AliExpress makes Bonus Buddies social commerce move

Alibaba Group’s online marketplace AliExpress has launched a money saving and social commerce initiative called Bonus Buddies.

Available in over 200 countries and regions, this enables users to earn rewards upon getting a friend to register on AliExpress. They can withdraw these for their next purchase once they have hit the value of 20 Euros.

AliExpress says that the launch has attracted over 2.8 million participants worldwide to date. People also used the hashtag #AliExpress20 to share tips with fellow shoppers.

The programme reached over four million Twitter users within the first two days of going live. In the United Kingdom alone, an average of 2,000 users participate each day.

Bonus Buddies has also encouraged interaction between consumers from different markets. About 15% of users took part thanks to a person from another country.

“As the pioneer of the shoppertainment concept, we see enormous opportunity in social commerce. As the social contract continues to evolve, consumers are looking for feel-good experiences to anchor them and novel opportunities to interact with friends and loved ones,” says Shirly Yuan, Director of Platform Operation Centre at AliExpress.

“We have been investing heavily to boost our offerings to continually serve our shoppers and sellers better. With the 11.11 global shopping festival around the corner, we will be pushing out more social initiatives across European markets to spread joy and benefit our shoppers.”

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