BEIJING, Jan. 14 (Xinhua) -- BEST Inc., a smart supply chain service provider in China, has recently announced in Bangkok to launch express delivery service in Thailand, as a start of its plan to enter the Southeast Asian market.
BEST Express, a unit of BEST Inc., aims to increase proportion of its international business revenue to its total revenue to 20 percent within five years. Internationalization is an inevitable path for the Chinese companies to grow bigger and stronger and it is especially important to build a smart supply chain during their "going global", said Zhou Shaoning, chairman of BEST Inc.
Thailand is the first stop for BEST Inc. to enter Southeast Asia. Thailand enjoys excellent geographical advantages, with relatively good infrastructure and economic environment. The e-commerce in Thailand is growing at a double-digit rate, Zhou added.
In the next five years, BEST Inc. will invest about 1.04 billion yuan in Thailand to build storage centers, operation centers and establish a technology R&D team.
It is reported that BEST Express offers its express delivery service nationwide in Thailand. At present, it has built four operation centers, more than 70 regional outlets and more than 500 stores in Thailand. In 2019, BEST will increase the number of its stores in Thailand to more than 2,000.
Founded in 2007, BEST Inc. is a supply chain service provider that integrates Internet, IT and traditional logistics services. In September 2017, BEST Inc. was listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
At present, BEST Inc. has conducted business operations in 15 countries and regions including the United States, Germany, Thailand and Australia. (Edited by Hu Pingchao, hupingchao@xinhua.org)