FLex Speed Delivery Co Ltd ( Lex ), a logistics provider within the Alibaba-backed Lazada ecosystem, is terminating its last-mile delivery services in Vietnam by March 31.

The surprise move marks a significant strategic pivot for the company in Southeast Asia's highly competitive landscape. According to an official notice sent to merchant partners, Lex says the company is undertaking strategic restructuring and reallocating resources towards other core service segments and high-priority projects.

The Ho Chi Minh City-headquartered company has outlined a phased timeline for the shutdown of its delivery operations. The platform will stop accepting new orders after March 14, and the final deadline for warehouse or storefront pickups is March 15.

Lex also intends to complete all fulfilment processing and officially cease all delivery operations by the end of March 22. Following this wind-down period, the last-mile delivery service on the Lex platform will officially terminate on March 31. The firm has committed to working closely with its partners to ensure that customer activities remain smooth until the final service date.

Independent entity

The firm was originally established in 2012 as an internal department of Lazada but was spun off into an independent entity in 2015. While it functions as a standalone business under the legal name FLex Speed in Vietnam, it remains a core part of the Alibaba Group’s logistics infrastructure.

This independent positioning has allowed Lex to serve as a major third-party logistics partner for other platforms, including TikTok Shop, which does not maintain its own delivery fleet. The exit of Lex from the capital-intensive last-mile segment suggests a potential shift towards an asset-light model, likely focusing on warehousing and cross-border logistics through Alibaba’s Cainiao network.

The company’s leadership has seen several transitions leading up to the latest announcement. Originally represented by chief executive officer Ha Anh Tuan, the role was later passed on to international executives, including German citizen Fabian Wandt and Chinese national Xiong Wei.

Since October 2024, the company has been led by Vietnamese businessman Pham Nguyen Thanh Quang, who serves as both the legal representative and CEO. He was the signatory to the official notice on the cessation of services.

Despite the upcoming closure of the last-mile delivery services, Lex will continue to operate from its headquarters at Saigon Centre in Ho Chi Minh City.