Amidst the undulating hills of Mangala village in northern Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, colorful yet rudimentary old houses are stacked layer upon layer. Bare wires in narrow alleys intertwine like spider webs, and the roar of motorcycles intertwines with the laughter of children, forming the daily routine of impoverished communities in Brazil.
Nowadays, in this community that was once isolated from modern services, a brand new red, white, and green cabin stands out – it is a delivery point set up by Chinese courier company Anjun Logistics in the local area. For many local residents, this express delivery network jointly built by Chinese funded enterprises and communities has allowed them to receive express delivery at their doorstep for the first time in their lives.
China has been Brazil’s largest source of imports for several consecutive years. According to data from the Brazil China Entrepreneurs Council, Brazil’s total imports from China reached $24 billion in the first four months of this year, a year-on-year increase of 28%, ranking first among Brazil’s major trading partners in terms of growth rate. However, the reality that “goods can enter the port but not the alleys, and goods can enter Amazon warehouses but cannot be delivered to poor communities” has become the “last mile” that China Pakistan e-commerce cooperation is difficult to bridge.
The 2022 census data released by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics in November last year showed that there are 12348 impoverished communities in Brazil, with a population of over 16 million, accounting for 8.1% of the country’s total population. These communities have complex terrain, chaotic postal codes, and high security risks, and are considered “unreachable areas” by most express delivery companies, becoming “blind spots” and “high complaint areas” for logistics services. Taking Mangala Village as an example, the delivery success rate of our previous local logistics partners was less than 70%, and large goods were almost impossible to deliver. Sometimes even express delivery vehicles could not enter the community. “Fang Ke, the general manager of Anjun Logistics, admitted that this not only affects consumer experience, but also drags down platform merchant ratings, ultimately restricting sales.
Anjun Logistics has taken the lead in extending its express delivery network to Mangala Village, breaking industry inertia and bias. Fang Ke introduced that Anjun Logistics will set up 20 delivery and transit points in major impoverished communities in Rio de Janeiro, building an end of pipe distribution network with communities as nodes, bringing more convenient and reliable logistics services to residents of impoverished communities.
Fang Ke told reporters that after obtaining community support, they first carried out a pilot project, recruited two local youth as partners, and transformed a corner of the canteen into a pickup point. After this model is mature, they will gradually build a delivery point, create jobs for the local people, provide logistics skills, safety training and other support, and help more people integrate into the urban development system.
26 year old Jo ã o was one of the first hired delivery personnel. He said that in the past, he had to travel far to find a job, but now he has a formal job without leaving the community, which makes him feel at ease.
Starting from Mangala Village, Anjun Logistics is replicating and promoting the practice of connecting the “last mile” to more impoverished communities in Brazil. In Fang Ke’s view, logistics is not only a commercial channel, but also a bridge connecting the economy and people’s livelihood.
We not only want to expand the market, but also hope to do a good job in community business, “he said.” By laying out the express delivery network, we hope to bring more possibilities to more groups, make convenience within reach, and bring more development to impoverished communities in Brazil