Never-ending conflicts and incessant rocket fire notwithstanding, AliExpress remains somehow committed to catering to the Israeli shopper. The Chinese platform, part of the Alibaba Group, has rolled out free home delivery in Israel for orders over $45. Before this, deliveries were only sent to collection points or post offices. AliExpress is teaming up with Israel Post and most local delivery services, and has even set up its own collection spot at Dizengoff Center in central Tel Aviv.
This move seems like a strategy to gear up for the shopping extravaganza in November and December. AliExpress is looking to compete with Amazon, which offers free home delivery for orders over $49. It is also vying for the attention of Israeli consumers against local challengers like Temu and Shein, alongside international sites like iHerb and Next.
The initiative kicked off as a pilot in September and has been gaining traction in the last two weeks. Right now, it's available for selected products and sellers, so not everyone can access this perk just yet – it's still in testing.
In the near future, AliExpress might give customers the choice between collection point delivery and home delivery, with varying costs, free for purchases over a certain amount. Not all shoppers are fans of home delivery since it means waiting for a courier, but it's a premium service nonetheless.
Currently, the range of products eligible for free home delivery is quite limited, so finding such items might be a bit tricky. We found only one item, but some members in online shopping groups report they've already received home deliveries.
"This is an exclusive pilot with Chita Delivery," Shlomi Niv, VP of Marketing and Sales at Chita, told Ynet. "Currently, there's a limited number of premium products available for home delivery instead of to collection points. As we approach the Chinese Singles’ Day on November 11, more products will be available for home delivery without extra charges."
According to Niv, thousands of packages are being delivered daily. "So far, it's working well, and the number of products is consistently growing. This service will eventually be available for more products."
Last year's shopping holidays were pretty weak for those targeting Israeli consumers since they followed soon after October 7. The market is still navigating challenges with flight cancellations from Europe and the U.S. and halted shipments from Turkey. However, deliveries from Amazon, Next and AliExpress continue smoothly, with current delays mainly stemming from Europe.
"Shipments from China are operating normally, or even better than normal," said Yaniv Porat, owner of Alibuy, a site promoting purchases from local and international websites. "The volume of shipments from China is overwhelming the delivery companies. I only encountered AliExpress's home delivery this week. It's available only for a small range of AliExpress Choice products. Choice is a branding by AliExpress for products they ship and highlight. These are typically the lowest-priced in their category. For such products, shipping is free for orders over $10 (generally, the site doesn’t offer free shipping regularly, so this move prioritizes Choice products).
"The delivery of Choice products, especially home delivery, also comes with a $1.05 coupon for the next purchase in case of delivery delays (beyond the promised timeframe) and a refund for loss, damage, or non-delivery after 45 days, ensuring company responsibility."
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