Olivia Attwood (left), Georgie Diggins and Kady McDermott are among the UK influencers participating in AliExpress' It Girls livestreaming channels. Photo credit: Alibaba Group
Global marketplace AliExpress is inviting UK influencers to grow their brands through livestreaming e-commerce.
Starting this week, consumers can browse the channels of models, actors and TV personalities as part of the new ‘It Girls’ mini shop program and purchase items from their livestreams.
The influencer collective includes presenter and model Olivia Attwood, who made her debut on reality show Love Island, plus fellow islander Kady McDermott.
“I am thrilled to bring this innovative and fun shopping experience and its benefits to the UK,” said Attwood in a statement.
In addition, Vogue Business has produced a new report into the livestreaming sector in the UK, as part of a media partnership with AliExpress.
Livestreaming, while a mainstay of e-commerce in China, is relatively new in the UK market.
Just over half of European consumers polled by McKinsey in 2023 said they watched a live-shopping channel at least once a month, compared with 87% in China.
But uptake is slated to grow worldwide, with livestreaming predicted to account for up to 20% of all e-commerce sales globally by 2026.
Clothing has emerged as the most popular product category for livestream shoppers in Europe, according to the consultancy’s report.
In the UK, consumers will be able to take advantage of exclusive discounts and over 20,000 women’s fashion releases to accompany the launch of AliExpress’ It Girls initiative, on top of the more than six million items now available on the platform.
Calling All Fashionistas
In addition to the stable of well-known influencers, AliExpress is inviting UK-based content creators to join the ‘It Girls’ community and make their own livestreams.
Creators will earn a commission on every sale made via their streams, and they can have the chance to develop their own fashion collections later this year by participating in a livestreaming competition.
“We cannot wait to see what the next couple of months brings, and we encourage everyone to join in, whether you are someone who loves shopping for fashion or an influencer keen to join our community of It Girls,” said Attwood.
The winners will be chosen from livestreams that happen between March 18 and 27, according to AliExpress.
Article has been updated to add details about the media partnership between AliExpress and Vogue Business
