(Yicai Global) Sept. 3 -- AliExpress and Cainiao Network Technology, two companies under Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding, have put into use their first parcel delivery lockers in Paris.

The online retailer and courier have opened 60 locker locations in the French capital, mostly in central business districts and main tourist areas such as the Palace of Versailles and the Tour Montparnasse, Hangzhou-based Cainiao said in a statement yesterday. They expect to set up 650 across the country by the end of the year.

“More overseas consumption is shifting online due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, making cross-border e-commerce increasingly popular,” said David Bu, head of Cainiao International’s Europe operations.

“Self-pickup lockers are safer and also very popular in the local market, as they don’t require contact [with other people],” he said.

The locker model aims to provide European consumers with a richer and more convenient shopping experience, Bu said, adding that they are free to choose their delivery method according to their own needs.

Cainiao has been promoting the model in Europe since the second half of the year, and it aims to have lockers in 2,000 locations across France and Spain before next March. By this December, the courier is expected to have installed 30,000 overseas.

The daily average number of cross-border packages in Cainiao’s global parcel network exceeded 5 million in March. Its ‘arrival in 10 days for USD5’ service is offered in many European countries including Spain, France and the Netherlands and is predicted to cover 20 countries by year-end.

Editor: Futura Costaglione