The cold chain logistics in China originated from the export of meat products in 1950s. From 65438 to 0982, China promulgated the Food Hygiene Law, which promoted the development of food cold chain. In recent years, with the improvement of living standards of urban and rural residents and the change of people's consumption habits, cold chain logistics represented by aquatic products, livestock products, fruits and vegetables and flowers has become increasingly hot, and the cold chain logistics industry has also been developing with the increase of market demand.
As far as the overall cold chain system is concerned, China's food cold chain has not yet formed a system, and the gap is very obvious from the consumption and domestic demand of China's economic development and compared with developed countries. The scale of perishable food in China is huge, but the state pays insufficient attention to it and lacks industrial norms, which leads to the backward development of cold chain logistics and forms a unique industrial environment.
1. Competition pattern of cold chain logistics industry
China's refrigerated logistics industry is still in its infancy, with small market scale and strong regional characteristics, and lacks influential and national third-party refrigerated logistics industry leaders. According to HC Dunbar's research, cold chain logistics companies in China mainly exist in the following forms:
(1) Third Party Logistics Company. This type also includes enterprises that enter the cold chain logistics market from traditional logistics companies, such as Sinotrans Yu He, Jinjiang Low Temperature, Shandong Rong Qing, Chongqing Xuefeng, Kangxin Logistics, and Xiahui Logistics, which has a relatively complete cold chain logistics system with McDonald's for a long time.
(2) Logistics companies within the enterprise. The most typical of this type is Yum's Logistics Division. Brands provides core business and logistics services for restaurants under Yum! Brands. Brands with special requirements.
2. Characteristics of cold chain logistics industry
(1) On the basis of providing basic services, gradually provide valuable value-added services.
At present, enterprises in the industry can basically provide basic services such as warehousing, cold chain transportation and local distribution; In addition, some enterprises, such as Jinjiang Cryogenic, Sinotrans Yu He and Chongqing Xuefeng, can also provide additional functions, such as distribution, sorting and labeling. Xiahui Logistics can provide a wider range of services, such as purchasing, inventory management, data analysis and other value-added services. Continuing to provide valuable value-added services will be one of the future development trends of the industry.
(2) The investment in hardware facilities such as cold storage and motorcade is increasing.
Large cold chain logistics companies generally have their own cold storage. However, some self-built cold storage has been built for a long time and the sanitary conditions are poor; Newly built cold storage is usually more advanced. For example, Sinotrans Yu He has a modern cold storage in Jiading, which is the largest single multi-temperature partitioned cold storage in China. It is equipped with a computer-controlled temperature control device, which can adjust and monitor the temperature of the cold storage at any time according to the needs of customers. According to HC Dunbar's research, with the continuous expansion of business and the needs of market development, several large cold chain logistics enterprises have plans to build new cold storage.
The refrigerated trucks of cold chain logistics enterprises are mainly divided into 2 tons, 4 tons, 8 tons, 12 tons, 20 tons and 30 tons according to the transportation scale. According to the specific situation of enterprise customers, refrigerated trucks of various sizes are distributed in different logistics distribution centers to complete local distribution or long-distance transportation services. The number of refrigerated trucks owned by different enterprises varies greatly, ranging from dozens to hundreds. Usually, the average replacement time of refrigerated trucks is about 8- 10 years.
(3) Lack of cold chain awareness and blind market competition lead to price wars.
At present, manufacturers, downstream customers and ordinary consumers in China market are not familiar with the concept of cold chain logistics, and their understanding of cold chain logistics is superficial or incomplete. The lack of cold chain logistics service standards and enterprise employment standards, as well as the cold chain logistics service business carried out by non-refrigerated trucks, have caused vicious price competition among enterprises, which has caused enterprises interested in investing in high-end hardware to provide quality services to fall into certain difficulties. It is difficult to change the status quo of this industry by our own efforts.
3. Development trend of cold chain logistics industry
(1) The service quality and level will be continuously improved.
Almost all cold chain logistics enterprises realize that only by constantly improving the service quality and level and improving customer satisfaction can they promote the healthy development of enterprises. In the actual operation process, some cold chain logistics enterprises try to improve the timely delivery rate, reduce the loss rate, continuously strengthen brand building and improve service quality and level through internal assessment index statistics and assessment of timely delivery rate and loss rate.
(2) The investment in software and hardware facilities will gradually increase.
According to statistics, the number of cars in China is only 1/7 in the United States and 1/4 in Japan, which is still far behind the developed countries. HC Dunbar's research learned through visiting many cold chain logistics enterprises that with the continuous expansion of business, many cold chain logistics enterprises have plans to expand their software and hardware facilities, including various forms, such as planning to build a new logistics distribution center; Planning to build, purchase or lease a new cold storage; Plan to buy refrigerated trucks and improve the distribution network. In addition, while upgrading the original facilities, technological transformation will also become another development trend. The application of satellite positioning system (GPS), RFID technology, electronic ordering system (EOS), electronic car map and other high-tech technologies will further reduce management costs, improve efficiency and increase customer satisfaction.
(3) The awareness of cold chain logistics has been continuously strengthened, and various standards in the industry have been formulated.
At present, China's cold chain logistics industry still lacks service standards and access standards for service enterprises. Therefore, it is urgent to standardize the market order through national standards, establish and improve a series of standards for cold chain logistics industry qualification certification, integrity certification, food-related safety, improve industry access qualifications, and gradually standardize the cold chain logistics service market.