Currently, consumers are able to choose their preferred delivery service for every purchase at the checkout menu. But once the new change is in effect next month, the platform will instead choose the “best” courier and rate for shipping. Shopee explained that this move will help merchants optimise their deliveries and reduce risks of late shipments. Interestingly, the platform also promoted its Shopee Express delivery service to sellers in the memo, as an option to save more on shipping costs.
On the consumer side of things, the upcoming change will be reflected in the checkout menu, where the names of couriers will no longer appear under the shipping option category. Instead, customers are offered with three different options, depending on the merchant or the product’s point of origin. These include “Standard Delivery”, “Economy Delivery” and “Other”. According to the announcement, the first option will see deliveries done by one of seven courier services including PosLaju, DHL, J&T Express, Ninja Van, City Link, TheLorry.com, and the platform’s own Shopee Express. The latter two will involve sea shipping and other logistics providers respectively.
Needless to say, Shopee’s decision to take away the ability to choose couriers might not sit well with customers. This is especially to those who prefer to stick with their usual delivery companies due to their reliability and speed – a common practice among consumers who’ve been relying on online shopping for certain products, although results from different services tend to differ depending on who you ask.
And while this sounds like fair game for all of the aforementioned delivery services, at least on paper, it’s actually not that hard to see that the platform is pushing merchants to opt for its more affordable Shopee Express option instead. Whether or not the sellers would end up relying more on Shopee’s first party courier service remains to be seen once the policy change comes into effect by mid June. (Source / Images: Amanz)
