How Do Black Friday Direct Purchase Items Arrive?

Visited FedEx Incheon Airport Logistics Center
Morning Hours Busy Sorting Imported Goods
Processed by Automation and Skilled Workers
Many 'Veteran' Delivery Drivers
"Safe and Fast Delivery"

At 10:50 a.m. on the 8th, a FedEx cargo plane landed at the FedEx logistics center located in the cargo terminal of Incheon International Airport. It departed from Memphis Airport in the United States, carrying express parcels across the Pacific for 16 hours. As soon as it landed, workers split into two groups and approached both sides of the plane's tail by riding carts. Most imported goods had to go through customs clearance (the process of exporting, importing, and returning goods according to customs law) and be delivered by 12 p.m., so the items had to be unloaded quickly. Fortunately, the items that needed to be dispatched first were placed on the outermost side. On the right side, ULDs (Unit Load Devices for air cargo loading) were being unloaded, while on the left side, bulky cargo that could not fit into ULDs or urgently loaded items were coming out. The ULDs were loaded onto carts and headed to the logistics center. Items other than ULDs were loaded onto ULDs via a temporary conveyor belt for transport.

As the biggest sale event of the year, the U.S. Black Friday (November 24), approached, various imported goods poured into FedEx’s logistics center at Incheon Airport. Through the automated systems set up in the logistics center and the hands of experienced workers, goods are safely and quickly delivered to their owners. It is explained that if items depart from near a FedEx hub in the U.S., they can be received within two days.

At 10:50 a.m. on the 8th, a FedEx cargo plane landed at the FedEx logistics center located in the cargo terminal of Incheon International Airport. On the right, ULDs (Unit Load Devices for air cargo loading) were being unloaded.
[Photo by Oh Gyumin moh011@]

From 9 a.m., cargo items arriving overnight were being actively sorted. Besides Black Friday, the year-end period including Christmas is the time when the most imported goods enter Korea. When ULDs unloaded from the plane are placed outside the center, workers open the ULDs and begin sorting. Cargo with boxes of uniform size is immediately moved onto conveyor belts. Irregularly shaped cargo such as clothing is sorted manually and inspected via X-ray. Items suspected to be illegal goods such as drugs or firearms, or items prohibited from import by each country, require direct inspection and are moved to the inspection room. If customs officials confirm the items are illegal, decisions are made regarding their return. Park Won-bin, president of FedEx Korea, said, “Workers directly check chemical substances that lose their efficacy after passing through X-ray.”

Items suspected to be illegal goods such as drugs and firearms, or items prohibited from import by each country, require direct inspection after passing through X-ray screening and are therefore moved to the inspection room.
[Photo by FedEx Korea]

Based on decades of know-how, FedEx informs shippers in advance about such information to prevent unnecessary returns. For example, Pikachu dolls, a Pok?mon character, cannot be imported into Saudi Arabia. This is because items that may be considered idolatrous are not allowed to circulate under Islamic doctrine.

Items without issues on the X-ray undergo the import declaration process. The goods are transferred onto a conveyor belt called a "loop belt," which continuously rotates in a circular motion.
[Photo by FedEx Korea]

Items without issues on the X-ray undergo import declaration procedures. The goods are moved onto a conveyor belt called a ‘loop belt’ that continuously rotates in a circle. Each item has a unique barcode on the outside. A scanner above the belt reads the barcode. Passing the scanner completes the import declaration. Once customs clearance is finished, the goods move toward trucks heading to each station (FedEx regional office). Uncleared goods are stored separately. Many times, shippers fail to pass customs because they do not have the necessary documents. To prevent this, FedEx has established a ‘paperless customs clearance’ system that allows quick customs processing by submitting documents in advance. Shippers are informed to prepare all necessary documents. This system is especially helpful for high-value items over $2,000, which require more documentation than lower-value goods.

Inside the FedEx Incheon Airport Logistics Center, there are export conveyor belts located across the aisle. The export section is below, based on the large pillar on the left.
[Photo by FedEx Korea]

The export process is the reverse of import. Across a passageway inside the center, export conveyor belts are located on the opposite side. After 1 p.m., items from FedEx cargo trucks are loaded into ULDs that will be loaded onto planes and then depart. The peak period for export goods is when K-pop related merchandise is released. Especially BTS overseas fans often request the highest grade of service within FedEx to ensure their items arrive quickly and undamaged.

FedEx Logistics Center located inside the Incheon International Airport Cargo Terminal
Photo by Oh Gyumin moh011@

FedEx Korea delivers quickly and safely to customers through experienced couriers who personally deliver goods. Jae-min Park (52), a courier with 27 years of experience, said that over 80% of items that complete customs clearance before 12 p.m. can be delivered the same day. He said, “It is important to understand the characteristics of customers well,” adding, “I work with the mindset of ‘delivering my own goods,’ remembering places where customers previously asked me to store items when they were not home.”