AliExpress is rolling out a "local-to-local" model in Australia, allowing local businesses to list and sell directly on the platform while managing their own inventory and fulfilment.
This joins growing movements in the marketplace space, with brands and retailers opening up their online platforms for third-party sellers to sell through – moving away from the general wholesale model. This includes Country Road Group, David Jones, Myer, Big W and Kmart locally, with global players like Shein offering similar options.
Under the model, Australian merchants gain access to AliExpress's shopper base without needing to build cross-border logistics networks. The company’s marketing and partnerships director, Kit Yau, said her team is exploring ways to strengthen local fulfilment capabilities and partnerships, but its current focus is on easing onboarding for Australian businesses.
“Australia is a really exciting market for us, and our local-to-local model is the next step in how we’re supporting both consumers and businesses,” Yau said. “We’re seeing Australians become increasingly value-conscious as cost-of-living pressures continue to shape spending habits.
“At the same time, local businesses are looking for new ways to reach customers and grow beyond traditional channels.”
Similar local-to-local models have been introduced in Europe, Korea and Brazil, with Yau saying these global pushes are seeing great momentum.
AliExpress – managed under Alibaba Group – has a dedicated team of 10 in Australia. Yau said as the local-to-local ramp-up continues in Australia, her team expects the platform’s presence and investment to grow here.
In the month of April 2026, the platform raked in 10.97 million visits according to Semrush. This is just below Myer, which owns the top spot among fashion-centric retailers, with its website visits at 12.04 million in April.
In the total retail space, Amazon takes the lead in website traffic, with 52.65 million visits from Australians in April 2026. This is way ahead of Kmart, with the local retailer pulling in 28.23 million visits.
This ramp-up in Australia by AliExpress comes as Alibaba Group reported a 14 per cent lift in international digital commerce in the six months to September 30, 2025, hitting 69.54 billion Yen, equivalent to around $14.5 billion in AUD.
For the full year FY25 (ending March 31, 2025), Alibaba Group’s international markets pulled in 132.3 billion Yen, equivalent to around $27 billion in AUD, which was up 27 per cent on FY24 numbers.
It is unclear exactly how much of this comes from Australia. However, for comparison, Semrush shows that Shein – another ultra-low-price platform – pulled in just under half the website traffic of AliExpress in April 2026 (5.92 million), with that company seeing yearly sales hit $1.5 billion in AUD.
Alibaba Group also operate Alibaba.com globally, as well as Tmall in China and other platforms globally.
Yau said accessories continue to be one of AliExpress’s strongest-performing categories globally, with brands like LiNing and Garmin contributing to overall growth and reportedly playing an important role in attracting new customers and driving repeat purchases.
“We're seeing particularly strong demand for affordable fashion, seasonal trends and globally-recognised brands, as consumers continue to look for ways to maximise value without compromising on choice,” she said.
“In Australia, fashion remains a highly popular category on the platform, although purchasing patterns naturally fluctuate around key shopping events and promotional periods.”
The platform, like many other retailers and brands right now, is gearing up for the end of the financial year sales with its 6.18 sales event.