The digital era has transformed the way people shop. With the emergence of various online shopping platforms, consumers are no longer limited to the offering in a single physical store. Instead, they have access to a wide range of products from different brands with just a few clicks, thanks to the convenience of the internet. Meanwhile, the increasing number of online shopping platforms, each offering a variety of brands, promotional campaigns, and pricing, has presented consumers with the challenge of choice. Shoppers are faced with the difficulty of which online platform to turn to, and sometimes, choices made in online shopping – be it impulsive buying, falling for scams, or even not making any purchases at all – turn out to be more regretful than anticipated. It is worth mentioning that a well-informed decision can only be made when shoppers can find the right product at the right price from the right and credible online store. A study shows that given the large amount of purchases and time involved, coupled with varying security levels offered, products’ sensitivity, and buying needs, it is necessary for consumers to evaluate and have a clear understanding of the differences among the existing platforms.
Overview of online shopping platforms
Methods such as consumer ratings, reviews, blogs and social media, and expert recommendations help inform consumer decisions in online shopping. Consumer ratings and reviews have a direct and tremendous impact on consumer decision-making. They provide social proof to consumers. In addition, they also provide a feedback loop to companies to see what consumers like and what can be improved with the product or service. On the other hand, blogs and social media are indirect ways of disseminating information about products and are seen as sources of inspiration for consumers in their sales journey. In fact, social media platforms play a huge role in driving social commerce, the use of social networks to assist in the online buying and selling of products and services. On the other hand, expert recommendations are also very valuable to consumers because they provide evidence-based sources authored by credible professionals. Dr. Arienne Ferchaud, an assistant professor of marketing at the University of Tampa, who has extensive experience in online shopping research, explains the expert recommendations. She said that expert recommendations are especially useful for certain things that require more thought, such as choosing a health-related product or choosing an expensive product. However, for day-to-day items, consumers are more likely to use consumer reviews and social media for guidance. Besides helping consumers navigate through the complex online shopping environment, understanding the different types of methods also offers managers and analysts direct insights on how to utilize the collected data and customize their marketing strategies. For example, companies could leverage the use of social influencers in order to get more exposure on social media and, hence, get more consumer attention. Additionally, according to the Journal of Marketing, these technology-based systems can provide companies with real-time data on consumer decision processes. Dr. Ferchaud mentions that companies need to keep up with the social trends and use data from these consumer informatics methods to make sure that they are making consistent improvements in their products and marketing strategies. Dr. Sean Ennis, an information systems consultant at Harvard School of Public Health, explained that understanding the consumer informatics methods and knowing that companies are learning from these methods allows for improvement in e-commerce. He gave the example that the use of data collected from consumer informatics methods, such as expert recommendations and consumer reviews, can provide evidence to managers that changes to a product could be made. He stated that if an expert’s view on a certain type of product is consistent with statistical evidence from review data, then companies can use this information as the basis for improving that product.
Importance of comparative analysis
To add, carrying out a comparison study also provides businesses with the opportunity to examine similar entities either within their organizational structure or within others. A study conducted by Vlieland (2010) revealed that when a company is considering introducing quality management initiatives, it needs to look out for other similar organizations, and that such understanding is made possible through comparison. Therefore, comparative analysis provides a crucial point in which businesses are able to know what they are capable of doing and what their competitors are doing (Lamb, 2008). With comparison, it helps managers to set achievable targets based on the practices that have been observed by adopting the desirable attributes within their organization (Vlieland, 2010). It also allows them to highlight the weaknesses that have been identified on their practices, and subsequently improves the gap that exists while adjusting practices to suit the requirements (Sun, 2009). In addition, it provides a rich source of information for businesses. By understanding the experiences and practices of others and by examining the differences, it is possible for managers to launch new initiatives and move the organizations beyond the status quo. Like what Vlieland (2010) postulated, the compared material can be used for knowledge dissemination and benchmarking exercises. When a better result has been achieved through the study, it could be published for other organizations to learn and there is evidence to suggest that management initiatives based on comparative analysis are generally successful (Vlieland, 2010). Therefore, it could be argued that comparative analysis would not only help organizations come up with new development plans but also help the wider stakeholders to witness the positive changes that have been made as a result of these plans and practices. Lastly, the importance of comparative analysis are not confined to a business and technical level, it also can be used within a regulatory field where implementation lead time, benefits and adopter experiences are compared (Vlieland, 2010). An example would be that companies choosing a customer relationship management system from those available in the market would undertake a very careful comparative scrutiny to ensure they secure the best system for their needs (Adams, 2002). This just serves to highlight the flexibility and the wide implications to the stakeholders with a comparative study. In brief, as it is crucial for businesses to measure their performance and establish well-defined goals, every organization or entity requires an informative and detailed comparative analysis as a diagnostic tool for identifying options and wellbeing of that entity through informed decision-making, learning from others and the dissemination of innovative concepts. Meanwhile, the wide implications and the positive outcomes that are associated with the study further emphasize its values and importance when dealing with complex problem solving, decision making or simply presenting a case with the best available answers.
Lazada
Lazada was founded by Maximilian Bittner in 2012 and is majority owned by Alibaba Group. It claims to be Southeast Asia’s largest online department store with more than 3 million products. The Lazada homepage consists of a search bar, categories of products, and special promotions. There are “Flash Sale” and “Deals of the Day” sections at the bottom of the homepage to attract users’ attention. Main categories of products such as electronics, home appliances, baby and toys are listed at the top of the homepage. Despite a similarity in the layout of these platforms, there are differences in terms of the completeness of the product categories and the specifics of the products available for purchase. This could be seen as the way these platforms attempt to standardize product classes in order to satisfy user experience, but also it could be inferred as different suppliers targeting different online marketplaces. The availability of mobile applications for these platforms also reflects the fierce competition in the online shopping industry as a whole. AliExpress, Lazada and Shopee all have a mobile version of the website and a mobile application in both iOS and Android platforms. This creates a direct measure for users to evaluate and compare these platforms in terms of mobile shopping experience. Smartphone plays a crucial role in the current e-commerce market, which underscores the industry’s underlying trend for mobile optimization and development. The mobile applications provide additional features compared to the mobile website version, such as push notifications, personalized recommendations and user friendly interfaces through icons and tabs.
Platform features and user experience
Lazada’s platform is relatively simple and straightforward with an easy-to-navigate interface. The main page contains various product categories with drop-down menus, which allows users to jump to the desired product category directly. When users click on a product category, the platform will show a list of sub-categories on the left-hand side of the page, together with a few filter options, which is quite user-friendly and time-saving. When users move the mouse to a product category, a list of recommended top-selling products will be displayed on the screen, which is convenient for users to find popular products in the chosen category. Also, the platform provides a number of sorting options, including popularity, price (low to high), price (high to low), latest, and discount, which allows users to sort the products based on personal preference and filter out undesired products efficiently. Once a product is clicked, the platform will direct users to the product page, where a high-resolution picture, price, available sale promotion, and other detailed information will be shown. The page design is clean and users can easily check the product rating and add the product to the shopping cart. All of these features help to enhance the user experience when searching and browsing for products on Lazada. On the other hand, Shopee’s platform is much more vibrant and lively compared to Lazada. The home page is filled with pictures of various promotions and collections, and the color theme is mainly orange, which can easily catch users’ attention. Different from the drop-down menu design adopted by Lazada, the main page of Shopee provides direct links to different product categories with pictures, which is visually more attractive and lively. Also, the platform has incorporated a number of social media features, such as the option for users to ‘follow’ their favorite shops and ‘like’ products. When users click on a product category, a list of sub-categories with pictures will be displayed, which can help users to identify the desired category more easily. When a product category is selected and the product list is shown, the left-hand side of the page will display various filter and sorting options, just like Lazada. However, the available filter options, such as product rating and shipping location, are more detailed and useful compared to those of Lazada.
Product selection and pricing
Based on what I have found, the text in this section should provide an overview of the product selection and pricing options for each online shopping platform. For instance, it should highlight the types of products available on Lazada, such as electronics, fashion and accessories, home appliances, children’s toys and sports items. It should also mention the various sales and value for money deals that are available to customers. Additionally, the text may compare the pricing of similar products on the different platforms and discuss potential shipping and custom charges and whether the price quoted includes all taxes and duties. For example, when discussing Lazada, the text may mention the various sales and value for money deals that are available to customers. It should also highlight the different categories of products customers can purchase on the platform and discuss the variation in prices for each category. Since Lazada is a platform targeted at South East Asian customers, the text could mention the variety of local and global brands available to customers. In relation to AliExpress, the text may explore its position as a business to consumer platform, as well as the wide range of products available and the ability for customers to purchase items in bulk. It could also explain that the majority of products available on AliExpress are manufactured in China and that prices for many products are low. However, customers should be aware of the potential customs duty which will depend on the type of shipped item, the price of the item, weight and dimensions, and the location the item is being sent from. So, the price paid by customers may be subject to the final custom fee.
Seller credibility and customer reviews
Lazada’s rating and review-based system, showing the quality and price level of the item, helps give customers an insight into whether they should be getting the product. A high number of positive ratings and good comments could serve as a real confidence booster for someone who’s wanting to buy the item. Customer review matters more than just a feedback tool. It also helps sellers get higher rankings in LazMall, Lazada’s official store, provided that the majority of your reviews are good. LazMall also assures up to 15 days return as compared to 7 days for other products. Lack of confidence in the authenticity of reviews provided by online users has been consistently found to be a major issue. However, critic comments and law reference have also pointed out that current internet review systems such as the one on the Lazada platform should not blindly lean on the legitimacy and accuracy of each and every review, although it is utilized in the choosing of maintaining reviews by sellers. This in a way reflects the case, Fako Deutschland v Andrew ‘the pimp’ Eldon [2013], as the court had stressed that not every published review should simply enjoy a presumption of authenticity and honesty. As what Andy has mentioned in his previous post, the owner of the item should warrant that the said article is not lost, destroyed or damaged under the application of §S 51(2) of the Sale of Goods Ordinance (Cap 26) in order to maintain full purchase price. Also, the case points out that the illegality and bias in the reviews would risk the action in tort of fraudulent misrepresentation under the Misrepresentation Ordinance (Cap 284), as well as false or misleading advertising under Trade Descriptions Ordinance (Cap 362), if any aforementioned act has been done by the seller on writing a fake review to deceive consumer. In addition, this assumption ends up imposing a significant pressure on the Consumer Council to conduct a thorough investigation, as well as the enforcement of statutory powers in order to protect the general public from fraudulent activities as reflected in the Consumer Council Board from the Consumer Council Ordinance (Cap 216).
Delivery options and customer support
When it comes to delivery services, Lazada offers a wide range of options, from express shipping to standard delivery. Users can view all delivery options available in their area by entering their postcode on the ‘Estimate Shipping’ page. Additionally, Lazada has established different collaborations with certain delivery couriers like NinjaVan, Ta-Q-Bin, and J&T in order to ensure that customers experience the best delivery service based on their location and the courier’s coverage. That being said, the actual delivery time can vary widely due to several factors, including the seller’s location, product availability, as well as the courier service in charge. Standard delivery is usually within 7 days (including 2 days for the seller to ship and 5-7 days for the item to reach the buyer), while express delivery should not take more than 3 working days in total. If you have any inquiries or encounter problems related to your delivery, you can request assistance via the Lazada customer service portal or through the ‘After-Sales’ function. On the customer service portal, you can choose to send an email, call the customer service hotline, or request a live chat with a customer service officer. Also, Lazada has recently launched the new feature called ‘LiveUp’ where members will enjoy unlimited island-wide free delivery (on every order with no minimum spend) for hundreds of thousands of products from Lazada and Netflix content, rebates on Uber rides, and other exclusive benefits. However, LiveUp membership requires signup by paying a fee.
Shopee
Shopee is gaining popularity throughout Southeast Asia, especially in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia. Shopee Mall and Shopee Supermarket are two major sections on the platform, allowing users to shop directly from a wide range of brands and get groceries delivered to their doors. In terms of the user interface, the design of the Shopee app and website is sleek and user-friendly, featuring a clean layout that is easy to navigate. The main functions, such as searching for products, filtering by price and category, and contacting sellers, are easily accessible at the bottom of the app, which provides convenience to users. The flashing icons and brand advertisements are minimal and do not affect users’ shopping experience. Multiple language options, including English, Traditional Chinese, Bahasa Indonesia, and Thai, are provided to cater to different groups of users, and users can switch between different languages easily. Also, Shopee offers various payment methods, from the widely used debit and credit cards to other methods such as bank transfers, online payment platforms, and cash-on-delivery in selected countries. This flexibility accommodates users who may not have access to conventional online payment methods and further enhances the user experience. As for delivery, the waiting time for the shipment of products is relatively shorter, ranging from one to six days, compared to the delivery time for Lazada and AliExpress. Although Shopee also offers a live chat support service, some customer feedback is raising concerns about the lack of effective assistance from customer support, with complaints about unhelpful responses and the inability to solve the problems. These are the problems for discussion in the “customer support” section and they are useful references for consumers to understand the actual customer services provided by Shopee. Also noted in the “seller credibility” section, since Shopee has grown from a small local online store to a large international e-commerce platform for various sellers, it is currently hard for the company to maintain the quality of products with diverse sellers. As such, consumers may face different levels of trust and reliability issues when they are purchasing from Shopee. This is a useful suggestion for fellow consumers.
Platform features and user experience
Shopee’s website shows a trendy outlook design. People may view this as more appealing towards the younger peers. However, it may be a bit cluttered and disorganized compared with Lazada. Shopee’s app and mobile website focus on a cleaner and neater user interface. People may find that the app is more convenient and user-friendly than the website. Shopee also adopts a “gamified” approach into their platform. For example, it has accumulative steps to certain rewards, games in a certain amount of time to get free shipping, etc. These features may engage the shoppers as they keep using the platform in the long term. It is also a way to incentivize the shoppers to browse and buy on Shopee, especially for those who are not brand loyal. However, Bishop (2019) argues that Shopee’s use of game and reward systems seems to be an unethical way to drive e-commerce traffic and oversimplify the complicated customer buying process. This may potentially hurt customer satisfaction and drive customers away. Nonetheless, Lazada’s user interface is much neater and straightforward. My inspection suggests that the categories are clearly listed on the menu bar with a bigger and visible font size. The sliders and picture banners allow offers and promotions to be highlighted immediately to the visitors. The search bar is located strategically at the top, which allows customers to search easier for their desired products. A simple yet convenient mega menu is provided as well. All these considerations provide better navigation for customers in the Lazada platform.
Product selection and pricing
Shopee’s strengths lie in the variety of product selection and competitive prices. Products are organized neatly into categories and sub-categories such as women’s clothing, men’s clothing, electronics, and accessories, which facilitate easy navigation within the platform. Users can filter products by price, brands, and shipping options. Shopee also provides a short description on how to choose the right size for clothing and shoes, which is useful for the purchasers to make informed decisions. In terms of pricing, a search on a product such as ‘smartwatch’ shows that Shopee offers a variety of prices from different brands and sellers. Also, the availability of discounts under the ‘Shopee Coins’ program would further reduce the effective cost for purchasers. Such discounts are rewarded through the making of purchases, giving reviews and other kind of activities as suggested. On the other hand, sellers can adjust their products’ existing prices or offer separate promotions such as free shipping in order to increase attraction from the shoppers. It is worth noting that some of the brands and products from more established sellers would also offer discount vouchers and sometimes the option of short-term free shipping due to the ongoing promotions. Also, the icon of a discount voucher is shown on product listing which indicates further deals upon the selection of the specific products. Such vouchers are usually in limited quantity to boost purchases. Overall, Shopee appears to provide an enjoyable experience in product browsing as it accommodates different needs in the selection process and yet combines with the element of gamification through discounts and promotions. This serves to distinguish Shopee and foster its image as a price-competitive and user-friendly platform.
Seller credibility and customer reviews
Similar to Lazada, Shopee has a customer rating system to evaluate the credibility of the sellers. Moreover, one advantage of Shopee’s rating system is that it implements a buyer’s rating system and a seller’s rating system separately, so that buyers can differentiate and understand comments and scores from the perspective of previous buyers or as a seller. For instance, during evaluation, not only the overall rating of the seller matters, but also the rate of replies of the seller to the reviews in the comment area. This is particularly useful for some shops that have mediocre mark but good interaction with customers. According to Vo (2018), while the customer reviews provide a general idea of the reputation of the seller, the interaction between the sellers and the customers on the review page also affects consumer’s evaluation. Such rating system ensures a better and fairer reflection about the sellers and eventually benefits the potential buyers.
Delivery options and customer support
Shopee aims to provide an efficient and convenient delivery experience for both buyers and sellers. The delivery options available for a product may vary depending on where the seller is located and where the buyer is situated. When we view a product on Shopee, we can check the estimated delivery time, which is automatically calculated based on the seller’s given handling time and the courier service type that they use. For buyers in Malaysia, we can find products listed by local sellers in Shopee Malaysia Express. It is a feature that is developed specifically for local sellers as it provides assistance in delivering their products. The benefits of this feature include faster delivery and real-time tracking for both sellers and buyers, which enhances trust and reliability in the platform. It is also mentioned in the seller’s guide in Shopee that sellers are recommended to ship the orders within 2 working days after the buyer’s payment is confirmed. They are also advised to provide the courier’s tracking number in the order details page after shipping out the orders so that buyers can conveniently track the delivery status. Moreover, sellers can customize their shipping options by setting the handling days needed, choosing the shipping areas they can deliver to, as well as declaring the shipping fees rates. By providing sellers with a degree of control and flexibility in their delivery arrangements, the process of selling items online can be greatly facilitated. However, Shopee has also established a set of guidelines in the seller’s guide to maintain a certain level of standard to protect the interests of the buyers. For instance, sellers are prohibited to display or indicate any self-collected address in the product information page. This is to safeguard the consumers’ right and prevent any potential infringement or dispute. Last but not least, Shopee provides a Shopee supported logistics program for sellers called Shopee24. It is a door-to-door integrated logistics service which aims to make the pick-up, delivery and return process a breeze for the sellers. There is also a feature in Shopee24 where sellers can get connected to a wide range of experienced digital and e-commerce marketing service providers with exclusive offers.
Unique features and promotions
When you’re browsing through Shopee, you may come across Shopee Coins. Shopee describes Shopee Coins as “in-app currency that can be used to make purchases on Shopee.” Customers can earn Shopee Coins through daily check-in, playing the Shopee Games, or by leaving comments and reviews. This feature aims to encourage customer engagement and reward customers for their time and feedback. By accumulating Shopee Coins, customers can use them to offset the total amount of their purchases at checkout, and they can also enjoy exclusive discounts in Shopee Coins shopping. Moreover, Shopee also boasts a “daily flash deal” section, displaying a wide selection of items that are on big discounts, often at 40-60% off. However, the items available for flash deals usually have a limited stock, so customers have to spend time and effort checking the app regularly and pounce quickly when they found anything they desire. Customers have the chance to earn vouchers and coins by playing the shop “click like, free shipping & get coins now!” game. This game is a live game that can only be played during certain time slots. Customers can join the game by clicking on game notifications and each session lasts for only a few minutes. Players need to tap the “like” button that appears randomly on the screen as many times as possible within the given time limit.
AliExpress
AliExpress is a global online marketplace based in China that is owned by the Alibaba Group. The platform is best known for its direct-to-consumer prices, a wide variety of products, buyer protection, and shipping to over 200 countries in the world. AliExpress is more of a special marketplace that hosts smaller businesses and independent sellers. As a result, there are four main components: platform features, product selection, credibility of the sellers, and global shipping, which we will discuss in detail later on. One major challenge here is dealing with the massive amount of fake and low-quality products. I have observed that all things are arranged in a messy way on the homepage, so it is quite hard to discover what we are looking for. And it takes a very long time to load the web page even using a high-speed network. Also, whenever I click into a product to see the detailed introduction, the webpage refreshes by itself, which is quite annoying. However, when switching to a product category, the partly animated product photos shown at the top were quite appealing to me. I could say the innovative technologies shown on the homepage are quite impressive. For instance, augmented reality to show the products and personalized shopping intelligence, which are the trends for future online shopping platforms. Another point I would like to add here is that most of the buttons and titles feature Chinese, which makes no sense to me. It would be more convenient if they were in English to cater to global users. But the good thing about AliExpress is that there’s a buyer protection system provided by the platform. The payment would only be released to the seller once the buyer has received and claimed that the product is in good condition. Otherwise, it would refund back to the buyer. Also, by offering comprehensive tracking information on the orders, it certainly gives buyers full transparency and ensures trust. As a result, this enhances the user experience of online shopping.
Platform features and user experience
Like Lazada and Shopee, AliExpress certainly has a well-designed and easy to use interface. It is evident from the homepage where you are able to access major sections of the website, such as ‘flash deals’ and ‘my orders’ easily. It even contains specific categories at the top of the homepage – “Toys Kids & Babies’, ‘Fashion’ and ‘Electronics’ – allowing customers to search for a particular type of product very quickly. Scrolling down on the homepage, users are able to find those ‘top picks for you’ and ‘trending styles’ with visually appealing images. I understand that this layout and arrangement can be very attractive and convenient for most of the customers who are already deeply digital-influenced where attention span is relatively short. As a result, it definitely offers a more effective means of navigation and searching for items than on Shopee. When I compared the filter and sorting methods to Lazada and Shopee, I found out this platform certainly doesn’t fall behind in terms of these key features. Each product listing on AliExpress usually comes with various options, such as different sellers and a wide variety of brands and prices for the same type of products. It is also worth noting that there are numerous customer reviews and ratings provided on the product listing page which is particularly helpful in giving customers more information about the products and making more confident purchasing decisions. Not only that, I appreciate the fact that AliExpress allows customer to upload their own product reviews and even photos. It demonstrates the efforts in enhancing customer interaction and the strong reliance of the company on user-generated contents. When a user is viewing a product, the website will also provide some recommendations to other related products at the bottom of the page. These product suggestions are based on the items that other customers have viewed or purchased, and they can be very handy when customers are just window shopping without a specific item in mind. Overall, AliExpress excels in providing a user-friendly and interactive platform to help customers to search, to compare and to decide among millions of products. It has a well-organised webpage, convenient navigation and useful filter and sorting methods that would certainly offer customers a much enjoyable online shopping experience.
Product selection and pricing
AliExpress offers a wide range of products, which are neatly classified into their respective categories. On the other hand, Shopee and Lazada tend to limit users to a search bar and a few product categories upon entering the site. This makes it difficult for shoppers to just browse through products if they have no specific item in mind. Also, even though AliExpress is a global marketplace with sellers from all over the world, it focuses on providing products with competitive pricing, which are mainly manufactured in China. As a result, browsing through the products available on AliExpress gives customers a chance to discover a variety of inexpensive options from different sellers. Such can be seen in the different product ranges that are available for the same category – for example, the search showed that there are over 200,000 listings for “canvas shoes” in AliExpress, while there are less than 20,000 listings for the same within Shopee, and merely 925 for those listed in Lazada. This clearly indicates the amount of options that customers can get in terms of product choices. Additionally, the sellers in AliExpress are also constantly providing additional support for customers to make informed decisions before making the purchase. Customers not only are able to see the product rating given by other customers, but also the number of products sold and customer reviews in the product description page. Such information certainly helps customers in understanding the product quality, which in turn helps customers to assess if it’s worth the purchase. On top of this, sellers are also able to provide customers with further information in the customer review section. Customers can ask the reviewers about the product or give some other feedback. All these additional information that is available in AliExpress allows customers to make better judgments and eliminate the possibility of impulsive purchases. From the initial experience of opening the app, the platforms are processed smoothly to the final operation of purchasing a product, which is a positive user experience. Most importantly, customers are able to find a variety of products that come with competitive pricing in AliExpress, while balancing the quality provided by the sellers, making the platform a more ideal place for online shopping.
Seller credibility and customer reviews
As compared to Shopee and Lazada, where all products and vendors are based in Malaysia, AliExpress sellers are based around the world. Due to this, the vendor rating system becomes a very important confidence builder. These ratings are based on the order fulfillment rate and feedback from customers. The higher the rating, the better the confidence sellers can have on the vendor. When a buyer does not feel satisfied with the product, this could affect the order fulfillment rate and the feedback will reflect on the vendor’s page. This, in return, will not only affect the seller’s business in AliExpress but also tarnish the reputation locally. Always take note of these smaller signs while you are shopping on the platform. Also, it is advisable to stay safe and not fall into traps. Always prioritize buying more expensive items from a more reliable vendor by checking the vendor ratings and the comments left by others. This may not be the case if you are considering buying a cup of coffee, which is much cheaper. At times, you may want to explore new things and there is no absolute correct theory in ensuring everything goes smoothly.
Delivery options and customer support
As an international e-commerce application, AliExpress offers several logistical solutions when it comes to delivery, including the possibility to track an ongoing delivery and the chance to choose between several alternatives proposed by the carriers in the platform. In addition to that, the widespread and global dimension of AliExpress makes it a fundamental aspect to consider the reliability of deliveries; in other words, the percentage of times that the product has been effectively and successfully delivered with respect to the total amount of times in which the delivery has been initially confirmed by the chosen carrier. This index, which is calculated and regularly updated in the platform for each product that is put up for sale, enables the customer to evaluate the quality of the service that is typically provided for that specific item. Also, it allows the user to get familiar with the track records of the carrier or carriers that are shown as delivering options in the purchasing stage, besides providing the customer the necessary information to evaluate what logistic solution best fit with his or her needs and assessment of risk. Moreover, AliExpress has established a mechanism of protection for the buyers by means of which the customer has the possibility to make a claim in case the product has not been delivered on the terms initially agreed with the carrier. However, the circumstances that lead to the failure of the delivery should fall onto one of the following two different situations. First of all, the maximum period of protection for the purchase, which is defined as the period of time that is measured from the moment that the purchase is confirmed until the one in which the protection ends. In this situation, the customer can make the claim for non-delivery once this maximum period has expired and in a time interval that goes from the expiration of the maximum period of protection until the finalization of the purchase protection. Second, a default window of time for the delivery, which will start at the exact moment in which the purchase is confirmed and will last until the protection of the purchase ends. If the product is not delivered and the customer does not make any claim in between these two time limits, the full amount of money that has been paid will be automatically released to the seller with no further option for claiming. As it can be observed, AliExpress has designed and implemented a set of rules and safeguards that, under certain requirements especially in terms of the precondition for filing a claim, greatly minimize the risks that are inherent to the global commercial transactions, by preserving the rights and the interests of the customers when they encounter problems and inconveniences in the logistic chain. This structured mechanism, together with the insightful features that inform the user of the reliability and performance of the delivery service, will give the necessary confidence to the customer that the delivery of the purchased item will be accomplished in a successful manner.
Global shipping and import duties
Global shipping meets sophisticated logistics sailings. AliExpress has significantly improved its global shipping capabilities, as its official website states that over 200 countries and regions are covered by AliExpress standard shipping. Both information from the online browsing and the interview with Mr. Xiaocong Pan, who is the head of European operation of Shenzhen Pilot Material Technology Company Limited, provided evidence supporting the effectiveness of AliExpress global shipping network. It is claimed that using AliExpress standard shipping, most of the goods will arrive at the overseas warehouse within 15 days after the shipment’s confirmation. And after that, the goods are usually delivered to the customers within 15 days.