AliExpress aims to export Singles Day to Europe
The Chinese online marketplace, part of the Alibaba Group, has upgraded its supply chain in response to coronavirus and ahead of Singles Day.
In order to ensure smooth logistics during and after the pandemic, AliExpress has been working closely with Alibaba Group logistics arm Cainiao Smart Logistics Network and last-mile logistics partners to shorten the cross-border delivery time.
In Europe, for example, Cainiao launched a new international air-freight route in August 2020 to speed up average delivery times between China and Europe by over 30%. Selected goods shipped through the new route can now reach consumers in AliExpress’ key European markets such as Spain and France in 10 working days, with the aim to expand to more European markets in the near future.
Relying on the overseas warehouses in Europe serving AliExpress merchants, the Cainiao intra-Europe trucking network taps algorithms to generate the most-efficient loading plans and transportation routes for its fleet, as well as the optimal number of trucks to deploy in real time.
Tapping on this line-haul network and collaborating with local last-mile delivery providers, AliExpress is able to connect partner warehouses and transport hubs in Spain, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Czech Republic and the Netherlands, achieving three-day delivery in Spain, France and Poland, five to seven days in other European countries.
New service for bulky items
Big-ticket items like furniture and motorcycles, continue to be a pain point for many manufacturers around the world, as they find it hard to ship directly to retail shoppers.
To address this, AliExpress recently launched a cross-border logistics solution dedicated to large items – products of more than 4 metres in length and width, or weighing more than 300kg.
