positive connotation of humility.