Financial Observation: From Local Logistics' "Best-Effort Delivery" to China's Platforms' "On-Time Delivery" — Is "Chinese Service" Changing European Shopping Life?

How does AI · What Chinese e-commerce’s same-day delivery service win over European users?

【Global Times Comprehensive Report】Editor’s note: For many European consumers who frequently shop online, local logistics companies’ high prices, slow deliveries, and unreliable punctuality often significantly diminish the shopping experience. Some consumers even admit that delivery errors and inability to find addresses are common. To address the “last mile” delivery challenges in Europe, some Chinese e-commerce brands are continuously innovating service models, relying on building comprehensive self-operated logistics networks to greatly improve delivery efficiency. Their “on-time delivery” and even “same-day delivery” services contrast sharply with local companies’ “casual” approach, surprising many European consumers. The strong competitiveness of Chinese logistics services in Europe is backed by the solid steps Chinese service brands are taking to go global. The 2026 Government Work Report explicitly mentions “cultivating Chinese service brands” for the first time, clearly proposing to “expand capacity and improve quality in the service industry” and “strengthen the international express logistics system.” This marks that, following “Made in China,” “Chinese services” are becoming a new national brand and a new pillar of opening up to the outside world.

“This is simply a miracle in the UK”

“Having lived in the UK for three years, local logistics services have always been what I wanted to ‘complain’ about most.” Jenny is a UK-based e-commerce consumer who previously mainly shopped on local platforms. In an interview with the Global Times, she vented her frustrations: “First, delivery fees are ridiculously high. In my experience, the average delivery cost in London is at least 6 pounds, sometimes over 10 pounds.” She added that not only are prices high, but same-day delivery is often impossible, with timing purely based on luck—“Some services claim delivery within 15 minutes, but waiting an hour is normal.”

What also frustrates her is that some delivery personnel are very “laid-back”—mistakes like wrong items and missing addresses are common, and communicating with customer service is exhausting. Over the years, Jenny feels that European e-commerce and logistics services seem less focused on timeliness.

Last year, Jenny started shopping on Chinese e-commerce platforms and experienced their delivery services firsthand. She said, “My happiness level really shot up!” She told the Global Times that Chinese platforms offer very high cost-performance, with delivery fees around 2 pounds—much cheaper than local options. The logistics are very fast; sometimes, she places an order late at night and receives the goods the next morning—“This is simply a miracle in the UK.”

Meanwhile, the professional and meticulous service of Chinese platforms left a deep impression on Jenny: “Frozen food ice packs are very well packed. The most amazing thing is that delivery personnel can always find my apartment front desk accurately and get in smoothly with a card—never lost, and contact is very timely.”

To improve product delivery services, some Chinese e-commerce platforms have built comprehensive self-operated logistics networks covering warehousing, picking, transportation, and delivery in Europe. The process of establishing “overseas warehouses” is also advancing. The international logistics industry media “Transport Topics” cited data from logistics real estate investment developer GLP last year, reporting that GLP had leased nearly 400,000 square meters of logistics space to Chinese e-commerce companies in the UK, Germany, Poland, and Italy over the past five years. These service upgrades are increasingly enhancing the competitiveness of Chinese brands locally.

In January this year, a reporter from the Global Times was preparing hotpot ingredients for a dinner with friends in France the next day and placed a last-minute order on a Chinese e-commerce platform. She prepared two backup plans: if the delivery was slow, she would buy from a local supermarket the next day. But the result was surprising—placed the order at 3 p.m. the previous afternoon, and by 9 a.m. the next morning, a well-packaged full box of goods was delivered to her doorstep. This efficiency made her feel like she had “returned to China.”

“They are very surprised by the speed of delivery”

European delivery services often face issues like delays, damage, or loss due to various reasons. German media reported that in the first half of 2025, complaints from German consumers about major courier operators reached a record high. Damage, delays, wrong addresses, and lost parcels are frequent, causing “blood pressure to soar across Germany.”

Recently, a Global Times reporter bought a phone holder on a local French e-commerce platform. Two days later, the system sent a pickup code, leading her to believe delivery had improved. However, when she went to the pickup point, she was told the parcel had not actually arrived—possibly an early system notification. The next day, on a Sunday, there was no delivery service. When she inquired again on Monday, the system still couldn’t locate the parcel. Checking the logistics info again, the status had changed to “exception during delivery, parcel returned to sender,” with no explanation.

Such situations are not uncommon locally. The Global Times learned from some users that parcels on local e-commerce platforms often “disappear” during delivery, with delayed or un-updated tracking information, and sometimes final traceability is impossible. The reasons include issues like address recognition, delivery failures, sorting errors, and structural weaknesses in Europe’s last-mile delivery system under high e-commerce volume. Compared to China’s highly mature and standardized logistics network, Europe’s last-mile delivery is still constrained by urban structure, labor costs, and operational modes: complex apartment access, limited delivery points, non-continuous weekend deliveries—all affecting user experience. As a result, “certainty” has become a scarce resource.

To reduce disruptions caused by delivery issues, Chinese e-commerce service staff are also adapting their service methods to better fit local living rhythms.

Akib, a delivery person for a Chinese e-commerce platform in the UK, told the Global Times that when delivering in the UK, he plans routes and sequences after scanning parcels. “Sometimes I call customers in advance to confirm if they are home.” Akib said local customers are generally very friendly: “They are very surprised by the speed of delivery. Most place orders at night, and by around 9 a.m. the next morning, they receive their goods, so they are very satisfied.” When asked how they manage to provide such convenience without disrupting lives, Akib replied, “I respect customers’ preferences, avoid unnecessary knocking or calling, stick to their preferred time slots, and never arrive too early or too late. I also avoid excessive knocking or calling, and never ask customers to come down to help with the package.” Usually, he delivers directly to the door.

Simona, a family of four living in Hanover, Germany, is also a user of Chinese e-commerce platforms. She told the Global Times that compared to popular local brands, Chinese platforms’ products are not only high quality but also affordable. Recently, she purchased a membership service from a Chinese platform, which allows free delivery even on items worth only 10 euros. The delivery is reliable and flexible—either to her home or to pickup points.

“The perfect combination of manufacturing + services going abroad”

According to KPMG, by mid-2025, three Chinese e-commerce brands in Europe had a combined monthly active user base of about 455 million. The innovation and improvement of e-commerce logistics services in Europe are a microcosm of Chinese service brands’ accelerated “going global.” In recent years, China’s service trade has steadily grown. According to the Ministry of Commerce, in 2025, China’s service trade exports reached 36.2679 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 14.2%. Behind this growth is closely linked to China’s manufacturing industry’s global development.

Zhou Mi, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, told the Global Times that as global industrial division and cooperation deepen, China’s “manufacturing + services” full-industry chain export model is developing rapidly. The service sector is not only an important support for manufacturing exports but also a new growth and breakthrough point for Chinese enterprises’ overseas expansion. Zhou explained that China’s manufacturing exports directly generate demand for services like supply chain management, logistics, inspection and testing, and R&D design, which in turn promotes the coordinated overseas expansion of the service industry. Conversely, the overseas development of services also drives manufacturing toward higher added value and enhances China’s manufacturing brand influence abroad. The coordinated development of manufacturing and services forms a complete ecosystem for Chinese enterprises’ global expansion.

China’s service industry is large and strong, with diverse outbound business formats including logistics, finance, engineering construction, and more. High-tech service exports are also rapidly growing, becoming a new growth point for China’s overseas services. Zhou cited examples: in overseas logistics, many Chinese e-commerce platforms have established complete distribution networks in Southeast Asia and Europe, supporting Chinese manufacturing going abroad; in high-tech services, Chinese high-tech companies are deeply involved in the global digital economy, providing computing power support.

This year, the Government Work Report explicitly included “cultivating Chinese service brands” and mentioned “encouraging and supporting service exports,” reflecting the importance of service brands’ “going global” in China’s future efforts to expand high-level opening-up. China’s service industry has its own advantages in going abroad. Zhou noted that the strength of Chinese services overseas lies in their close synergy with manufacturing, often exporting together with China’s robust manufacturing capabilities—for example, Chinese new energy vehicles going abroad also bring along local charging network construction and localized after-sales services. Additionally, China’s efficiency, innovation, and integrity have earned broad global recognition.

However, it should be noted that China’s service brands’ “going global” is still a work in progress, with room for expansion in specific vertical fields or geographic regions. For example, while Chinese e-commerce platforms in Europe are continuously improving urban delivery times, some less-populated cities still have gaps. The variety of online products could also be richer. Simona told the Global Times she hopes to see more Chinese brands on the platform.

Regarding the development path of Chinese service brands “going global,” Bai Ming, a researcher at the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, suggested three main directions: first, continue using online platforms as breakthroughs, leveraging and expanding early advantages in e-commerce and online services; second, cooperate with local industries and actively connect with overseas local resources; third, rely on China’s manufacturing strengths, follow the “manufacturing going out” trend, and provide supporting services for Chinese-made products in overseas markets to drive the export of manufacturing and services together.

Zhou Mi emphasized that companies building Chinese service brands abroad should first have a strong brand awareness, deeply explore local markets, meet demand, and provide localized services. They should continuously use high technology and digital tools to add high value to services and improve local customer experience. Establishing high-quality service standards to deliver standardized services globally is also crucial. He further stressed that companies need to expand high-level opening-up and promote the globalization of Chinese services.

【Global Times reporters Yang Shasha, Yang Shuyu, Xiao Zhendong, Ni Hao; Special Correspondent in France: Shang Kaiyuan; Special Correspondent in Germany: Qing Mu】