International couriers transporting small cargo to major Asian cities may benefit from Overseas Courier Service plans to shorten its delivery times.

According to Nikkei newswires, the company will shorten its delivery times by up to 24 hours for all small cargo passing through its Okinawa hub.

The international courier will not implement its proposals until next month, but will improve delivery times to cities such as Shanghai and Bangkok.

This announcement comes just weeks after research by KPMG suggested that China is leading the global growth in online and mobile retail transactions, which may necessitate the introduction of better practices by international couriers to meet this growing demand.

Nearly half of those surveyed globally admitted to using their mobile phones to complete retail transactions, which is nearly three times higher than results in previous surveys by the consultancy firm had suggested.

More than a third admit to using their mobile phones specifically for their shopping, whether buying groceries from a local store or ordering parcels to be delivered from overseas.