Alibaba Cainiao, Alibaba’s logistic division, is joining parcel carrier DHL in Poland. With their combined efforts, the Asian titan intends to expand its presence in Europe. 

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Alibaba Cainiao's partnership with DHL will be translated into creating a parcel locker network in Poland, with an estimated cost of 60 million euros. 

Alibaba has been expanding in Europe in the past few years. Alibaba-owned marketplace Lazada entered Europe only last year.

DHL also announced that the company had acquired shares in Cainiao before this alliance. And that the end goal of their cooperation in Poland is to merge their existing parcel lockers into one single network. Both parties currently own 1,200 lockers in the country.

With this, DHL and Cainiao aim to become the largest out-of-home (OOH) delivery networks in the Polish market.

Poland's e-commerce keeps growing strong

According to DHL's own press release: "Poland is one of the fastest growing e-commerce markets in Europe, expected to double by 2027, and up to 40% of consumers prefer to have shipments delivered to parcel lockers. 

By joining forces with Cainiao, we will strengthen our position as a trusted parcel provider and create an extensive network of state-of-the-art parcel lockers. In this way, we can provide our customers with an even greater shipping experience on top of our existing to-door delivery options," says Pablo Ciano, CEO of DHL eCommerce Solutions.

Alibaba Cainiao and its European expansion 

Over the past years, Cainiao has been setting up its regional hub in Liege, Belgium, and sorting centers in major markets in Europe. This is further complemented by a network of parcel lockers in Poland, Spain, and France to provide a more efficient and seamless logistics experience across Europe. 

"As we tap into the great potential of Europe's e-commerce market, Cainiao strives to contribute to the growth of a sustainable logistics ecosystem by deepening our cooperation with our local partners. We are glad to have found a strong and well-established partner in DHL who shares our vision. By combining both companies' logistics, technology, and e-commerce expertise, we aspire to deliver superior service to our clients and create an unmatched online shopping experience for consumers." states William Xiong, Chief Strategy Officer and General Manager of Europe and SEA regions at Cainiao Network.

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