Temu Catches Up With Amazon in Just Three Years: Key Cross-Border E-Commerce Insights

The Cross-Border E-Commerce Shopper Survey 2025, conducted under the auspices of the International Post Corporation, is based on responses from nearly 31,000 active cross-border shoppers across 37 countries. It focuses on actual customer behaviour during their most recent cross-border purchase, rather than declared attitudes. How have individual platforms performed, and what truly matters to consumers?

China Dominates, But Growth Is Slowing

The following findings are based on questions relating to each respondent’s most recent cross-border purchase. Approximately 40% of the cross-border purchases described by respondents originated from China. Although this represents a slight decline compared to previous years, it remains the second-highest share in the history of the survey.

China is no longer just the “cheap factory of the world” but a fully developed DTC ecosystem with its own logistics, marketing, and strong brands such as Shein and Temu. These brands manage the entire customer relationship, from product offering to delivery.

In Three Years, Temu Has Matched Amazon

The strongest signal in the entire report is Temu’s rapid rise. While its role in cross-border e-commerce was negligible in 2022, it now accounts for 24% of recent purchases – the same share as Amazon.

While eBay, Wish, and AliExpress have been losing ground for some time, Temu has successfully combined extreme pricing, aggressive marketing, and faster delivery enabled by local warehouses. Competitive advantage is no longer defined by assortment, but by who can sell cheaper, deliver faster, and clearly communicate purchasing conditions.

Fast, Free, And Convenient Delivery Is The Standard

One of the less visible but still highly significant findings is the substantial acceleration of cross-border delivery. Over the past five years, the share of parcels delivered in more than 15 days has dropped from nearly 30% to just 7%. More than half of all orders now arrive within one week. Long delivery times have fallen to a historic low.

A key role has been played by major platforms’ investments in their own air capacity and the relocation of warehouses closer to end markets.

This creates pressure on smaller e-shops striving to meet the same delivery standards. Customers no longer focus on the origin of goods but on the speed and reliability of delivery.

In addition, as many as 73% of cross-border orders were delivered free of charge. Most often, this is a direct offer from the seller – large platforms systematically use free delivery as part of their pricing and logistics strategy, frequently linked to a minimum order value or a loyalty programme.

Changes are also evident in delivery methods. Although home delivery remains dominant, the use of parcel lockers and other out-of-home solutions is growing rapidly, particularly in countries with well-developed pick-up point networks. Customers are adopting these options not only for flexibility, but also for speed – most parcels are collected within 24 hours of notification.

Returns Remain Stable

The return rate has remained stable at around 11% over the long term. The most common reasons are incorrect sizing or dissatisfaction with the product. In some countries, it is common to order multiple variants with the intention of returning some of them. This behaviour is pushing retailers to tighten return conditions, particularly in the fashion segment.

Sustainability? A Buzzword, But Not A Purchase Driver

The findings confirm that customers are pragmatic. The most important factor when shopping is clear information about delivery costs before placing an order (61%).

Other important factors include low customs duties, reliable customer reviews, and a simple, predictable returns process.

Customs duties, in particular, rose significantly in importance in 2025, moving from fifth place to one of the key decision-making criteria. The report directly links this shift to changes in customs and de minimis rules, which have increased customer sensitivity to the total order price, not just the product price.

The survey also highlights the gap between declared attitudes and actual behaviour. While most respondents consider sustainable delivery to be the seller’s responsibility, only a small proportion report that they have actually changed their purchasing behaviour due to sustainability concerns in the past year.

Cross-Border E-Commerce Is Shaping Expectations

The year 2025 confirmed that cross-border e-commerce is a fully fledged battleground for global platforms. Logistics, pricing, and customer experience must now be managed in a much broader context than before. Competition no longer comes only from neighbouring countries but from highly optimised global ecosystems that are setting new customer expectations.