AliExpress has launched an initiative designed to invite U.S.-based retailers to sell on its international online marketplace.
The initiative, AliExpressDirect, offers U.S. sellers AliExpress’ 0% commission and $0 onboarding costs during a special introductory period as well as marketing, business and customer service support at no charge, the company said in a Wednesday (Oct. 30) press release.
“We’re excited to support local businesses and are focused on reducing friction and risk in the onboarding process,” Jackie Lee, head of partnership and business development at AliExpress, said in the release. “By leveraging our technology and resources, both growing and established businesses can easily explore a new channel that can help them increase visibility and boost sales.”
To help local retailers set up their own shop on the marketplace, AliExpress offers a one-click store design template, multiproduct listing capabilities for uploading thousands of stock keeping units (SKUs) simultaneously, and tools for optimizing product listings, pricing and promotions, according to the release.
The company plans to add application programming interface (API) integration in 2025, which will allow sellers to integrate their product listings, inventory, orders and returns with their existing systems, per the release.
AliExpress, which is part of Alibaba International Digital Commerce Group, operates in more than 100 countries and regions, and attracts more than 150 million shoppers worldwide, according to the release.
“For U.S. consumers, the ability to shop from local sellers affords an even greater diversity of products on AliExpress, including an increasing number of well-known brands and the latest trending products,” the release said. “Customers will also benefit from shorter delivery times, worry-free returns and fast customer support.”
The launch of this offering comes at a time when another marketplace, Temu, is attempting to attract Amazon’s merchants.
This attempt has transformed the ways both companies do business, as Amazon has developed a new storefront that showcases the sort of lower-priced products found on Temu, while Temu has begun building local delivery capabilities and courting American brands and sellers with products stored stateside.
The competition in this space has also seen Walmart add new product categories, omnichannel experiences and fulfillment solutions to its eCommerce platform for third-party sellers, Walmart Marketplace.
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