AliExpress Spruces Up Homepage, Hires U.S. Fashion Blogger

AliExpress, the e-commerce website that allows small-lot buyers to source products directly from China, has undergone a facelift in the U.S. and Canada.  Last week AliExpress completed a rollout of a tweaked North American homepage, which is sporting a look that is cleaner and easier to navigate.

The changes are more than cosmetic. Hangzhou, China-based AliExpress, which is part of B2B website Alibaba.com, is rolling out product promotions designed to better appeal to Western consumers. AliExpress recently hired 26-year-old fashion blogger Cheryl van den Berg as a website and product merchandiser as part of that effort. "They brought me in to select products that would be more consistent with the tastes of people in the North American region," says van den Berg, who graduated from the University of Florida with a journalism degree. She's responsible for developing seasonal and topical themes for AliExpress promotions.

While van den Berg's blog is all about style, don't call her a fashionista. "I would definitely say I'm into fashion but I don’t know if us fashion girls use the term fashionista anymore," she says. Noted. I guess it's OK to call her a trend-spotter. She says she spends much of her time keeping up with what's hot, not just in apparel, but also in consumer electronics and specialty products, for AliExpress. Check out her blog here.