AliExpress has unveiled a new logistics initiative, Local+, designed to enhance its shipping capabilities across Europe. This move is designed to attract European sellers, enhance delivery speed, and improve the overall shopping experience for consumers.

A Strategic Move to Compete with Amazon

Until now, AliExpress offered AliExpress Standard Shipping and regional warehouse deliveries through external partners, including Cainiao, Alibaba’s logistics subsidiary. However, these services fell short compared to Amazon’s global logistics network. With Local+, AliExpress takes a significant step toward closing that gap by offering faster, more reliable local shipping services directly from European warehouses.

How the Local+ Logistics Service Works

The Local+ service allows sellers to store and ship goods from warehouses located within Europe. Products that qualify for this service will feature a Local+ badge, signaling fast delivery to consumers. To earn the badge, sellers must ship orders within seven days.

Key Benefits for Sellers and Shoppers

• Faster Delivery Times: Shorter transit windows from local warehouses.
  
• Simplified Returns Management: Smoother and faster return processes for sellers and buyers alike.
  
• Increased Visibility: The Local+ badge helps highlight eligible products, increasing conversion rates.
  

New Consumer Offers: Best Price Guarantee and Combo Deals

Alongside the logistics update, AliExpress has introduced several new consumer-focused initiatives:

• Best Price Guarantee: Available exclusively through the AliExpress Big Save channel.
  
• Combo Deal: New customers can buy three items for just €0.99, with free shipping in 6 to 10 days and free returns.
  

Additionally, AliExpress has upgraded its returns policy:

• Free returns within 90 days of purchase or 15 days after delivery.
  

These offerings aim to enhance the value proposition for European consumers and compete more directly with Amazon and local e-commerce platforms.

AliExpress Strengthens Presence in the UK

AliExpress is also expanding its presence in the UK by introducing same-day delivery, including hourly delivery options. Currently, this service is available to a limited number of sellers, including Hungry Panda, an online grocery platform.

In a push to attract local UK businesses, AliExpress has announced that UK sellers and suppliers can now join the platform for free. Bonnie Zhao, General Manager of AliExpress UK, noted:

“Local businesses and suppliers can connect with millions of buyers on AliExpress, and consumers will enjoy faster shipping and a wider range of products.”

Preparing for New EU Regulations

These initiatives are not just about improving customer service—they’re also a response to upcoming regulatory changes in Europe. By 2028, the EU is expected to eliminate the minimum tax exemption threshold, resulting in higher customs duties on imports from outside the EU. Additionally, the European Commission is considering a new import tax of up to €2 per order on shipments from non-EU countries.

In this context, AliExpress’s investment in local infrastructure is a strategic move to remain competitive and cost-effective for both sellers and buyers.

With the launch of Local+, improved returns policies, exclusive deals for new customers, and a strong push into the UK market, AliExpress is ramping up its efforts to become a dominant player in European e-commerce. By addressing both logistical efficiency and regulatory challenges, the platform is positioning itself for sustainable growth and a stronger local seller ecosystem.

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At least 95.8% of European consumers shopped online in the first quarter of this year. In the United Kingdom, that percentage was 93%. In the Netherlands, 96% of consumers shopped online. Specifically, the highest % of respondents who have made online purchases, 99%, were recorded among people between 35 and 44 years of age. In addition, this age group was the largest (25%) in the highest spending segment, which is between 351 to 583 euros. 

These data come from the recently published Consumer Insight Report from AliExpress. The online marketplace surveyed over 8,500 consumers from France, Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands about their online shopping habits in the first quarter of this year.

The survey also reveals that online marketplaces continue to be the preferred channel for shopping, with 53.5% of Spanish consumers stating that they have purchased from them. 

By region, consumers in the Canary Islands are the ones who have used marketplaces the most to make at least one purchase in the last quarter, with 60% doing so, followed by Andalusians with 59%.

UK consumers are the ‘big spenders’ 

According to the report, 63% of consumers in the United Kingdom spent an average of between 100 and 500 euros online during the first quarter. The remaining 37% spent less than 100 euros during that period. Regarding consumers in the Netherlands, 75% spent over 100 euros.

‘In the United Kingdom, millennials and Gen Z consumers spent the most on fashion online.’

Fashion was the most popular online shopping category. In the United Kingdom, Gen Z and millennials spent the most in this category. This insight shows that British consumers like to follow the latest fashion trends.

Most sold categories 

Among survey participants, the top-selling categories on AliExpress were:

• Clothing, underwear, pajamas and footwear: 83.5%.
• Home appliances and consumer electronics: 79.5%.
• Phones/telecommunications: 75.5%.
• Sports and entertainment: 52.5%.
• Beauty and health: 52%.

Gary Topp, European Sales Director at AliExpress, said: "The results of our latest Consumer Insight Report highlight the growing importance of e-commerce in the daily lives of European and Spanish consumers. As we head into the summer with many sporting events, we see more and more consumers buying products focused on sports and wellness. As the first exclusive e-commerce partner of UEFA EURO 2024, we are looking forward to bringing consumers closer to the action."

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96% of Germans and 95% of Spanish consumers surveyed claimed to have bought something online during the last three months, according to a Aliexpress Consumer Insight Report. 

The report also claims that 50% of consumers in Germany, France, U.K. and Spain have used an online marketplace in the last 3 months. 

Aliexpress survey compares the consumption trends of the last three months among consumers in Spain, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom through 4,000 consumer surveys in these markets.

In particular, the figures show that online shopping remains very popular across Europe, with 94% of consumers surveyed saying they have shopped online in the last three months. The highest rates of online shopping were recorded in Germany (96%) and Spain (95%), followed by a still very popular 90% among UK consumers. 

Furthermore, despite being familiar with online channels, Spaniards still enjoy visiting physical stores to shop and report making between a quarter and half of their offline purchases (29%) and online (28%).

Overall Europeans are a continent of online shoppers – with 94% of consumers surveyed stating they had spent money online over the past three months.

“What we can see from this first Consumer Insight Report is an enduring passion for online shopping among Europeans, especially in categories that are all about personal self-expression – clothing and beauty,” AliExpress European Commercial Director Gary Topp said in a statement.

Online shopping preferences by sector 

Sectors do vary according to the region. For example, in France, beauty and health products were the sought-after online and across all product categories, 53% of shoppers spent over €288 ($315) online over the last three months. 

Sports and entertainment topped the consumer category chart in Spain, where 58% of shoppers reported making related purchases. In Germany, nearly 79% of consumers bought apparel digitally in the last three months.

Meanwhile, there’s a party happening across the Channel, where over a quarter of Brits stated they had recently bought wedding and event-related products online.

Overall, it seems the report painted a map of consumer preferences for Europe where we can clearly notice that French consumers are more ‘fashionistas’ while, for example, German consumers are more inclined to trending tech gadgets. 

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The three announced their collaboration to offer consumers an ‘afterwards payment method’ on AliExpress. The "Pay Later" solution from Klarna is for now only available for AliExpress customers in the Netherlands, Germany, Austria and Finland. The goal is to add more countries during the course of this year.

More options in checkout

Michael Rouse, CCO of Klarna, is happy with the collaboration and the fact that shoppers now have more options during the checkout process. He emphasises that this is only the first phase of the collaboration. Klarna is looking forward to expanding to other markets in the short term, along with Alipay, Adyen and AliExpress as well.

Cheer Zhang is responsible for international expansion projects at Alibaba. He says they are constantly looking for ways to improve the customer experience of the popular B2C marketplace AliExpress. “Klarna's Pay Later has proven to be one of the most popular solutions in the European market. We are excited to now add this payment method to our checkout in multiple countries.”

When ordering something from Aliexpress in Europe, it is not unusual for orders to arrive after a full month. This is why it can take a while for retailers to receive their money when a customer chooses for Klarna’s payment method.

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The global e-commerce company is allowing retailers from countries other than China to sell goods internationally via its platform. Mother company Alibaba will expand its international services provided by its subsidiary AliExpress to Turkey, Italy, Russia and Spain.

By using the business model of their fast-growing subsidiary, Alibaba will be able to challenge the world’s largest online retail platform Amazon. According to Alibaba’s President of Wholesale Marketplaces, Trudy Dai, AliExpress will make changes that enable retailers from other countries to sell via their platform. The e-commerce business is currently focused on Chinese retailers who sell their products to customers spread over 150 countries.

Ms Dai, who founded Alibaba along with Jack Ma, said: “from the very first day that Alibaba was founded we had a ‘global dream’”. After gaining experience with the initial four countries, AliExpress is planning to roll out the new service (called ‘local to global’) in other countries as well.

According to an executive the new strategy, which only begun this year, has already created a ‘good foundation’ of SMEs that have registered for retail. However, Billy Leung (director at Haitong), explains that AliExpress’s urge to suddenly expand globally is driven by diminishing growth in its home country China.

Amazon has not yet joined the contest for international market share, as penetration rates in the global e-commerce industry are still very low. The US company has recently announced its plan to close its Amazon China this July, due to setbacks on the Chinese market. Online shoppers from China will remain to be able to purchase from Amazon Global.

The post Alibaba plans to up competition with Amazon appeared first on Cross-Border Magazine.

Products ordered from Tmall will be delivered from warehouses of Alibaba’s partners in Russia. Director of Development of AliExpress in Russia, Mark Zavadsky, says that localizing AliExpress in Russia started two years ago with the launch of marketplace “Mall” within the platform. The upgrade to Tmall will provide better quality of services to a more careful selection of goods, a single warehouse and logistics based on courier delivery.

Russia is a logical choice as a first market aside from China, because it has a large population and is reasonably underdeveloped when it comes to e-commerce. Besides that, it has close cultural and geographical ties to China.

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