BEIJING — China's courier sector reported an increase of over 50 percent in its business volume during the recent eight-day holiday, the State Post Bureau said on Oct 9.

Some 1.82 billion parcels were collected during the period, up 53.42 percent year-on-year, and 1.8 billion parcels were delivered, up 62.51 percent from a year earlier, said the bureau.

The country's courier sector has been witnessing rapid growth in its business volume since February as it recovers from the COVID-19 epidemic.

Thanks to the country's effective control of the epidemic, consumers have regained confidence, leading to booming online sales of food, daily necessities and electronic devices during the holiday, the bureau said.

Online sales of agricultural products also maintained fast growth during the period, the bureau added.

China celebrates its National Day on Oct 1, and the weeklong holiday this year was extended to Oct 8 as it overlapped with the Mid-Autumn Festival, a traditional festival symbolizing family reunion that falls on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month.