FedEx Express has announced a new alliance with BigCommerce, an open SaaS e-commerce platform.
The strategic alliance comes as e-commerce in the Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa region (AMEA) region is on a skyrocketing growth trajectory fuelled by the pandemic.
In Asia Pacific alone, e-commerce sales are expected to nearly double by 2025, reaching $2 trillion. Online sales in the Middle East and Africa region (MENA) are also projected to exceed $50 billion by the end of 2022.
Alongside the rapid growth in e-commerce sales, merchants face mounting pressure in delivering products quickly and cost-efficiently to customers across the world.
A BigCommerce survey revealed that 77 per cent of global consumer respondents would consider abandoning an e-commerce purchase if the shipping options are unsatisfactory.
“Every decision we make ladders back to helping BigCommerce merchants grow and scale their businesses and deliver the best customer shopping experiences,” said Shannon Ingrey, Vice President and General Manager of APAC for BigCommerce.
“It’s never been more important for merchants to equip themselves with the most reliable shipping solutions to ensure their products are delivered in a timely manner,” he said.
“Our collaboration with FedEx unlocks more options for BigCommerce merchants to offer premium delivery experiences as part of their end-to-end e-commerce journey. We look forward to working with FedEx to ensure our merchants have all the resources available to meet customer needs quickly and efficiently.”
FedEx said it was committed to supporting small businesses to seize the growth opportunities brought about by the e-commerce boom.
Recently, FedEx further enhanced its cross-border e-commerce capabilities with the launch of FedEx International Connect Plus (FICP), a new FedEx Express International, day-definite, e-commerce shipping service that combines competitive speed with attractive prices.
BigCommerce merchants signing up for the FedEx-BigCommerce alliance program can enjoy enhanced shipping capabilities, with access to a premium delivery experience for their customers at reasonable prices.
BigCommerce is also offering new merchants free services for their first two months.
In addition to highly competitive rates, BigCommerce merchants that join the program can expect to receive competitive discount rates from FedEx Express, together with simple, streamlined access to FedEx shipping services.
BigCommerce merchants can leverage a vast portfolio of FedEx e-commerce solutions, including FedEx Electronic Trade Documents; a portfolio of flexible, simple return solutions; and the FedEx Hold-at-Location services, which gives BigCommerce merchants the choice to have their packages delivered conveniently and safely to various grocery stores, pharmacies, and FedEx office locations.
“The collaboration with BigCommerce is yet another milestone for FedEx as we continue strengthening our capabilities within the e-commerce ecosystem to best serve businesses in this region,” said Kawal Preet, FedEx Express President of Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa (AMEA).
“With e-commerce being a key driver of global trade in the post-pandemic world, a level playing field will support e-merchants of all sizes to compete on a global scale,” she said.
“That’s why alliances such as these are so critical for SMEs to strengthen their delivery capabilities and meet their customers’ heightened expectations while expanding their footprint overseas.”