Alibaba's international marketplace AliExpress launches hourly delivery in London

The international online retail marketplace of Chinese giant Alibaba, said that London-based customers could order packaged food, beverages and every day household items via its AliExpress app and have it delivered within the hour from today.

The retailer said it has plans to expand to more UK cities over the course of the rest of the year, to meet the “rising demand for local convenience and rapid delivery”.

The platform is also being expanded to partner with local sellers and suppliers through AliExpress Local+.

AliExpress said it had opened the platform to local suppliers and businesses to demonstrate “its commitment to the UK market” and would be offering: “a streamlined onboarding process, 1:1 operation support and discounted commission fee” and gain access to “millions” of AliExpress customers.

For AliExpress customers, the AliExpress Local+ platform would mean “faster delivery on a wider selection of products – including furniture, large lighting, garden accessories, kitchen gadgets and more” with orders being shipped locally and delivered within three days at the earliest.

“Local businesses and suppliers can connect with millions of shoppers on AliExpress and consumers can get faster shipping on a wider range of products,” said Bonnie Zhao, general manager at AliExpress UK.

“This move reflects our commitment to provide upgraded service to consumers and our mission to support local businesses.”