Many online buyers have expressed their concerns over the comparatively long AliExpress shipping times. On average, AliExpress orders are delivered in 15 to 45 days.
In the currently hyper-competitive e-commerce environment, you may need to speed things up. This is particularly the case for drop shippers who source products through the platform. So, can you speed up the shipping time on AliExpress?
Well, you cannot beat AliExpress estimated delivery times, but you could reduce the shipping time significantly. Here are a few things you can do to get faster, on-time deliveries on AliExpress.
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Solution 1: Filter Your Search Results for Local Suppliers
The applicable shipping time mainly depends on the shipping method, order processing period as well as country of origin and destination. Let’s start with the latter, reducing the distance between the origin and destination of your items facilitates faster deliveries.
The main objective here is to try and reduce the shipping distance. You can achieve this by ordering from AliExpress sellers with warehouses in your country or a country near you. Although most AliExpress products are shipped from China, some of its suppliers have warehouses in different countries.
How Can You Reduce the Shipping Distance Then?
You need to filter your AliExpress search results by warehouse location. This way, you can choose a supplier with a warehouse in your country or a country near you. By closing the gap between the country of origin and the destination, you will speed up your AliExpress delivery significantly.
To find local suppliers on AliExpress, you should:
Step 1: Navigate to the AliExpress homepage on your browser and run a search for the item you are interested in using the AliExpress search bar.
Step 2: Click on the “Ship from” drop-down menu—located just above the search results. Next, where you would like to have the products delivered from the list.
This will narrow the search results to just the AliExpress suppliers that have warehouses in the chosen country. Buying your products from a local AliExpress supplier that has a local warehouse(s) can effectively reduce the shipping time by 4 to 10 days.
Since the products are already in your country, you will also avoid delays and charges associated with customs clearance and border inspections.
Note: Some crooked suppliers on AliExpress may indicate that they ship from your country while they actually ship from China. To avoid frustrations and delays that could damage your business reputation, you need to steer clear of such suppliers.
To verify whether your local supplier is genuine, ask them for a tracking number(s) for the orders they have previously handled. With the order tracking number, check the shipping information you need, including the country of origin.
Solution 2: Choose the Most Appropriate Shipping Method for Your Country
The other thing that affects shipment times on AliExpress is the shipping method used. Although AliExpress supports many shipping methods and carriers, some may not apply to your country and/ or supplier. Normally, AliExpress suppliers allow you to choose from several shipping methods.
If you are buying an item for personal use, paying a higher cost to get the product delivered in record time may be justifiable. Dedicated carriers like FedEx, DHL, and EMS normally take 3 to 7 days to ship an item from China to the US.
This may not be a feasible option for a drop shipper as it affects the profit margins. In this case, you should go for suppliers that offer faster, yet affordable delivery options.
Which are the Best Methods for Fast Delivery on AliExpress?
The ideal AliExpress shipping method depends on your country and order requirements among other things. Many drop shippers tend to choose the ePacket delivery method though. This is because ePacket is faster than conventional shipping methods but still affordable.
If you are ordering from a local AliExpress supplier, you should consider the Express Carriers available in your country. For instance, the USPS domestic shipping method will deliver your items in 3 to 7 days in the US.
To find the AliExpress sellers who offer your preferred shipping method, filter your search results by the shipping method as illustrated below:
Step 1: Search for your Product(s) on AliExpress
Open the Chrome browser on your computer and navigate to the AliExpress homepage. Type the desired product name into the AliExpress search bar and press the Enter key to run the search. Now, you need to narrow your search results to just the suppliers offering your desired shipping method.
Step 2: Launch Ali Orders
Click on the Ali Orders icon towards the right side of the screen—the purple icon that looks like a tag. If you do not see the icon, you first need to install the Ali Orders extension.
Step 3: Enable Shipping Info Filter Settings
Click on the toggle button on the right side of the “Filter by shipping method” field to enable the settings. When toggled on, the button will turn blue.
Step 4: Enable/Disable the Relevant Filter Settings
Before you can actually filter AliExpress search results by the shipping method, you first need to enable/disable the applicable filter settings on Ali Order to suit your shipping needs. These are the settings you need to activate or deactivate in this case:
- Shipping Method – click on the drop-down menu to the right side of this field and select your preferred shipping method from the list. If you select ePacket, for instance, your search results will only show the suppliers that offer shipping by ePacket.
- Country – use the drop-down menu adjacent to the “country” field to select the country of destination. By so doing, you can check whether the shipping method you selected above is available in your country.
- Currency – choose the currency you would like the shipping cost to be displayed in.
Once you are done, click on the blue “Import All Match Products” button to filter your AliExpress search results.
Solution 3: Find an AliExpress Supplier(s) With Faster Processing Time
First things first:
The total delivery time = Order processing time + Shipping time
Order processing time is the period between when an AliExpress order is placed and when the items are reloaded onto a ship or aircraft for shipment. For smaller items that are readily available, it will take the supplier a few hours to 2 days to process your order.
However, some AliExpress suppliers are known to take up to 7 days to process an order. The longer the order processing time, the longer you will have to wait for your order to be delivered. To speed up AliExpress deliveries, only work with the suppliers with the shortest processing times.
The following procedure will help you compare AliExpress sellers based on their processing times:
Step 1: Launch the Chrome browser on your PC and navigate to the AliExpress homepage. Now run a search for the product you are interested in using the AliExpress search bar.
Step 2: Click on the purple Ali Orders icon on the right side of the screen. If you can’t find it, you should install the Ali Orders extension then repeat steps 1 and 2.
Step 3: Scroll to the bottom of the pop-up menu that appears to find the “Show processing time” field. Next, click on the toggle button adjacent to this field to turn it on. When on, the button should be purple.
Step 4: Finally, click on the “Import All Match Products” button at the bottom to apply the changes.
Now you can view the processing times suggested by each seller (in Gray)—just below the product image. The processing time for each supplier will also appear on the product page—just below the quantity options. Choose a supplier(s) with the shortest processing time for faster deliveries on AliExpress.
Solution 4: Communicate with Your Preferred Supplier Before Placing an Order
Once you have found the ideal dropshipping supplier on AliExpress, try communicating with them to clear things up before placing an order. From the product page on your AliExpress account, scroll down to find the “Contact Seller” option on the left pane.
Click on this option and type in your message to the seller. For faster shipping times on AliExpress, try to find out whether the supplier can arrange for a faster shipping method at an affordable rate. Depending on the country of destination, the supplier may be willing to use an alternative shipping method that is faster.
Let the supplier know your specific requirements, with regards to the shipping time. Try sending this request to multiple suppliers and see what they have to say about it. You could also use this opportunity to negotiate a discount or better product price(s).
Solution 5: Try Reliable and More Efficient AliExpress Alternatives
Well, this will not help you speed up the shipping time on AliExpress, but it can get your products delivered in record time. AliExpress may be a great marketplace for drop shippers and wholesalers, but their shipping time is awfully long.
Sometimes, your customers may be willing to wait this long to get their products delivered. If not, you will need to find an alternative that is more efficient. In this regard, other Chinese marketplaces won’t be of much help as they also ship from China and use pretty much the same carriers.
For instance, ChinaBrands deliveries take up to 25 days while Banggood guarantees its buyers that they will get their items within 60days. Rather than sourcing through eCommerce platforms, try ordering from the best dropshipping sourcing agents in China.
The BestFulfill Vantage Point
At BestFulfill, we are some of the most reliable and efficient, yet affordable sourcing agents in China. Over the years, we have helped thousands of drop shippers and wholesalers source high-quality and affordable products from China.
We could help you source products from such marketplaces as 1688 and AliExpress, among others. We could also contact Chinese manufacturers directly to find you the best deals. With regards to shipping, we work with some of the most efficient third-party logistic providers for fast and affordable deliveries across the globe.
Additionally, we carry out quality inspections and offer world-class after-sale service to ensure that you get precisely what you want when you want it.
Conclusion
Shipping time mainly depends on the distance to be covered and the method used. Although many buyers do not know this, it is possible to reduce AliExpress’s shipping period by a few days.
To speed up AliExpress shipping time, you should consider buying from a local AliExpress seller and choosing a faster shipping method.
You also need to choose a supplier that processes customer orders much faster. If you wish to beat the AliExpress shipping times, hire the leading dropshipping sourcing agents in China.
FAQs
Q: What should I do if none of the above is helpful?
A: AliExpress shipping is definitely one of the slowest when compared to other eCommerce platforms. If the interventions discussed above, you could still make AliExpress shipping work. In such a case, you should try the following:
1. Dropship Hot Items
Try selling unique and trending items in your dropshipping store. Your customers are more likely to be patient wait for the delivery of such products. While choosing a product niche for your store, it is advisable to specialize in items that cannot be sourced from a brick-and-mortar store.
2. Dropship Cheaper Products
Selling high-quality items at lower price points makes them more appealing to your customers. Such products often come with free shipping on AliExpress. Your customers will be more willing to wait a while longer knowing that they will spend less on the purchase.
3. Keep Your Customers Informed
Since AliExpress shipments take a relatively long time to arrive, your customers may grow restless as they wait. To avoid such a scenario, it is advisable to keep them informed through a disclaimer notice. Try to make all the important shipping information for their order(s) readily available.
Let your customers know upfront how long they may have to wait for the ordered item. This way, they will know what to expect.
4. Offer Great Customer Support
Customer support can make or break your dropshipping business. It is normal to get calls and messages from unsatisfied/concerned customers. How you react to their concerns can make a great difference. This is more likely to happen when your customer(s) start suspecting that their delivery will be delayed.
You could handle such an eventuality in the following ways:
- When sending confirmation emails to your customers, be sure to include the expected delivery dates for their orders.
- Send them the tracking code(s) associated with their orders as soon as you get them from your AliExpress supplier. You could also educate them on how to use the tracking codes to monitor how the shipment is progressing.
- Ensure that they are aware of the applicable refund policy. Making the refund policy clear on the product page will boost your customers confidence and trust in your business.
Q: How Long Do AliExpress Orders Take to Arrive?
A: Well, the delivery time for orders placed on AliExpress varies from one order to another. The shipping period mainly depends on the shipping method and country of destination. It will also be affected by such things as the order processing time and the country of origin as you will learn from this post. (Insert post Link).
