Covering the food & beverage industry, beauty, fashion, retail markets, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and related people and entities worldwide
Beyond shopping: AliExpress pursues ‘all-in-one’ platform vision for Korea
AliExpress Travel has gained popularity among Korean consumers thanks to its attractive promotional deals. gettyimagesbank
By Ko Dong-hwan
Travel, new categories on K-venue fuel new growth of AliExpress
AliExpress is gaining significant traction among Korean consumers by expanding into travel services and emerging lifestyle categories, establishing itself as a versatile player in the country’s highly competitive e-commerce market in Korea.
The online shopping subsidiary of Alibaba International Digital Commerce Group recorded 9.2 million monthly active users in Korea last month, ranking the second among all peer companies in the market.
According to app and retail analysis service WiseApp, AliExpress also led all cross-border e-commerce (C-commerce) platforms in Korea in June in terms of monthly active users, average monthly launches per user, and revisit rate — outperforming other C-commerce companies. Compared to the same period last year, its user base has expanded, reflecting Korean consumers’ growing interest in affordable and mobile-friendly shopping options.
The standout category is AliExpress Travel, where users can book overseas trips. A key driver has been the “1+1 Travel Promotion,” offering 50 percent off multi-ticket purchases and perks like extra hotel nights or discounted theme park passes. The event, originally set to end in August, has been extended through the end of September due to strong demand.
In July, AliExpress Travel more than doubled its merchandise volume from the previous month. Chinese destinations such as Shanghai, Qingdao and Dalian emerged as the top choices for Korean travelers, surpassing Japan, Vietnam and Thailand in demand. The company attributed the high demand to both the relatively short distance from Korea and its ongoing promotional deals.
Official logo of AliExpress / Courtesy of AliExpress
“We have extended the Super Thursday and Lucky Box promotions due to strong customer interest and participation,” an AliExpress spokesperson said. “We will continue offering the 1+1 promotion across more flights, hotels and tourist attractions in China and beyond to meet demand for fall vacations and weekend trips.”
Before its push into travel this year, AliExpress launched a shopping platform named K-venue for Korean consumers in 2023. The platform has since evolved into a central pillar of the company’s “all-in-one” strategy, expanding beyond beauty and electronics into categories like automotive accessories and golf gear, while offering 24/7 local support, fast three-day delivery, and seamless payment options such as Naver Pay, Toss Pay and Kakao Pay.
By delivering a highly localized experience featuring Korean brands, K-venue is helping AliExpress shed its old image as a cross-border e-commerce marketplace – Characterized by week-long deliveries and English-only support – and reposition itself as a versatile, consumer-centric tailored for the Korean market.
“Cheap prices alone cannot win this race. We built K-venue from scratch to make it ideal for Korean consumers,” another AliExpress spokesperson said. “The addition of categories like auto and golf shows our commitment to building a full-spectrum marketplace that trusted and favored by local consumers”
Through continued investment in travel services, expanded lifestyle categories, and a seamless, localized experience, AliExpress is rapidly transforming into Korea’s premier “all-in-one” platform. By centering its strategy on the evolving needs of Korean shoppers, AliExpress is well-positioned to distinguish itself from established e-commerce leaders and redefine the future of online shopping in Korea.