Alibaba launches fast-fashion shopping site allyLikes for overseas shoppers, taking on shooting star Shein

Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding recently launched fast-fashion e-tailer allyLikes targeting the North American and European markets, in an attempt to rival Chinese shopping site Shein, which has taken the world by storm amid a cross-border e-commerce boom.

A check on allyLikes’ website and app shows that the fashion site sells everything from dresses to earrings, with prices ranging from a few bucks for a T-shirt to over US$30 for a leather jacket. It currently ships to European countries including France and Italy, as well as Canada and the US, according to its website.

Similar to other fast fashion players, allyLikes touts the speed with which it can list new styles, and has over 500 new arrivals each week, according to its page on Apple’s app store which listed Alibaba as the developer. The platform is also recruiting influencers to promote the brand with perks including sponsored gifts and 50 per cent commissions.

Alibaba’s new fashion initiative was first reported by Chinese tech blog Tech Planet on Monday, which noted that allyLikes leverages Alibaba’s rich e-commerce data processing abilities. Alibaba, owner of the South China Morning Post, did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

The Hangzhou-based giant’s allyLikes will compete directly with fast-fashion player Shein from China’s eastern city of Nanjing, which also features a speedy iteration of styles, affordable prices and influencer campaigns. Shein, little-known just a few years ago, has enjoyed a meteoric rise to success among Gen Z consumers around the world.