AliExpress is expanding its partnership with YouTube, bringing its product catalogue into the platform’s Shopping Affiliate Programme and giving creators in the UK, US, Brazil and Germany new opportunities to earn commissions from sales generated through their content.
The move allows eligible creators to discover and tag AliExpress products directly within YouTube Studio across long-form videos, Shorts and livestreams. Viewers will be able to click through from content to complete purchases on the AliExpress marketplace.
The partnership was initially launched in South Korea in March 2026, with further expansions planned as YouTube rolls out its affiliate programme to additional markets.
Under the terms of the deal, YouTube creators will be able to promote Alibaba products from categories including consumer electronics, home and living, sports and outdoor, and lifestyle. The programme will also feature Brand+, a curated range of products from international and local brands.
For brands and marketplace sellers that sell on AliExpress, the partnership gives them access to YouTube’s creator economy just as video content is playing a growing role in product discovery. Visibility through product reviews, demonstrations, unboxings and livestreams can build stronger audience engagement – and even create virality – than sponsored listings or marketplace advertising.
Eric Zhang, vice president of AliExpress, said: “Content and commerce are converging globally, and this partnership connects AliExpress’s affiliate ecosystem with YouTube’s creator ecosystem.”
But it’s also significant from a retail media perspective. As retailers seek new ways to monetise merchant relationships and first-party commerce data, creator partnerships are becoming an increasingly important part of the digital commerce mix .
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