How does AliExpress work for sellers?

AliExpress is the leading marketplace in Chinese e-commerce. It is one of the largest marketplaces in the world, is active in 220 countries and available in 18 languages. In other words, this “Chinese Amazon” is a fantastic opportunity for retailers, especially since opening to the European market in 2019. Discover how AliExpress works.

AliExpress is the B2C branch of the Chinese mogul Alibaba (focused on B2B), launched in 2010 as a marketplace. As opposed to Amazon or Zalando, the platform does not sell its own products and does not take care of logistics: it simply connects the sellers and buyers.

For sellers, AliExpress works in exactly the same way as any other marketplace. In return, a commission is drawn from your sales (between 5 and 8%). You can offer consumers your entire catalogue, or select certain products - so long as they fit into the available categories.

The steps are simple:

Create a seller account, following this guide. Your registration request is studied within 48 hours.
Your products are submitted for an eligibility test.
Products are categorised, and both mandatory and optional features are added.
You must manage any exclusions.
You must then send your product flow to the AliExpress API, via the Lengow platform.
Check that integration is running smoothly.
Orders can be managed via the Lengow platform.

Caution: AliExpress does not offer any logistics or delivery services. As a seller, these services are up to you to organise. You could also practice dropshipping (by collaborating with a supplier in charge of storing, packaging and delivering to customers).

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