Investing.com -- AliExpress, an e-commerce unit owned by Chinese giant Alibaba (NYSE:BABA), has announced that it has signed former England captain and soccer icon David Beckham as its global brand ambassador.
The move comes as AliExpress looks to rival the expanding global presence of PDD Holdings' Temu service and online fashion startup Shein and offset waning e-commerce sales in its domestic Chinese market.
Revenues at Alibaba's international division, which includes AliExpress, spiked by 45% year-on-year in the first three months of 2024 to 27.45 billion yuan, dwarfing peers like Tmall and Taobao who rely more on demand in China.
AliExpress also inked a deal to sponsor the UEFA Euro 2024 soccer tournament this summer, and has outlined plans to spend millions on deals and discounts to attract online shoppers. Among the promotions will be the chance for some AliExpress app users to win tickets to the competition's matches.
On Monday, AliExpress said it will roll out an advertising campaign featuring Beckham that will urge buyers to "score more" with the business.