AliExpress to Launch Semi-Managed Services, Favorable for Merchants to Attract New Customers

[Ebrun Original] On January 4th, AliExpress is about to launch semi-managed services, providing solutions for merchants such as exclusive marketing activities, door-to-door logistics fulfillment, and reverse return services. Merchants can set prices and operate independently.

According to the official poster, the semi-managed services will start recruiting merchants at ten o'clock tomorrow morning and are expected to go live on February 3rd. The initial phase will open sites in six countries, including the United States, Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Germany, and France, and will further open approximately 20 country sites, including the Southeast Asian market, in the future.

Specifically, the semi-managed services will provide services for merchants in four aspects:

1. Collection upon delivery, after merchants receive orders, they only need to make an appointment for collection. Once collected, the payment will be immediately received, and subsequent transportation will be provided by Ali logistics for door-to-door delivery;

2. Standardized delivery, buyers can choose from three levels of capacity: "economy/standard/premium" at their discretion, and the platform will monitor the timing standards of the logistics service providers, promising "compensation for late delivery";

3. Template-free configuration, merchants only need to fill in the corresponding logistics attributes, without the need for manual setting and linking of freight templates. Ali logistics will automatically match suitable logistics plans and show the final confirmed price;

4. Platform assumption of after-sales, priority intervention in order after-sales disputes. For lost packages, payments, refunds, and other after-sales services, the platform will make advance compensation, reducing the average dispute handling time by 36 hours.

In addition, products included in the semi-managed services will benefit from exclusive search and recommendation traffic, with exclusive labels on the front-end buyer pages, and have priority access qualifications for marketing scenes such as Savings Spotlight. At this year's March New Trade Festival, products under semi-managed services will also have an exclusive venue.

(Various hot categories for semi-managed recruitment on AliExpress international site)

A merchant on AliExpress International site told Ebrun Power that semi-managed services do not provide warehousing functions. Its significance mainly lies in testing products and driving conversion: the traffic support of semi-management can bring a large number of small and medium-sized buyers to merchants, "A large number of small and medium-sized customers, their preferences represent the trend direction, and can also be used semi-managed to cultivate and explore potential customers".

The aforementioned merchant further pointed out that if in the future semi-managed services can provide warehousing services, expand to "fully-managed," or if AliExpress International sets up shared overseas warehouses, it will help solve cost issues such as consolidating packages and logistics for the largest small B customer base of AliExpress International, and develop a larger market space.