Russian express delivery operator SPSR Express has signed a partnership agreement with DHgate, a leading e-commerce marketplace focused on cross-border trade of Chinese goods, and Russian payment services provider QIWI to deliver products from China to Russia.
Through the Memorandum of Cooperation signed in Beijing, China, this week, Russian customers will now be able to use the convenient online and offline payment services via the Visa QIWI Wallet and payment kiosks to buy Chinese products from the DHgate.com website. The cooperation with SPSR Express, in turn, will reduce delivery times to Russian online shoppers.
In addition, DHgate will soon offer Russian customers in cooperation with QIWI and SPSR Express the cash on delivery (COD) option as one of the available payment methods, which remains the most popular payment method in Russia.
The Chinese products that Russian customers buy via DHgate will be either delivered by SPSR Express couriers or through Pickpoint parcel terminals, also including the COD payment option.
Alex Vassiliev, International Business Development Director at SPSR Express, said: "This agreement is another important step for SPSR Express as it brings the development of our business in China to a whole new level. We are proud to be selected by one of the leading marketplaces in China. It proves once again that our focus on the Chinese market is paying off."
Stanislav Savelyev, head of the "Cash on Delivery" project at SPSR Express, added that none of the world's leading marketplaces has been offering this option for cross-border purchases to Russian online shoppers until now.
Diane Wang, CEO of DHgate, said: "In the past few years, the Russian market achieved significant growth in cross border e-commerce. As one of the leading and biggest players in cross border B2B e-commerce, DHgate is highly devoted to the Russian market and constantly improving local customer service and experience. To better serve our Russian customers, DHgate joins hands with QIWI and SPSR to offer unique cross border cash-on-delivery services, aiming to bring Chinese goods to local buyers in a safer, faster and more convenient manner."
Edwin Lukanov, Project Director E-Commerce & Logistics at QIWI, highlighted the opportunities for developing logistics and payment areas in cooperation with DHgate in view of the steady revenue growth from e-commerce with China. “Our three-sided project can become an additional growth driver for the Russian e-commerce market.”
SPSR Express has over 200 branches in Russia, over 4,000 employees and covers more than 6,600 cities and towns. It operates an extensive parcel shop network with over 2,000 locations in more than 200 cities across the country.
Founded in 2004, DHgate is the first-to-market, transactional e-commerce platform focused on cross-border trading of Chinese goods counting more than 5.5 million business and private buyers from more than 200 countries. Some of the products offered include consumer electronics, cell phones accessories, health and beauty, fashion and bridal wear.
As a leading provider of next generation payment services in Russia and the CIS, QIWI has an integrated proprietary network that enables payment services across physical, online and mobile channels. It has deployed over 17 million virtual wallets, over 176,000 kiosks and terminals, and enabled merchants to accept over RUB 50 billion in cash and electronic payments monthly from around 70 million consumers using its network at least once a month.
