Last Updated on by Dan S
Originally Published October 24, 2022.
How best to manage long AliExpress shipping times on Shopify
AliExpress is a large marketplace, where there are more than 100 million products available.
If you dropship products through AliExpress and are wondering how best to manage long shipping times, we’ve put together this article to help you.
What AliExpress shipping options are available
AliExpress products are normally shipped from China, as this is where most the sellers are. You can, however, find non-Chinese sellers on AliExpress who might ship products from a warehouse in your own country. To find products from your own country, just change the country in the “Ship from” field on the product page.
There are several AliExpress shipping options that are available. There are free shipping services and premium shipping services, which you will pay extra for. Sometimes it is a good idea to test the different shipping methods by ordering products for yourself.
AliExpress Standing Shipping is a good shipping option to choose, as it does not eat into your margins. You do not have to increase your product price to absorb higher shipping costs. This method allows you track your package too so you always know where it is. This makes it easier to set expectations for your customers.
How to set expectations
Setting expectations of your customers is super important. As the majority of suppliers are in China, your customers may need to wait longer for their products to be delivered than they are used to. You can look to provide tracking to your customers so they know where their order is at all times.
If your customers are having to wait longer for their products, then offering free shipping can help to make up for the longer wait time.
How to communicate to your customers
As long as your customers are made aware of the longer shipping time, they should understand they’ll have to wait. This should be easy for them to see, such as placing this information on the product pages and elsewhere on your Shopify store.
You can look to use a delivery timer app to help show the delivery time of your products. DeliveryTimer is the perfect app to do just this.
Displaying a delivery timer to your customers sets their expectations of when they can look to receive their products. It reassures them doesn’t leave them guessing. Your customers are less likely to contact you asking when they will receive their products.
Delivery Timer allows your customers to see when they would be likely to receive their order. You can also provide cut-off times for next day delivery options and dispatch times.
