As Iceland Monitor reported, during the outbreak, many Icelanders who are stuck at home have passed the time by ordering goods from Chinese online store AliExpress. Recently, workers at Iceland Post have sorted through a single delivery containing five tons of packages sent from China.

In the news report the spokesman for Iceland Post mentioned that they are doing their best to handle a large number of small packages originating in China and ensuring they will safely reach the hands of consumers. He confirmed that most of the packages are sent from AliExpress, Alibaba’s online retail service.

In recent years, Icelanders have become more and more fond of purchasing goods on Chinese online stores, especially AliExpress. Affectionately known as "Uncle Ali", AliExpress seems to have taken the fancy of consumers around the world trying to find the best price and widest range of goods.

Established in 2010, AliExpress now has 18 different language versions around the world, covering more than 200 countries and regions making it the largest cross-border retailing platform in China. With its high value and product diversity, AliExpress has won the trust and recognition of customers and expanded markets to the whole world.

During the Covid-19 months, more and more consumers are flocking to AliExpress. Data from Sense Tower revealed that AliExpress has been among the most downloaded apps in Spain, France and Poland for the first three months of this year.

Moreover, according to a report released in May by LearnBonds, the epidemic is gradually changing people’s spending habits. Online shopping is becoming more and more popular overseas, and the number of consumers using smartphones to make purchases is increasing rapidly. In March, AliExpress was downloaded almost 65 million times, more than Amazon.