AliExpress will provide self-employed citizens of Russia with the opportunity to open their own stores on the marketplace.
For self-employed individuals in 75 regions of the country there is a special preferential tax regime. Residents of any of these regions will be able to open an AliExpress outlet.
Russian legislation prohibits self-employed people from reselling goods, but allows them to trade in products of their own production, including through marketplaces. The self-employed produce accessories, household goods, souvenirs and clothing with some restrictions (things that are not legally labeled, such as T-shirts, dresses, sweatshirts, skirts, trousers, jeans, jackets, or underwear).
“Now there are more than 14 thousand Russian sellers on AliExpress, and 80% of them are small businesses. We have great respect for this category, especially for manufacturers of goods. It has been difficult for them lately. According to various estimates, there are no more than 15 thousand self-employed manufacturers now, but there is a trend towards the transition of individual entrepreneurs to the status of self-employed, so their number will grow, “said Dmitry Selikhov, Development Director of AliExpress Russia.
In order for a self-employed to register on AliExpress, he / she will need a TIN and contact information. New sellers will be able to take advantage of delivery through the “Russian Post” or the company “Qingyao” (part of the Alibaba Group and is the third largest logistics operator in the world). For self-employed sellers, there are special benefits from the marketplace: 0% commission for the first 100 goods (including the site’s expenses for online payment), subsidies for logistics services of the Tsainao company in the amount of 60 rubles for each delivery, advertising placement with bloggers and partners of the site within the framework of the affiliate program with a commission of 3%.
Self-employed people will also have access to the same store management functions as large manufacturers: the ability to design a store to their liking, manage orders, analyze store sales and categories in general in the seller’s personal account.
By the end of July, the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade estimated that more than 850 thousand people have registered in Russia as self-employed since 2019.
From September 1 of this year, a wider list of support tools will become available for self-employed citizens, including the expansion of preferential financial instruments and an increase in training programs.