How to Setup Your Aliexpress Dropshipping Business (2025) – Pros + Cons

When done right, setting up an Aliexpress dropshipping business can be your ticket to building an insanely profitable dropshipping store. The simple reason is this: Aliexpress is home to thousands of reliable dropshipping suppliers who sell millions of products spread across hundreds of niches.

As such, it’s safe to say that Aliexpress has no shortage of product ideas you can try for your online business. On top of that, setting up an Aliexpress dropshipping store (an online store where you list products from Aliexpress) is pretty straightforward. Although straightforward, needless to say, it isn’t particularly easy.

As a matter of fact, you need a solid game plan to use this strategy to set up a successful dropshipping business. Do not worry; we are with you on this one.

In this post, we will explore what Aliexpress dropshipping is all about, and share tactics you can use to succeed with it. So stay tuned!

What is Dropshipping?

Before we talk about AliExpress specifically, let’s start with the basics. Dropshipping is an e-commerce business model that allows you to sell products without holding any physical inventory. Instead, when someone places an order in your store, you purchase the product from a third-party supplier, and they ship it directly to your customer. This type of setup lets you focus on marketing and customer service, while the supplier handles the storage and shipping.

What is AliExpress?

AliExpress is a global online retail marketplace owned by Alibaba Group, one of the largest e-commerce companies in the world. Launched in 2010, it offers a wide variety of products—from electronics and fashion to home goods and beauty supplies—at competitive prices. The platform connects buyers with sellers, primarily from China, making it possible to find almost anything you need at a budget-friendly rate.

Can You Dropship from Aliexpress?

The long and short answer is yes. In fact, a good number of people who buy products from Aliexpress buy to resell to others. To put it succinctly, Aliexpress is one of the largest dropshipping hubs on the planet. There is virtually no product you wouldn’t find there, from electronic gadgets to pet products to health supplements – the list is endless.

It might also interest you to know that you can dropship from Aliexpress at zero cost. No registration fee and no commission fee whatsoever.

To dropship from Aliexpress, all you have to do is find the right products to sell, contact the supplier and arrange for the products to be sent directly to your customers.

How Much Does Aliexpress Dropshipping Cost?

Absolutely nothing! Dropshipping products from Aliexpress costs nothing. You will only spend money on product purchases and shipping fees. This is unlike other dropshipping platforms like Doba and Spocket that charge a fee to dropshipping on their platform.

How Does AliExpress Dropshipping Work?

Although the goal of this article is to give you a detailed guide for setting up a successful Aliexpress dropshipping business, we thought it wise to give you a sneak peek into how this setup works before going into details.

Here’s how it works:

1. Set Up Your Online Store: Create an e-commerce store using Shopify, WooCommerce, or any other platform. This is where your customers will shop.
2. Import Products from AliExpress: Use tools like DSers or Spocket to import products from AliExpress into your store. Customize the product descriptions, images, and pricing as needed.
3. Customer Places an Order: When a customer buys a product from your store, you get paid upfront.
4. Order the Product from AliExpress: You place the order on AliExpress and provide your customer’s shipping details. Tools can automate this process, saving time.
5. Supplier Ships to Customer: The AliExpress supplier ships the product directly to your customer, and you keep the difference between what you charged and what you paid.

Pros and Cons of Aliexpress Dropshipping

Aliexpress has its own set of pros and cons. Here are some of them, starting with pros:

Pros

1. Low Startup Costs

With AliExpress dropshipping, you don’t need to invest in inventory. You only buy a product once a customer has already purchased it from your store. This means you avoid the risks and costs associated with stocking unsold items, making it perfect for those starting on a small budget.

2. Wide Product Variety

AliExpress offers millions of products in nearly every category—from fashion and beauty to electronics and home decor. This vast variety allows you to quickly add products to your store, test different niches, and pivot if needed without much hassle.

3. No Inventory Management

Forget about warehousing or dealing with logistics! With AliExpress dropshipping, suppliers manage the storage and shipping of the products. This means you can focus on marketing your store and growing sales, while they handle the fulfillment process.

4. Flexibility and Scalability

Since you don’t have inventory to worry about, you can scale your business easily. Adding new products is just a few clicks away, allowing you to grow your store and explore new niches. AliExpress’s vast selection gives you flexibility to add trendy products whenever you want.

5. Automation Tools Available

Many tools like Sell The Trend are available to help automate the dropshipping process, including importing products, placing orders, and updating tracking numbers. This means you can manage your store more efficiently, even if you’re new to the world of e-commerce.

6. Set Your Own Pricing

You decide on the markup for each product, allowing you to set your own pricing strategy. The low cost of products from AliExpress allows you to maintain decent profit margins while offering competitive prices to your customers.

7. Low Cost Shipping

It’s possible to ship a product halfway across the world from Aliexpress for less than $10. The only drawback is the long shipping time. So, if your customers don’t mind waiting considerably to get their orders, Aliexpress is the place to start dropshipping – if you haven’t already.

Cons

1. Long Shipping Times

The biggest drawback of using AliExpress is the long shipping times. Most suppliers are based in China, which means delivery can take anywhere from 2 to 6 weeks, depending on the destination. This can lead to frustrated customers, especially when they’re used to fast shipping options like Amazon Prime. Managing customer expectations is key to avoiding issues.

2. Quality Control Issues

With dropshipping, you never actually see or touch the products before they reach your customers. AliExpress has a wide variety of suppliers, and while some are great, others can be unreliable. Quality can vary significantly, which means you risk having unsatisfied customers if the product doesn’t meet their expectations. It’s crucial to vet suppliers and read reviews carefully.

3. Communication Challenges

Many suppliers on AliExpress are based in China, which can create communication barriers due to language differences and time zone gaps. This can make it difficult to resolve issues quickly, particularly when dealing with order discrepancies, delayed shipping, or product defects.

4. Highly Competitive Market

Because of its ease of entry and low startup cost, AliExpress dropshipping is a very competitive field. There are thousands of dropshippers often selling the same products at similar prices. This makes it harder to stand out, and sometimes profit margins get squeezed. To succeed, you need to add value, such as excellent branding, great customer service, or unique marketing strategies.

How to Set Up Your Aliexpress Dropshipping Business in 2025

With a little bit of research and planning, you can successfully build your dropshipping business on Shopify without hiring a dropshipping expert. It begins with finding the right Aliexpress dropshipping products, connecting with reliable suppliers, and finding the right Aliexpress dropshipping apps to make your life easy.

That being said, here are the detailed steps for setting up a successful dropshipping store on Aliexpress dropshipping store.

Step 1 – Choose Your Niche

It can be tempting to dive right into dropshipping by searching for the best Aliexpress dropshipping products. This can be a fatal mistake.

What should you do instead? Take your time to find the right, profitable niche.

Why is Choosing the Right Niche Important?

• Reduced Competition
• Targeted Marketing
• Fosters Brand Loyalty
• Higher Conversion Rates

Creative Ways to Find the Right Niche

Brainstorm Ideas: Start by examining your interests and passions. Start by listing things you’re interested in or passionate about. Running a business in a niche that you genuinely enjoy can make the process more enjoyable and increase your chances of success.

Research Market Demand: You will want to go for a niche with many potential buyers, and the only way to do this is by researching market trends. Dropshipping apps like Sell The Trend can be of great assistance for researching the market.

Firstly, it has a product research feature that makes it easy to find profitable Aliexpress products in many different dropshipping niches. It also provides you with insights to determine if a niche is worth exploring or not.

In addition, it has a store intelligence feature that enables you to see what products other dropshipping stores are selling and their marketing strategy.

Other tools you can use to research the market include Google Trends and Search Engine Optimization tools like Google Keyword Planner, UberSuggests, etc.

Take things further by performing competitor analysis. Look at existing dropshipping stores and e-commerce websites in your niche. High competition can indicate a healthy demand, but if the market is saturated, it may be challenging to stand out.

Profitable Niches With Competitive Advantages

1. Pet Accessories: Pets are loved worldwide, and there is always demand for unique pet accessories, clothing, and grooming tools.

2. Home Workout Equipment: The home fitness trend has increased since the pandemic, and small exercise gear like resistance bands, yoga mats, and dumbbells can sell well.

3. Eco-Friendly Products: People are increasingly looking for environmentally friendly alternatives, such as reusable water bottles, bamboo toothbrushes, and biodegradable kitchen supplies.

4. Travel Accessories: Products like compact backpacks, travel pillows, and tech organizers are popular with travelers looking for convenient solutions.

5. Unique Kitchen Gadgets: People love gadgets that make cooking more efficient or fun, like garlic peelers, herb cutters, or smart kitchen timers.

Step 2 – Set Up Your Online Store

Setting up your online store is a crucial part of starting an AliExpress dropshipping business. This is where your customers will browse and buy products, so it needs to be user-friendly, visually appealing, and designed to convert visitors into buyers. It’s also at this point that you set up a payment method (the manier the better) to streamline processing customer orders.

Let’s go through some of the options for setting up your online store.

Option 1: SellShop

SellShop is an innovative website builder tool from Sell The Trend that allows you to set up an online store quickly without sweating it. It comes with loads of pre-designed templates you can use to create stunning designs for your online store without writing any code.

Plus, several dropshipping marketing tools have been built into it to make your life easy.

Option 2: Create a Shopify Store

Another option you should consider is creating a Shopify dropshipping store. It is beginner-friendly, and it has plenty of tools to help you connect with AliExpress.

Option 3: WooCommerce

A WordPress plugin that’s highly customizable, especially if you already have a WordPress website.

Option 4: Wix or BigCommerce

Also suitable for creating an online store with ease.

Step 3 – Find the Right Aliexpress Suppliers

To build a successful dropshipping business, you need to take supplier relationships seriously, and this begins with finding the right Aliexpress sellers. Here is how to go about it:

1. Search for Products in Your Niche

Start by searching for the specific products you want to sell on AliExpress. Use relevant keywords related to your niche, and explore the different categories. Finding suppliers that offer a variety of products within your niche will make it easier to expand your product range in the future.

2. Look for High Ratings and Positive Feedback

Once you’ve found potential suppliers you can work with, the next thing you will want to do is to vet them by using the criteria below:

• Supplier Rating: AliExpress has a supplier rating system where you can see a percentage rating next to each supplier. Look for suppliers with ratings of 95% or above to ensure reliability.
• Positive Feedback: Check for reviews and feedback left by other buyers. Aim for suppliers who have received a lot of positive feedback for the product you are interested in selling. Customer reviews often include details about shipping times, product quality, and overall satisfaction.
• Sales History: Suppliers with a large number of sales are typically more experienced and reliable. Look for suppliers that have been active for a while and have a consistent record of sales.

3. Contact The Supplier and Order Product Samples

The next step is to contact the supplier after vetting them. Ask about product specifications, packaging, or branding options to gauge their willingness to work with dropshippers.

Furthermore, assess their response time. A reliable supplier should respond to inquiries promptly. If a supplier takes too long to reply, it could be a warning sign for future issues when orders need fast communication.

To be sure about product quality and speedy delivery, order a sample from the supplier before adding it to your store. This way, you can evaluate the product firsthand for quality, durability, and shipping time. This will also give you an idea of how well the item is packaged and how long it will take for the product to arrive. It will also help you make a good first impression on potential customers.

The next step is to start building a solid relationship with the supplier you’ve found. Be professional about it. Treat your communication with suppliers professionally and build rapport to establish trust.

Step 4 – Import Aliexpress Products

With your online store all setup and a relationship established with a reliable supplier, the next thing to do is to import products into your store.

Importing products into your store can be simple and fast if you use Sell The Trend. The reason is that Sell The Trend lets you import products into your store, whether on SellShops or Shopify, with just a few clicks of the button. This feature can make your life as an online retailer very easy.

The best part is that you can import these products individually or in bulk.

Step 5: Set Your Pricing Strategy

Determine how much you will sell each product for to have the higher profit margins. The goal is to cover all costs and make a profit. A common pricing strategy is to mark up AliExpress prices by 2-3 times. Be mindful of any fees for payment processing or advertising costs when calculating your margins.

Step 7: Launch Your Store and Market It

Once your store is ready, show it to the world by driving traffic, both online and offline, to it. Below are some battle-tested strategies you can use for this purpose:

• Social Media Marketing: Create profiles for your brand on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. Share engaging content that targets your audience and showcases your products.
• Paid Advertising: Use Facebook Ads, Google Ads, or TikTok Ads to reach a wider audience. Target demographics based on your niche for more effective ad campaigns.
• Influencer Marketing: Collaborate with influencers in your niche to promote your products. Influencers can help build credibility and bring traffic to your store.

Step 8: Manage Customer Orders and Fulfill Them

Your success with dropshipping Aliexpress products largely depends on your ability to fulfill orders in a timely manner. This is another area where Sell The Trend comes in useful, as it offers automated order fulfillment.

Leveraging this feature gives you a competitive advantage by halving order processing time and keeping your customers satisfied.

When customers place an order in your store, use your dropshipping tool to fulfill it directly from AliExpress. The supplier ships the product to your customer, and you keep the profit. Make sure to provide order tracking information and keep your customers updated on shipping progress.

Step 9: Provide Excellent Customer Service

Customer service is crucial for building a successful dropshipping business. Respond quickly to inquiries, be transparent about shipping times, and handle complaints professionally. Happy customers are more likely to return to your store and recommend your business.

Step 10: Analyze, Optimize, and Scale

Track your store’s performance using analytics. Monitor which products sell best, and adjust your marketing strategy as needed. As your store grows, consider testing new products, niches, and advertising methods to scale your business further.

Conclusion

Setting up an AliExpress dropshipping business takes some effort, but it’s one of the most affordable and accessible ways to get into e-commerce. Focus on selecting a profitable niche, designing an attractive store, and providing great customer service to make your business a success.

Have questions about starting a dropshipping business? Or already running one? Let us know your thoughts and tips below!

FAQs

Is AliExpress good for dropshipping?

Yes, AliExpress is a good option for beginners in dropshipping! It offers:

• Low Startup Costs: Buy products only when customers order.
• Wide Variety: Millions of products available for every niche.
• Easy Integration: Tools like DSers make automating orders easy.

However, long shipping times and inconsistent product quality can be challenging. Success depends on managing customer expectations and finding reliable suppliers.

How do I access AliExpress dropshipping?

The easiest way to access Aliexpress dropshipping is by utilizing Sell The Trend. It gives you instant access to winning products on Aliexpress, hence streamlining your dropshipping experience.

How do I become a seller on AliExpress?

All you have to do is create a seller account on Aliexpress and list your products. Depending on the niche you picked, you might have to wait a while for your application to be accepted.

Does AliExpress still have a dropshipping center?

Yes, it still has. Aliexpress dropshipping center is where you get to search for profitable, in-demand products by checking for sales volume and performance.