Alibaba’s e-commerce platform, AliExpress, appoints David Beckham as brand ambassador. Via Investing.com

Investing.com – AliExpress, the e-commerce unit of the Chinese giant Alibaba (NYSE:) announced that it has hired former England captain and soccer icon David Beckham as its global brand ambassador.

The move comes as AliExpress looks to compete with the growing global presence of PDD Holdings-owned website Temu and online fashion startup Shein, as well as offset declining e-commerce sales in the domestic Chinese market.

Revenue at Alibaba’s international unit, which includes AliExpress, rose 45% year-on-year in the first three months of 2024 to 27.45 billion yuan, dwarfing competitors such as Tmall and Taobao that rely more on demand in China.

AliExpress also signed a deal to sponsor the UEFA Euro 2024 soccer tournament this summer and outlined plans to spend millions on deals and discounts to attract customers shopping online. The promotions will include a chance for some AliExpress users to win tickets to the competition matches.

On Monday, AliExpress announced it would run an advertising campaign featuring Beckham that would encourage shoppers to “earn more points” with the company.