Several hypermarket and convenience store chains have temporarily suspended deliveries of frozen and chilled products, as delivery service providers face skyrocketing demand amid a COVID-19 outbreak.
Among chains that announced service stoppages was Hi-Life International Co Ltd (萊爾富), which on Tuesday said that deliveries of the products via Taiwan Pelican Express Co (台灣宅配通) would be halted through Saturday.
Hi-Life home deliveries by HCT Logistics Co (新竹物流) would be suspended until June 15, while those by Taiwan S.F. Express Co Ltd (順豐速運) would be suspended in certain districts in New Taipei City and Taipei during an unspecified period, the company said.
Photo: Liao Cheng-hui, Taipei Times
President Chain Store Corp (統一超商), which operates the 7-Eleven convenience store chain, said that refrigerated and frozen deliveries by courier service T-Cat (黑貓宅急便) would be suspended through today.
In-store pickup services would not be affected, it added.
Hypermarket chain A-Mart (愛買) said that some of its cold shipping services handled by T-Cat would also be suspended through today, adding that other types of deliveries would remain unaffected.
Costco Wholesale Taiwan Ltd (台灣好市多) said that refrigerated deliveries to rural areas handled by Kerry TJ Logistics Co (嘉里大榮物流) could see delays, while those to urban areas are expected to run smoothly.
An exception to the delays was Carrefour Taiwan (家樂福), which said that its cold deliveries — handled by an in-house courier service and four contracted firms — would continue to run on schedule.
The shipping delays come after several Taiwanese courier services on Tuesday announced partial service cuts in response to what they said was an unprecedented level of demand.
In a statement, T-Cat said that it would suspend cold deliveries in Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan and Hsinchu City, as well as nationwide deliveries of products from 7-Eleven and OK Mart (來來) convenience stores through today.
The firm also said it would be unable to ensure next-day delivery of uninsured packages through June 14.
A T-Cat spokesman said that the company plans to review the suspensions daily based on the level of demand, considering its ability to provide good service quality and guaranteeing the well-being of its employees.
HCT Logistics said that it would halt cold deliveries to Taipei, New Taipei City, Keelung, Taoyuan and Hsinchu, as well as nationwide deliveries of products from Hi-Life convenience stores through tomorrow.
The domestic unit of the Chinese-owned, Dutch-headquartered chipmaker Nexperia BV will soon be able to produce semiconductors locally within China, according to two company sources. Nexperia is at the center of a global tug-of-war over critical semiconductor technology, with a Dutch court in February ordering a probe into alleged mismanagement at the company. The geopolitical tussle has disrupted supply chains, with some carmakers reportedly forced to cut production due to chip shortages. Local production would allow Nexperia’s domestic arm, Nexperia Semiconductors (China) Ltd (安世半導體中國), to bypass restrictions in place since October on the supply of silicon wafers — etched with tiny components to
Singapore-based ride-hailing and delivery giant Grab Holdings Ltd has applied for regulatory approval to acquire the Taiwan operations of Germany-based Delivery Hero SE's Foodpanda in a deal valued at about US$600 million. Grab submitted the filing to the Fair Trade Commission on Friday last week, with the transaction subject to regulatory review and approval, the company said in a statement yesterday. Its independent governance structure would help foster a healthy and competitive market in Taiwan if the deal is approved, Grab said. Grab, which is listed on the NASDAQ, said in the filing that US-based Uber Technologies Inc holds about 13 percent of
Taiwan is open to joining a global liquefied natural gas (LNG) program if one is created, but on the condition that countries provide delivery even in a scenario where there is a conflict with China, an energy department official said yesterday. While Taiwan’s priority is to have enough LNG at home, the nation is open to exploring potential strategic reserves in other countries such as Japan or South Korea, Energy Administration Deputy Director-General Chen Chung-hsien (陳崇憲) said. While the LNG market does not have a global reserve for emergencies like that of oil, the concept has been raised a few times —
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) yesterday received government approval to deploy its advanced 3-nanometer (3nm) process at its second fab currently under construction in Japan, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said in a news release. The ministry green-lit the plan for the facility in Kumamoto, which is scheduled to start installing equipment and come online in 2028 with a monthly production capacity of 15,000 12-inch wafers, the ministry said. The Department of Investment Review in June 2024 authorized a US$5.26 billion investment for the facility, slated to manufacture 6- to 12nm chips, significantly less advanced than 3nm process. At a meeting with
RSS