Emirates enters e-commerce, offers UAE home delivery for US online purchases

Emirates SkyCargo, the freight unit of Dubai-based Emirates, on Tuesday ventured into e-commerce, offering the UAE residents and firms to shop from multiple online retailers across the US and then deliver those products directly to any home or office in the UAE.

Called Emirates Delivers, the new platform - which targets individuals and small businesses - allows the UAE residents to consolidate their purchases and store them in the US free for 30 days and then transport them to the UAE.

Nabil Sultan, divisional senior vice-president for cargo at Emirates SkyCargo, said the UAE residents can order anything that can be legally transported from the US and the airline will take care of everything from customs duty to any taxes applicable on imports.

The carrier operates across 13 destinations in the US, offering cargo capacity on over 100 weekly flights including scheduled freighter services to destinations including Columbus, Chicago, Houston and New York.

Sultan said the UAE residents will have to register on the e-commerce platform to deliver products from the US to the UAE which are expected to be delivered in three to five days.

Starting at Dh47 per kg, the freight rates fall as the weightage of the packet goes up, the airline said, adding that customers can save money through cheaper shipping costs both when shipping within the US from the retailer to their Emirates Delivers mailing address and then from Emirates Delivers to Dubai.

Dennis Lister, vice-president for cargo commercial development at Emirates SkyCargo, forecast that they will handle 1,000 to 5,000 parcels a day.

In the later phases, Lister said more countries will be incorporated in the platform for the UAE to import products. In addition, the UAE-based companies will also be allowed to use Emirates Delivers platform for exports.

"This platform will allow customers, retailers, e-commerce firms to invest in Dubai will serve Africa, Indian subcontinent and other markets, wherever there is a capacity offered by Emirates," he said.

He noted that there has been a slowdown in cargo but there is a pick up after the summer in global volume, especially Southeast Asia and Europe.

"We see slowing yields this year as compared to last two years. We continue to see growth in pharmaceutical and e-commerce verticals. E-commerce will continue to grow 20 per cent per annum between now and 2022, globally. In 2018, 10 per cent purchases happened electronically. By 2022, e-commerce sales will jump to 17 per cent," he added.

waheedabbas@khaleejtimes.com