SF Express to boost e-commerce business with food focus

SF Express, one of the largest couriers in China, aims to boost its e-commerce business by expanding food delivery to cities from Dec 1.

The move is the latest and largest expansion of sfbest.com, a food e-commerce site owned by SF Express, since it was launched in May 2012.

After seven expansions this year, sfbest.com is expected to transfer itself from a Beijing-based regional online food market to a national food e-commerce company, according to a press release from sfbest.com on Friday.

Currently, the company delivers food products to 68 cities in China and it delivers fresh and frozen goods to nine cities in China.

With the rise of middle class in China, there's a strong appetite for fresh, high-quality food. According to the company, sales of sfbest.com for the Nov 11 online shopping festival surged 2,672 percent year-on-year.

Mao Ajing, an e-commerce analyst with Analysys International, said it makes sense for SF Express to expand its food delivery business since the company has very good logistics.