When waiting becomes old-fashioned

Faster than expected

Early users during its soft launch in the UK give a glimpse of how these operational differences translate into everyday shopping. Amie Brillu-Ogden, a Bath-based lifestyle creator who documents cross-cultural daily life online, first heard about the platform through friends in Europe who had already tried the service. Curious whether it could replicate the efficiency she had experienced while traveling in China, she decided to test it herself.

In a short video she later shared with her followers, Brillu-Ogden described placing an order at 9 am and receiving the delivery the same day — a turnaround she said felt surreal by British standards. "You normally have to plan deliveries days ahead here," she said. "Getting something the same day without paying extra felt incredibly fast."

While browsing, she also noticed an unexpected mix of goods: familiar British household items alongside European brands, Chinese daily necessities and even high-tech products. "I even saw one of those robot dogs from the Spring Festival Gala," she said, referring to a performance on China Central Television during the Chinese New Year that had attracted international attention earlier this year.

Brillu-Ogden also noted significant price differences on Joybuy. A hand cream she regularly bought in France, for example, was listed at roughly half the price she normally paid locally, while other items were priced higher. However, for her, speed remained the defining impression. "The whole delivery reminded me of China," she said in the video.

"It seems the Joy Express service exists only in London for now," she said, describing how her delivery in Bath was handled by a third-party courier who just left the boxes outside without bringing them to her flat. She identified logistics as a key area for improvement. "If we could improve our delivery standards to be closer to China's, I'd be very happy indeed," she said, calling the platform "a real differentiator" that could encourage higher service expectations from the e-commerce sector across the UK.