FedEx Kinko's Opening 2 More Stores in China

FedEx Kinko’s under the wing of the global express delivery giant FedEx announced on October 24 the establishment of two new stores in Shanghai, Eastern China.

The number of its stores in China has been driven up to 17 now. Another nine stores are scheduled to start service before June 2008 in order to meet the increasing needs of small and midsize corporate customers, James Brigance, vice president responsible for FedEx Kinko’s operations in Asia Pacific, disclosed in an interview.

FedEx Kinko’s has been mainly engaged in the provision of package/envelope and office/print services since it marched into the world’s fastest growing economy in 1997.

Previously, it cast its eye mostly to multinationals, acknowledged the vice president. But its target customers have gradually changed with a spate of small and midsize companies in the country.

Currently, FedEx Kinko’s is focusing on small and midsize companies, whose demand is on the surge these days, the vice president noted.

UPS, another global express delivery titan, has also attached great importance to small and midsize corporate users. As early as last August, it set up two UPS Express stores in the Far Eastern metropolis of Shanghai, the first of their kind in China.

The stores, with a simplified delivery procedure, have reportedly offered a full range of shipping options for international shipments, including UPS worldwide express plus, UPS worldwide express, UPS 10-kg box delivery services, and UPS 25-kg box delivery services, in addition to professional consulting services

UPS Asia Pacific President Ken Torok aired in an interview that the UPS Express stores were expected to bring more convenience to business offices and small companies by providing faster services.

Small and midsize companies accounted for more than 99 percent of China’s total and contributed 55 percent of the country’s GDP. And their employees in urban areas made up 75 percent of the country’s total, showed the 2005 data by the National Development and Reform Commission of China, the country’s macro-economic planning body.

FedEx Kinko’s, a provider of office and print services founded in 1970, has become a FedEx family member since 2004. By August, it has set up 159 stores outside the US, and more than 1,700 ones in total around the globe.

Now, its two core businesses are the complete office and print solutions and the retailing of FedEx’s express sector, stressed the vice president.

(USD 1 = CNY 7.50)