BEIJING, Nov. 19 -- China's express delivery volume saw a sharp increase during the annual "Double 11" online shopping spree, adding evidence to the recovery and expansion of the consumer market, official data showed.

From Nov. 1 to Nov. 16, express delivery enterprises across the country collected a total of about 7.77 billion packages, surging 25.7 percent from a year earlier, according to the State Post Bureau.

A total of 7.51 billion packages were sent during the period, representing a 30.9-percent growth compared with the same period in 2022, the bureau said.

Express delivery firms have added couriers, extended working hours, and deployed more automated facilities to meet the surging delivery demand during the shopping peak season, the bureau said.

First introduced in 2009, "Double 11" has continued to see the robust spending stream of one of the world's largest consumption markets.