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Category: E-Tailing

Retail News Asia is committed to providing both local and global retailers with the latest E-Commerce & Etail news throughout the Asian market. This on a daily base.

  • Tmall Global Unveils New Initiatives to Boost China’s Imports

    Tmall Global Unveils New Initiatives to Boost China’s Imports

    Tmall Global today unveiled two key initiatives that further Alibaba’s plans to bring $200 billion worth of international goods into China over the next five years and help businesses of all sizes enter the China market.

    The initiatives – the Centralized Import Procurement (CIP) and Tmall Overseas Fulfillment (TOF) – are import solutions offered by Tmall Global to help international brands accelerate their entry into China and capitalize on hot demand for high-quality products.

    As the biggest cross-border platform in China, Tmall Global not only helps brand  open up flagship stores on the platform, but also offers direct import services that can help bring international goods, from companies of all sizes sell into the Chinese market, benefiting Chinese consumers with an expanded choice of imported products.

    “These new initiatives on Tmall Global, supported by the entire Alibaba ecosystem and benefiting both current and future partners, are needed enhancements as we strive to meet the rising demand of Chinese consumers for high-quality international products,” said Alvin Liu, General Manager of Tmall Import-Export, at the Tmall Global 2019 Global Partners Summit.

    At the China International Import Expo in November last year, Alibaba pledged to bring $200 billion worth of international goods into China over the next five years through its platforms.

    Alibaba unveiled the CIP program today as a key part of Alibaba’s new retail business. By leveraging the six procurement centers Alibaba has set up across the globe, the program sources imported goods for all the online and offline outlets within the Alibaba ecosystem, including technology-driven grocery chain Freshippo (also known as “Hema” in Chinese), Tmall Supermarket and Intime Department Store. The program is a quick and low-risk way for international brands to enter China, allowing them to reach the nearly 700 million active users on Alibaba platforms.

    TOF is a consignment solution that allows brands to place a small batch of products at one of the TOF centers to be sold on the Tmall Global platform. This gives businesses around the world a chance to try out and fine tune their product assortment before making a full entry into China. TOF centers are currently available in Japan, South Korea and the US, with plans to expand into Europe later this year.

    To support these new initiatives, Alibaba’s smart logistics network, Cainiao, will continue to expand its network of bonded warehouses in China, with an aim to triple its total size to three million square meters in three years.

    “Over the years, Tmall Global has added a full suite of innovative and value-added services to help overseas brands succeed in the China market, including plugging them in to the entire Alibaba economy. The consumer insight from our ecosystem provides Tmall Global partners a complete view of their customers’ engagements even if they do not have operations in China. These market entry and in-market expansion programs are our key differentiators and have created unique benefits for international brands,” said Liu.

    Tmall Global data shows China’s demands for imported goods is gaining strong traction across age groups, regions and categories. Those born after 2000, or “Generation Z,” is the fastest-growing consumer group on the platform. The platform is attracting more shoppers in less developed regions, and Tmall Global has successfully propelled the growth of three categories: anti-hair loss products, beauty-from-within products such as collagen drinks and trendy footwear in 2018.

    China’s “Generation Z” is also fueling demand for pet products and beauty devices. In 2018, the number of pet-related brands on Tmall Global doubled from the previous year, and sales of beauty devices on the platform also quadrupled from a year earlier.

    Recognizing young Chinese consumers’ love for content, Tmall Global will continue to offer brands a raft of content-generating tools to boost brand awareness. By tapping into Alibaba’s own digital-media channels, such as Taobao Livestream, brands can directly speak to Chinese consumer through multiple touchpoints, including livestream services, videos and testimonials by popular influencers and key opinion leaders.

    According to Chinese data-analytics firm Analysys, Tmall Global is the biggest cross-border platform in China. The platform offers Chinese consumers over 20,000 overseas brands and over 4,000 product categories from 77 countries and regions.

     

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  • Australia’s C/MEO Collective Lifts Off on Tmall

    Australia’s C/MEO Collective Lifts Off on Tmall

    Women’s fashion label C/MEO Collective has started selling on Chinese online marketplace Tmall.

    The move is part of a broader strategy of parent company Australian Fashion Labels to focus on China.

    “China is now really at the forefront of retail innovation and we see localisation of channels as crucial to being relevant in this market,” said Dean Flintoft, Australian Fashion Labels founder and chairman, in a statement.

    Prior to launching on Tmall, C/MEO Collective was already stocked in approximately 300 brick-and-mortar stores across Greater China, along with Australian Fashion Labels’ other brands: Keepsake The Label, Finders Keepers and The Fifth.

    But with more than 700 million people shopping on Alibaba’s retail marketplaces, including Tmall, this represents a significant expansion in reach.

    According to the company’s statement, C/MEO Collective was chosen because it is the brand with the greatest appeal in the China market, thanks to its innovative signature style, premium fabrics and approachable price point.

    “With C/MEO already having gained such strong traction in China via social media and via its marketplace presence, we wanted to respond to the enthusiasm for the brand and make it more accessible to our customer base in China,” said Mei Ping Doery, CEO of Australian Fashion Labels China.

    C/MEO Collective showcased the first of its collections for Tmall at VAMFF in Melbourne on March 8.

    While demand for Australian brands and products in China is most concentrated in areas such as health and wellness, beauty and food, and wine, fashion brands are increasingly seeing success.

    Brands including Seafolly and Lorna Jane have made headway in China through Tmall, and the addition of C/MEO Collective suggests there is a market for more fashion-forward Australian design.

    Australian Fashion Labels was founded in 2007 by Dean and Melanie Flintoft with the introduction of Finders Keepers. The company has since developed C/MEO Collective, Keepsake, The Fifth and Jaggar.

    The brands are available in 1700 stores worldwide, including major department stores, as well as to customers directly through an online retail platform, which ships globally.

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  • Online electronics retailer EasyTalk fined for TV Commercial

    Online electronics retailer EasyTalk fined for TV Commercial

    Electrical equipment seller EasyTalk has been convicted of five charges under the Product Eco-Responsibility Ordinance.

    The company is the first of seven Hong Kong electronics retailers caught suspected of violating the Product Eco-Responsibility Ordinance (PERO), with the other six to face hearings this month and next.

    EasyTalk Group Company was convicted and fined $6500 at Fanling Magistrates’ Courts yesterday on five charges of contravening PERO when selling a television set.

    Under PERO, which came into effect last August, when distributing regulated electrical equipment, sellers must have a removal service plan (RSP) endorsed by the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) and proactively inform consumers of the sellers’ obligation for the provision of a free statutory removal service as well as the relevant removal terms in writing.

    Moreover, sellers must arrange a free removal service for consumers to dispose of the same type of waste equipment and provide a recycling label and a receipt containing the prescribed wording when distributing regulated electrical equipment.

    A spokesman for the EPD said the organisation received a complaint last August about a customer purchasing a television set from EasyTalk Group through the instant-messaging application WhatsApp. Staff of the company claimed that the EPD would collect the used television set for recycling in several days. However, the customer was later requested to make the removal arrangements himself after the purchase.

    During an investigation, EPD enforcement officers found that the seller not only did not arrange the statutory removal service for the complainant, but also did not have an RSP endorsed by the EPD and did not provide recycling labels as well as a receipt containing the prescribed wording according to the regulation.

    The spokesman reminded all retailers – those with physical stores and those selling online or via apps – that they must not make false statements to consumers or offer them a removal service that is contravening the law, thus avoiding relevant liabilities and charging consumers for the removal service.

    First-time offenders are liable to a maximum fine of between $5000 and $100,000. Upon a second or subsequent conviction, the fine increases to between $10,000 and $200,000.

    Consumers have been urged to contact the EPD immediately if they find any seller not conforming to the PERO regulations.

    “The EPD will take strict enforcement action against sellers who violate the PERO,” he said.

  • MyDeal pivots to home wares deals

    MyDeal pivots to home wares deals

    As the online marketplace space becomes more crowded, Melbourne-based startup MyDeal plans to shrink to greatness – when it comes to product categories, that is.

    Like many marketplaces, the e-commerce company founded in 2012 by Australian entrepreneur Sean Senvirtne was initially focused on growing its customer database, supplier numbers and range. In 2017, with 1000 sellers and 25,000 products on the site, it expanded into new categories – fashion and travel – and diversified its offering with the launch of a fintech product.

    But now, MyDeal is paring back its business to focus on the furniture and homewares space, an area where the company has always had a natural strength, according to head of marketing, John Barkle.

    “Prior to the massive expansion of products, those were our strongest categories. I think it’s because we have the best price and range, and we’re very good at moving products that are big and bulky,” Barkle told.

    Today, MyDeal claims to have more than 500,000 products on its site. It aims to surpass one million within the next six months by bringing on board new sellers in the furniture and homewares space, a goal that should be made easier by its recent integration with ChannelAdvisor, a US-based e-commerce company that helps businesses list their products on marketplaces such as eBay, Amazon and now MyDeal.

    “This is a significant milestone in the business that signifies 12 to 18 months’ worth of work to get the technology right on our marketplace platform,” Barkle said.

    MyDeal’s marketplace technology is bespoke, and Barkle acknowledged that, in the past, this may have presented a barrier to sellers wanting to join the platform. Listing products on a marketplace can be a time-consuming and labour-intensive process, depending on the marketplace’s information requirements, the number of products the seller wants to offer and the availability of software to automate the process.

    Since solving its technical issues and narrowing its focus, Barkle said MyDeal is now positioned for rapid growth. But the e-commerce company may face new obstacles in its pivot to furniture and homewares, which puts it in direct competition with some much larger and more established players in the niche, such as Temple & Webster. The listed retailer recently reported $49.3 million in revenue in the six months to December 31, a 40 per cent increase on the previous year.

    Barkle declined to share any earnings figures for MyDeal, which is a private company, but said the retailer recently became profitable.

    “We run a very low-cost model, meaning we can pass on those savings directly to the customer,” Barkle said. “Where we intend to compete is on providing a unique experience that improves discovery and satisfaction.”

    MyDeal recently launched a “shop and earn” program that Barkle said is unique among Australian marketplaces. It allows customers to earn credits that they can then put towards later purchases every time they buy something on MyDeal. The amount of credits they earn depends on the seller they buy from, which is designed to encourage healthy competition among sellers to drive sales. Barkle said the site has seen a substantial increase in customer retention since launching the program three months ago.

    Barkle also spoke obliquely about using technology to bring customers as close to touching and feeling the product as is possible online, something that other online retailers, including Temple & Webster, have flagged as being possible with augmented and virtual reality. But like its competitors, MyDeal mostly seems content to let demographics play to its advantage.

    “We believe the penetration of online sales into furniture and homewares will substantially increase over the next five to 10 years, driven by millennial consumption,” Barkle said.

    Housing slump weighs on homewares

    Whether this will be enough of an insulating factor for MyDeal and other online furniture retailers to weather the current housing slump is up for debate. In its monthly trading figures for January 2019, the ABS reported a 0.2 per cent drop in household goods retailing, the only industry sub-group to fall in the month.

    At the same time, MyDeal’s strategic move away from the general marketplace arena, where online “department store” retailers like Catch and now Kogan.com are competing with the likes of eBay and Amazon across a wide range of categories, may prove to be less effective in the long run, as competition among niche marketplaces increases.

    Jason Wyatt, co-founder and managing director of Marketplacer, a software company that provides marketplace technology to businesses, said retailers, brands and manufacturers are beginning to adopt a marketplace mentality to extend their ranges without the burden of owning inventory.

    “That previously hasn’t existed,” he told.  “I don’t think there’s room for 20 mega marketplaces in Australia, but I think we’ll see more niche marketplaces that aim to be ‘something’ for ‘somebody’.”

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  • Instagram users can now buy items from ads inside the App

    Instagram users can now buy items from ads inside the App

    Instagram is taking its Shopping ads one step further by making it possible for people to buy the products in the ads without leaving the app.

    The feature, called Checkout on Instagram, is currently being tested in a closed beta program by nearly two dozen businesses and is only available to users in the US.

    Retail News has asked for details about if and when the feature will be available outside the US but had not received a reply at the time of this writing.

    Adidas, Burberry, Dior, H&M, Michael Kors, Nike, Outdoor Voices, Uniqlo and Zara are among the 23 fashion, beauty and accessories brands now rolling out the feature. Others will be added in future, according to Instagram, which is owned by Facebook.

    When users tap on a product in a Shopping ad from one of these businesses, they now see a “Checkout on Instagram” button. By tapping the button, they can select the size and colour of the item they want and enter their payment and shipping details to purchase.

    Users receive notifications about shipment and delivery within the Instagram app, and the platform saves all their information for future purchases.

    In the past, if users wanted to purchase a product linked to a Shopping ad, they were redirected to the brand’s website. The new feature removes this step and – crucially for Instagram – keeps consumers in the app.

    “Social selling is really taking shape both in Australia and globally and it’s great to see Instagram leading the way through the next stage of the social selling journey. Giving consumers the option to complete a purchase right then and there in the app will simplify the shopping process and allow brands to connect more easily with shoppers,” said Jordan Sim, group product manager at BigCommerce, an e-commerce platform that has been active in offering integrations with Shopping on Instagram to its users.

    “We’ve seen our merchants both globally and locally in Australia have a great deal of success using BigCommerce’s integration with Shopping on Instagram and are looking forward to unlocking the power of this new integration for our Aussie retailers in the near future. We know the value of simplifying the checkout process to drive sales and this new function on Instagram will facilitate just that.”

    Many brands have said that Shopping ads drive sales, but there’s a trade-off: visibility and control over their customer data. As Instagram continues to make the purchasing process more seamless – that is, takes control of the process – some businesses will undoubtedly question whether the trade-off is worth it.

    It is unclear whether the Checkout feature applies to Shopping posts in Instagram Stories, or only to posts in the feed. Last June, Instagram revealed that of the 500 million people using Instagram every day, 300 million use Stories every day.

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  • Grab launches ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ option

    Grab launches ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ option

    Grab has expanded its fintech offer with “Buy Now Pay Later” facility and an online store check-out plugin.

    Through its joint venture with Credit Saison, the ride-hailing platform offers a post-paid payment facility which allows customers to pay for Grab services at the end of the month, without additional fees.

    This is geared towards consumers who face exceptional expenses, but are keen to avoid being hit with high credit card or personal loan interest payments.

    The platform will also launch another pay-later product, which will allow consumers to shop online immediately, but pay for their purchases in installments.

    Only Grab’s most creditworthy customers can use these two products. Credit risk is based on their tenure on the Grab platform, frequency of use and spending patterns.

    Grab has been boosting its financial services in Southeast Asia in recent years. Its GrabPay service has teamed with e-commerce platforms such as Qoo10 and 11Street.

    It has recently signed with Adyen, Boku, iPay88, Dragonpay, Cathay Cineplexes, and SM Cinema in the Philippines.

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  • Fung and JD launch Hong Kong’s first AI checkout

    Fung and JD launch Hong Kong’s first AI checkout

    JD has partnered with Fung Retailing Group to unveil Hong Kong’s first AI checkout solution in a retail store environment.

    The AI-powered checkout technology is a result of a strategic deal between the firms signed last year. It represents the first AI checkout experience featuring image recognition technology in the territory. This technology is currently installed at the AI Retailing Zone in two Circle K stores in Hong Kong.

    Designed to make the checkout experience as easy and hassle-free as possible, customers can complete checkout using the AI-powered solution in just four seconds with three simple steps, including placing the products on the counter, scanning, and paying via Octopus card.

    The advanced AI algorithm enables the checkout counter to recognise up to five products within one second with an accuracy rate of more than 97 per cent, reducing the overall checkout time by 30 per cent.

    “This is an important milestone for Fung Retailing as the first in the industry to unveil the first AI-powered checkout pilot experience in a convenience store environment,” said group MD Sabrina Fung.

    “This underscores our ongoing commitment to experiment with new technologies like AI and to build partnerships like the one with JD to enhance the end-customer experience, further transforming the future of retail for Greater China.”

    “AI will continue to play a critical role in transforming the retail landscape,” said JD VP Dr Bowen Zhou.

    “Retailers who are able to capitalise on this trend, will have a competitive edge among their peers. Leveraging Fung Retailing’s offline retail expertise and JD’s leading retail technology, this pilot project represents a critical first step in collectively realising our vision for smarter and more convenient retail.”

  • Kogan looks to cash in on marketplaces

    Kogan looks to cash in on marketplaces

    Online retailer Kogan.com announced the launch of Kogan Marketplace on Thursday, calling it a “win-win” for customers and businesses.

    The marketplace currently offers more than 100,000 products from brands such as Microsoft, Breville, Lego, Fisher-Price, Paw Patrol, SodaStream, Gillette, Gucci and Philips.

    That number is set to grow after today, when brands can apply to sell via the marketplace. According to Kogan.com’s most recent annual report, select brands and distributors were already selling on the marketplace in the 12 months to 30 June 2018.

    “With today’s launch, there are now over 100,000 products available to purchase on Kogan.com — meaning customers have more choice than ever before,” Lazar Monin, Kogan.com’s director of marketplace, said in a statement. “Our mission is to make the most in-demand products and services more affordable for all Australians.”

    The marketplace gives brands and retailers access to more than 1.5 million active customers on Kogan.com, as well as the retailer’s marketing and online distribution capabilities.

    “We’re obsessed with creating a great experience at Kogan.com for our customers and sellers alike,” Monin said.

    The marketplace also gives Kogan.com an opportunity to expand its range, reach new customers and increase sales, without having to buy and hold inventory or lose margin to the new low-value GST, which has dampened its global brands business over the last eight months.

    The potential for growth through an online marketplace is perhaps best demonstrated by Kogan.com’s rival Catch, which has seen significant success since launching a marketplace in 2017. The former ‘deal-of-the-day’ site now carries nearly two million SKUs and has roughly the same number of active customers as Kogan.com.

    According to a UBS forecast reported by the Australian Financial Review in October 2018, Kogan.com currently has a bigger share of the online retail market excluding food in Australia, but Catch, thanks to its marketplace, was expected to leapfrog Kogan.com to grab a bigger share of the market after FY19.

    Meanwhile, Catch has been diversifying its offering into telecommunications and financial services, a strategy that Kogan.com has been executing in a bid to meet more of its customers’ needs. Catch last year launched mobile phone plans with Optus called Catch Connect, and recently partnered with Now Finance to offer small personal loans to customers.

    Kogan.com has been launching similar services for the past few years and now has a portfolio of insurance offerings, credit cards, internet plans and even superannuation.

    The online retailer recently reported record trading during the peak Christmas period, driving first-half revenue to $231.8 million, up 10.6 per cent on the previous corresponding period. Gross profit in the half was $45.1 million, up 10.8 per cent on first-half trading in FY18.

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  • Jack Ma steps down from Alibaba divisions

    Jack Ma steps down from Alibaba divisions

    Alibaba founder Jack Ma has stepped back from active roles in five subsidiary companies as he prepares to hand over executive chairmanship of the company in September.

    Management of Alibaba say the moves were intended to improve the firm’s governance and administrative transparency.

    Ma has exited Alibaba’s Technology, Education Technology, Taobao Software, Network Technology, and Software departments.

    Stepping away from the business divisions was signalled before Ma announced last September his intention to resign as executive chairman and officials say the latest move is normal industry practice.

    One commentator described the step as “goodwill” and encouraging transparency when he is no longer active in Alibaba on a day to day basis.

    In an interview last September, which Ma owns, he said relinquishing the executive chairmanship was “not about retiring, stepping away, or backing off”. “This is a systematic plan,” he said.

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  • Brands say customers are to blame for bad CX

    Brands say customers are to blame for bad CX

    There is a significant disconnect between the way brands and customers perceive trends in the customer experience, according to a recent survey by InMoment.

    While 36 per cent of brands believe their customer experience is definitely improving, only 13 per cent of customers felt the same way.

    The survey also found that brands are failing to take responsibility for their CX shortcomings, with 40 per cent of brands saying customers are “very” responsible for creating better experiences in-store, and 11 per cent saying customers are “completely” responsible.

    On the other hand, customers believe a good CX is a shared endeavour.

    “It’s evident that there’s a significant divide in Australia between how brands and customers rate the experience they are delivering and receiving, respectfully,” InMoment vice president of APAC Claire Fastier said.

    “This gulf in perception should be ringing alarm bells for brands who need to better understand customer expectation and deliver strong CX.”

    According to the report, the simplest way to solve this disconnect is to ask customers what they want directly – nearly 78 per cent of customers said this was the most important method of improving customer experience, while only 43 per cent of brands agreed.

    “Open channels for direct feedback between you and your customers,” the report reads.

    “Make it as easy as possible for them to tell you how they feel about your brand. Don’t shy away from asking them the important questions, and be sure to weigh both asking and listening wisely.”

    Additionally, retaining a human element is incredibly important, with half of customers stating that better service from staff was the most important thing brands can do to improve the customer experience. This is at odds with the brand perception, with only 29 per cent ranking this first in importance.

    Personalising service with purpose, neglecting customers without an intent to purchase, and taking constructive criticism as a positive metric are all further ways that brands can improve customer experience moving forward according to the report.

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  • Grab now has more rivals than ever before in Vietnam

    Grab now has more rivals than ever before in Vietnam

    From an e-hailing app, Grab has made great steps forward, providing many different services. Most recently, it started the payment service GrabPay and lending service Grab Financial.

    The consumer lending market in South East Asia is very large. As estimated by the World Bank, about 2 billion people in the world cannot access bank services, and most of them are in Asia Pacific.

    The non-cash payment market, according to Grab, is worth $500 billion in South East Asia.

    An analyst commented that Grab is wise taking a ‘roundabout’ approach to consumer lending (it conquered the transport market first before aiming for the consumer credit market).

    Consumer lending is a fertile business field for Chinese e-commerce firms. The firms offer online payment apps to users to ‘learn’ about their financial capability.

    Grab, as an app, quickly attracted users, especially investors. Just within six years, Grab became an unicorn company, i.e. an unlisted technology firm with valuation of $1 billion and higher, in South East Asia. Analysts estimate that Grab is valued at $6 billion.

    The total number of Grab downloads has reached 95 million all over South East Asia. This could serve as the launch pad for it to conquer the consumer lending market.

    The challenges 

    “GrabPay e-wallet will be used for both transport and food delivery services, two of the most used services in South East Asia,” said Jerry Lim, director of Grab Vietnam.

    However, the analyst said, by expanding its business, Grab would have to compete with more rivals who are ‘powers’ in their fields. In online payment, for example, it will have to compete not only with AirPay (Sea) and Alipay (Alibaba Group), but also with local firms such as ZaloPay (VNG) and MoMo.

    In Indonesia, Grab bought an e-commerce platform, Kudo, in April 2017. Grab believes that this is the factor which can help expand GrabPay. However, in Vietnam, Grab’s two big rivals – Sea and Alibaba — both have strong support from two popular e-commerce floors – Shopee Vietnam and Lazada Vietnam.

    Similarly, GrabFood has rivals in the food delivery sector, where Sea’s Now, which inherited the large custom from Foody, is the leader.

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  • Select Vietnamese sellers to get Amazon training support

    Select Vietnamese sellers to get Amazon training support

    100 selected Vietnamese businesses will participate in a support program to help them reach more customers on Amazon. These businesses will receive offline or online training, with in-depth support from Amazon and discounts from local service providers, according to a statement jointly released Wednesday by the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency (Vietrade) under the Ministry of Finance and Amazon Global Selling.

    The program aims to help local businesses, especially in handicraft, textile, footwear and consumer goods, improve their export capabilities through selling on Amazon.

    They will also have the opportunity to participate in the second stage of the program, which will help them develop their brands.

    Other sellers who are interested can also join an online training program starting next month to get equipped with the basic knowledge of selling on Amazon.

    Bernard Tay, Amazon’s regional director for Southeast Asia, said that the young, tech savvy population in Vietnam and strong development of the manufacturing sector generate great e-commerce potential in the country.

    However, a lack of knowledge and experience prevents them from reaching out to the global market, he said.

    Vu Ba Phu, director of Vietrade, said that the support program will open up new potentials for local companies in expanding their businesses internationally.

    There are 300 million Amazon accounts in 185 countries and territories at present. Amazon also has 175 fulfillment centers worldwide.

    Vietnam has more than 700,000 businesses, of which 98 percent are small and medium enterprises, according to Vietrade.

    The country’s e-commerce market grew by 25 percent in 2017 and is expected to maintain this growth momentum over the next three years, according to the Vietnam E-commerce Association (Vecom).

    It also estimates online retail revenues to hit $10 billion by 2020, accounting for five percent of the country’s retail market.

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  • Alibaba Group sales down this month

    Alibaba Group sales down this month

    Alibaba Group sales soared 41 per cent in the December quarter as its customer based neared 700 million.

    The Chinese company’s turnover for the three months reached US$17.057 billion and its net income attributable to shareholders $4.807 billion.

    “Our resilient operating and financial performance is a direct reflection of our persistent focus on better serving our growing base of nearly 700 million consumers across retail, digital entertainment and local consumer services,” said CEO Daniel Zhang. “Our growth is also driven by the power of Alibaba’s cloud and data technology that helps expedite the digital transformation of millions of enterprises.”

    Alibaba group sales from core commerce increased 40 per cent to $14.958 billion, while the cloud-computing division posted 84 per cent growth, turning over $962 million. The digital media and entertainment division achieved 20 per cent growth to reach $944 million.

    In a statement, Alibaba said its Taobao platform achieved “robust user growth and enhanced engagement”. Last December, its China retail marketplaces had 699 million mobile monthly average users, representing a quarterly net increase of 33 million. The annual active consumers on its China retail marketplaces was 636 million for the 12 months ended December 31, compared to 601 million for the 12 months ended September 30 last year, “reflecting successful user acquisition programs, such as referrals through the Alipay app”.

    More than 70 per cent of the increase in annual active consumers was from third-and-lower tier cities.

    Tmall thrives

    Alibaba said GMV on its Tmall business grew 29 per cent year on year in the December quarter, outpacing the industry.

    “This robust growth was driven by strength in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), apparel and home furnishing categories,” the company said.

    During the quarter, Tmall signed up new brands to the platform including Valentino, Ermenegildo Zegna, Stuart Weitzman and Sergio Rossi which opened flagship stores and joined the Tmall Luxury Pavilion.

    Meanwhile, Alibaba’s proprietary grocery retail chain Freshippo (formerly Hema) continued to expand its footprint, “optimise its stores and introduce new initiatives that improve customer experience”. As of December 31, there were 109 self-operated Freshippo stores in China, primarily located in tier 1 and tier 2 cities, which continued to achieve “robust same-store sales growth” through the quarter.

    ‘Robust’ Lazada growth

    Alibaba’s Southeast Asian e-commerce platform Lazada achieved what the company described as “robust growth” in GMV. The company upgraded Lazada’s technology, which resulted in boosting the number of active users and achieved greater user engagement on Lazada’s mobile app.

    “We continue to invest resources to integrate Lazada’s business and technology operations into Alibaba with the aim of building a strong foundation for us to extend our offerings in Southeast Asia.”

  • Lazada Excels cross-border business across Southeast Asia

    Lazada Excels cross-border business across Southeast Asia

    Lazada is boosting its cross-border operations for international brands and merchants to after its cross-border sales quadrupled over the last three years The Alibaba-owned company says it plans to bring onboard more quality international brands and will identify and nurture the top 300 brands in each of the six. countries that Lazada operates in: Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. This will allow those brands to grow their business and enjoy benefits such as higher visibility of their products when users search and browse the site.

    “We want to serve as that bridge between our quality cross-border merchants and some 560 million consumers in Southeast Asia,” said Lazada Group’s co-president Jing Yin, speaking in Shenzhen at the company’s first cross-border seller conference for this year.

    “Backed by the best expertise and infrastructure from Alibaba, as well as our in-depth understanding of Southeast Asia, we are able to equip our cross-border sellers and brands with the knowledge and tools to ride this massive growth in the region,” Yin told more than 1000 merchants at the event.

    What Lazada describes as “a meteoric rise in e-commerce spending in Southeast Asia” reflects the increasing demand for cross-border products as the GMV from Lazada’s cross-border category grew by 4.6 times between 2016 and 2018. According to industry estimates, Southeast Asia’s e-commerce market is on track to hit US$240 billion by 2025, surpassing earlier estimates by $40 billion.

    Among the key initiatives announced at this week’s conference was a revamped Global Collection: a dedicated channel showcasing an assortment of Lazada’s cross-border merchants from all around the world. Global Collection 2.0 taps on algorithm-based search functions to filter the wide cross-border assortment to spotlight sellers offering popular and good quality products so customers can find them easily.

    “With the new Global Collection, customers will get their parcels much faster,” said a Lazada spokesperson. “They can get their parcels within seven working days from the day they place their orders if they choose the standard shipping option.”

    First launched in 2013, Lazada’s cross-border business has grown to become one of the most diverse marketplaces featuring brands and merchants from all over the world. The top five markets which cross-border sellers come from are Mainland China, Hong Kong, Korea, the US and Europe, with women’s fashion, home and living and kids’ fashion ranking among the most popular cross-border items. Lazada is now looking at launching new categories, offering bulky products like furniture and home appliances.

    Last year, Lazada set a new record, with its last-mile delivery fleet across Southeast Asia delivering more than 1 million parcels in a day.

  • Hyperlocal Start-up, Mapprr Brings Innovation & Ease To The Customers

    Hyperlocal Start-up, Mapprr Brings Innovation & Ease To The Customers

    To provide comfort to the customers, Mapprr – a pioneer in Hyperlocal delivery concept has launched live availability of the products on-board for the first time in India along with quick 60 minutes delivery. With this, Mapprr has taken a step forward towards enhancing the quality of customer experience.  Moreover, on one hand, users experience difficulties in finding products one may need, and on the other hand roaming store to store is a big disadvantage! So, with Mapprr, users can get real time product availability updates along with quick delivery service. Moreover, users can either order from Web or Mobile Application from Mapprr!

    In the words of Aruna Subhakar, Founder & CEO – Mapprr, “Innovation in Hyperlocal market along with specialized services is making all the right noises. It works towards empowering small and local retailers to think smart and tie up their business to serve customers in their locality smartly adhering to the technological advancements. 

    He further added that the people are embracing this new dynamic marketplace, as it provides them a perfect amalgamation of the traditional and modern shopping experience.

    Mapprr has stationed out 10+ number of delivery champions in every area summing up to 100 champions. These delivery champions would receive the orders within certain distance from the store assigned to them. The company has tied up with stores like Apollo, Medplus, Ratnadeep, The Body Shop, Nykaa, HealthKart, NewU, Sangeeta Mobiles, Big C & LOT Mobiles, etc. who readily pack the products once the order is received. The delivery champions go and pick up the orders and deliver at the doorsteps. The fastest delivery in a busy city like Hyderabad is 17 Minutes!

    Currently available in Hyderabad, Mapprr delivers Groceries, Medicines, Electronics, Beauty care, Fitness Supplements, Pet Supplies, and plans to introduce Flowers, Watches, Gifting items, Mouth Sweetener like Paan, etc. This year, the company plans to hire 2,000 delivery fleet and 200 employees across Hyderabad and Bangalore. This year, Mapprr plans to expand to Pune and Gurugram.

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