UPS Teams Up with Chinese Online Marketplace

Package delivery company UPS has formed a strategic alliance with AliExpress, a Chinese online wholesale marketplace launched by Alibaba.com, a small business e-commerce company. AliExpress allows customers to tailor orders to the needs of their small businesses, offering smaller-quantity orders, instant online transactions and an escrow service to protect buyers and sellers.

Through its alliance with UPS, AliExpress now offers users the ability to manage their shipping and tracking processes online via UPS shipping technology integrated into the AliExpress platform, including the ability to print UPS shipping labels and request pick-up for their UPS packages all from within the AliExpress website.

Many of the suppliers who sell on AliExpress are long-time members of Alibaba.com and have been working with overseas buyers for years through the site. The initial supplier base includes companies from mainland China, but the platform eventually will be open to international suppliers as well.

“UPS is committed to the growth of China’s involvement in global e-commerce as part of our overall strategy,” says Jordan Colletta, vice president, e-Commerce Marketing at UPS. “Through our alliance with Alibaba, we hope to partner with more small and mid-sized Chinese businesses to simplify their logistics processes and connect them with new buyers and sellers worldwide.”