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Tag: Alibaba

  • Fung Retailing, Alibaba to collaborate bringing lifestyle brands into China

    Fung Retailing, Alibaba to collaborate bringing lifestyle brands into China

    Fung Retailing and Alibaba have formed a strategic partnership to launch more international lifestyle brands in Mainland China. The partnership will bring closer Alibaba’s 600-million user base and Fung Retailing’s 3000+ network of stores across Greater China, UK, France, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines. Its partly- or majority-owned businesses include Circle K and Zoff (under Convenience Retail Asia), Trinity, Toys R Us, Suhyang Networks, the UCCAL Fashion Group and Branded Lifestyle Holdings.

    The Fung Retailing and Alibaba collaboration aims to meet the increasing demand of Chinese consumers, building on the strengths of both parties in online and offline retailing, the two companies said in a statement. At the same time, it will better serve global brands by leveraging Fung Retailing’s global portfolio of brands, offline retail channels and marketing know-how, as well as Alibaba’s ecosystem, digital retail leadership, technology, and consumer insights.

    “That will help global brands tailor their product development and marketing strategies to meet the ever-changing needs of Chinese consumers,” the statement said. “The brands can also draw on Alibaba’s new retail channels, including Tmall and Intime, as well as Fung Retailing’s offline stores, thereby reducing costs, risks, and the time traditionally associated with entering the China market.”

    Photo: At the Fung Retailing and Alibaba MOU signing ceremony this week, from left: Sabrina Fung, group MD of Fung Retailing, Dr Victor Fung, group chairman of the Fung Group; Daniel Zhang, CEO of Alibaba Group; and Toby Xu, VP of Alibaba Group.

    Under a memorandum of understanding signed this week, both companies will join forces in global brand recruitment and offer brands merchandising, marketing and omnichannel distribution services. This collaboration will focus on the mainland China market as a first step, and potentially expand to other regions riding on Alibaba’s platforms.

    Speaking during the signing ceremony in Shanghai, Alibaba CEO Daniel Zhang said Alibaba wants to help global brands expand their foothold in China by fully integrating its New Retail capabilities, big data and technology with Fung Retailing’s “unparalleled advantages in brand and supply chain resources”.

    “We believe this partnership represents the beginning of a new chapter for New Retail.”

    Fung Retailing’s group MD Sabrina Fung said retail is changing exponentially, so it’s important to stay ahead of the curve, which this agreement allows the company to do.

    “Through this exciting strategic partnership with Alibaba, we will help customers navigate the full Chinese retail economy and reach China’s 1.4 billion consumers more easily. In this evolving retail landscape, and faced with changing consumer behavior and disruptive retail technologies, we are focused on developing new ways to do business,” she said.

     

  • Alibaba promises US$200 billion global sourcing plan

    Alibaba promises US$200 billion global sourcing plan

    Alibaba has committed to help import US$200 billion worth of goods from more than 120 countries over the next five years. The company says the move underscores its long-term commitment to globalisation and boosting its efforts to meet the rising demand of Chinese consumers for high-quality international products.

    However, it could also be construed as a move to shore up alternative supply chains in the wake of growing trade tensions between the US Trump administration and China.

    “Globalisation is one of Alibaba’s most critical long-term growth strategies,” said Alibaba CEO Daniel Zhang in a statement. “We are building the future infrastructure of commerce to realize a globalised digital economy where trade is possible for every country around the world.”

    He said using Alibaba’s innovative technology and robust ecosystem, the company is positioned to make global trade more inclusive and fulfil its mission “to make it easy to do business anywhere in the digital era.”

    Zhang outlined Alibaba’s plan at its Global Import Leadership Summit held at the first-ever China International Import Expo in Shanghai. Between 2019 and 2023, Alibaba forecasts it will help import international goods from businesses of all sizes in top countries such as Germany, Japan, Australia, the US, South Korea and Singapore. Several top global brands including P&G, Nestle, JBS, and Refa, have confirmed their holistic partnership with the Alibaba ecosystem.

    By collaborating with various Alibaba businesses units, these brands have been able to effectively engage with China’s massive middle class, a primary engine powering China’s consumption growth.

    Alvin Liu, GM of Tmall import and export, said China’s middle class is booming. “As incomes are rising in China, consumers want faster access to and a wider variety of high-quality products from around the world. Tmall is uniquely positioned to help international brands tap into the growing China market as consumers seek to upgrade their lifestyle.”

    According to a joint report by Deloitte China, the China Chamber of International Commerce, and AliResearch, China’s robust economic growth in recent years has increased the number of middle-to-high income Chinese consumers, who are fuelling the demand for imported, quality goods.

    The report notes that China’s cross-border e-commerce market has grown remarkably, with the proportion of imports to total e-commerce sales growing from 1.6 per cent in 2014 to 10.2 per cent last year. The report also highlights that, between 2014 and 2017, the number of shoppers on Alibaba’s dedicated platform for cross-border shopping, Tmall Global, has grown 10-fold.

  • Alibaba’s second-quarter revenue jumps high

    Alibaba’s second-quarter revenue jumps high

    Alibaba’s second-quarter revenue grew 54 per cent year on year, reaching RMB 85.1 billion ($US12.3 billion). Net income attributable to shareholders was RMB 20 billion ($2.9 billion), a 13 per cent year-on-year increase. “Alibaba had another strong quarter of rapid growth,” said Alibaba Group CEO Daniel Zhang.

    “Annual active customers increased by 25 million to reach 601 million in the year ended September 30.”

    “Annual active customers increased by 25 million to reach 601 million in the year ended September 30.”

    Alibaba’s cloud-computing arm saw 90 per cent year-on-year growth to RMB 5.6 billion, launching more than 600 products and features during the quarter ranging from big data analytics, AI application innovation, security and internet-of-things enhancements.

    The business’s online Tmall operations saw a 30 per cent increase in gross merchandise value, driven by improved conversion rates and increased traffic in the fast-moving consumer goods, home furnishings and apparel categories.

    Alibaba’s New Retail strategy has continued to pay off across its Hema supermarkets network, with stores that have been in operation for at least 1.5 years seeing online sales account for 60 per cent of turnover for the September quarter. By the end of the quarter, 77 Hema stores had been opened in China.

    The group has dropped its forecast revenue guidance for the full year by 4 to 6 per cent to between RMB 375 billion and RMB 383 billion. As it stands, the group expects revenue to grow by 54 to 56 per cent.

  • Alibaba Group Puts Spotlight on Indonesian Brands

    Alibaba Group Puts Spotlight on Indonesian Brands

    Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba launched a special section for Indonesian products on its platform on Friday to promote the country’s best products to more than a billion Chinese consumers. The section, known as the Indonesian Pavilion, debuted on Alibaba’s Tmall Global, a platform dedicated to helping international retail brands and entrepreneurs reach out to the Chinese market despite not having a presence in the country.

    Indonesian Ambassador Djauhari Oratmangun and Ryan Wang, general manager of public affairs at Tmall, inaugurated the special section during an event in Shanghai.

    The Indonesian Pavilion was launched in time for Alibaba’s 2018 11.11 Global Shopping Festival, the world’s largest one-day shopping event, which takes place on Nov. 11 every year.

    The section will initially offer five leading Indonesian food and beverage brands: Indomie instant noodles, Kapal Api packaged coffee, Richeese biscuits, Yan Ty Ty swallow’s nests and Papatonk shrimp crackers.

    Through Tmall’s integrated service center, brands can increase consumer awareness of their products ahead of the upcoming shopping festival.

    Chinese consumers will also have a chance to learn about Indonesia’s cultural richness and exotic tourist destination, which will also be featured on the platform.

    This forms part of Alibaba’s ongoing initiatives over the past few years to support Indonesian startups and small and medium enterprises.

    Jack Ma, Alibaba chairman and co-founder, serves on Indonesia’s digital economy board, advising the government on how to best nurture and implement digital technology to drive development.

    The government and Alibaba are also discussing ways to help Indonesia train local talent in the digital field and increase innovations in financial technology.

  • Auchan products to be sold on Lazada

    Auchan products to be sold on Lazada

    Auchan Vietnam has launched its store on LazMall, a branded shopping mall from Lazada, allowing customers to purchase French products online with rapid delivery. Despite having its own online store, Auchan believes it can expand its reach and boost sales by working with Lazada Vietnam. Customers will be able to choose from Lazada’s same-day delivery, next-day delivery or low-cost delivery options.

    Free delivery applies to customers in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hue, Danang, Dong Nai, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Binh Duong and Long An with orders worth VND99,000 (US$4.24) or more.

    Initially, Auchan products on LazMall will be mainly consumer goods, with the range to expand over time.

    The French retailer will link all of its 21 brick-and-mortar stores with LazMall, so orders will be fulfilled from the nearest Auchan store to customers.

    Lazada was recently ranked the second largest e-commerce platform in Vietnam behind Shopee, which earns a monthly average traffic of 34.5 million visitors.

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  • Singles Day 2018 faces delivery challenges

    Singles Day 2018 faces delivery challenges

    Alibaba and its partner retailers will face a massive challenge ensuring flawless delivery of millions of parcels all over China and beyond given the expectations of further growth on Singles Day 2018 next week.

    “As the event grows, the logistics challenge becomes bigger and bigger,” observes retail analyst Pascal Martin, partner at OC&C Strategy Consultants.

    “During last year’s event 812 million parcels were delivered just on Tmall. Observers are betting that this year’s milestone might be more than 1 billion parcels.”

    And, says Martin, although brands don’t like to talk about it, there is also a huge challenge in taking care of large quantities of returned goods.

    “11.11 is a massive test bed for Alibaba’s backbone infrastructure: the network of partners that make it all possible, from payment to delivery to data management, as well as AI and cloud technologies that are put to work to ensure a successful event.”

    Alibaba’s Cainiao Smart Logistics Network says it has upgraded its technology to cope with the expected increased volumes from 11.11 this year. The company boasts more than 30 million sqm of warehousing worldwide and a logistics field force of more than 3 million people.

    Domestically, Cainiao has opened a new robotic warehouse, expanded its Internet of Things (IoT) systems and built out its platform’s last-mile reach. For cross-border deliveries, more than 1000 shipping containers and 51 charter planes are booked, ready to speed orders across the world.

    Cainiao VP Ben Wang says while nobody knows how many orders Singles Day 2018 will generate, the logistics company needs to keep upgrading systems, anticipating growth and seeking higher efficiency, because of customer expectations.

    “It was only five years ago that parcel orders surpassed 100 million for the first time. Back then it took nine days to deliver the first 100 million parcels,” said Wang. “Last year, it took less than three days (2.8 days) to deliver the same number of parcels. Consumers increasingly want faster, better delivery, so that’s what we’re doing. This year, we’re striving to achieve a new high, leveraging the beauty of scale and technology.”

    Delivery “within minutes”

    Cainiao’s preparations this year also reflect the changing demands of logistics in the New Retail era. For the first time, goods ordered during 11.11 will be delivered directly from stores to customers during the Festival – sometimes within minutes. Short-distance delivery services will be available in more than 280 cities.

    “Cainiao is the logistics backbone of Alibaba’s New Retail strategy,” Wang said. “We are providing an online and offline, cross-platform supply-chain solution to merchants and enabling them to cut inventory costs, while increasing operating efficiency, especially around 11.11 ­– the busiest season of the year. Ultimately, consumers will enjoy a brand-new shopping experience, as delivery service will always be on-demand.”

    Martin expects Singles Day 2018 to include more partners, not only online but also offline, leveraging Alibaba’s New Retail ecosystem. For example, Tmall 3000+ convenience stores, Hema and RT Mart supermarkets, Suning and Auchan, will be fully integrated into the event.

    The event will also be expanding beyond China through Lazada, the Southeast Asia online platform owned by Alibaba.

    “We expect to see participation of an increasing number of international brands that are taking advantage of the Tmall Global platform – number one by far among Chinese cross-border platforms – to get introduced to Chinese consumers without any direct presence in China for many of them.”

    And diversification will be another key factor in this year’s event, he says.

    “It’s not just about purchasing products, it’s also increasingly about purchasing a variety of services, from videos on Youku to mobile games on UC, theatre tickets on Taopiaopiao, music on Xiami music, travel on Feizhu, etc… All of this will not happen without challenges.”

    Yet another test, says Martin, is for Alibaba to expand the event beyond its group companies.

    “Right now, most of the non-Tmall companies participating in the 11.11 event are Alibaba Group companies. Getting non-group companies to embark on the 11.11 band wagon will be the next step to sustain continued growth of the event in future years.

    “Finally, to keep the event fresh and exciting, Alibaba will need to continue to surprise increasingly demanding Chinese consumers with entertainment and festivals to delight them around the event. 11.11 has become much more than a commercial fair, it is now a major annual milestone in China’s cultural calendar.”

    Last year’s 11.11 event saw GMV reach 254 billion RMB (US$36.6 billion) including 168 billion RMB on Tmall alone. That turnover represented a 43.5 per cent increase over the 2016 GMV.

    Singles Day 2018 will mark the event’s 10th anniversary.

  • Jack Ma’s strategy in final letter to shareholders

    Jack Ma’s strategy in final letter to shareholders

    In his final letter to shareholders, Alibaba founder and executive chairman Jack Ma made a case for globalisation despite recent uncertainties in US-China trade relations, consumer trends, stock markets and the manufacturing industry.

    This is the third time that Alibaba has faced a setback in the global economy over the 19 years, but experience suggests there are opportunities behind the anxiety and friction.

    “The only question is how we should pivot,” he said.

    “Monumental challenges give rise to monumental opportunities, and Alibaba is well-positioned because we are adept at weathering adversity.”

    Ma added that Alibaba’s mission to make it easy to do business anywhere is precisely suited to the current environment, in which doing business is becoming harder.

    “We have spent the past three years to develop a trading system that serves small and medium enterprises and consumers around the world,” he said, referencing the company’s goals of ‘global buy’, ‘global sell’, ‘global delivery’ and ‘global travel’.

    “I am excited that we are able to deploy Alibaba’s technology, experience and resources, thereby establishing and improving a new and inclusive global trade system for the future.”

    Alibaba claims to have helped 200,000 brick-and-mortar retailers to implement online and offline integration in line with its New Retail vision.

    Ma reaffirmed the company’s commitment to sustainable growth for at least 102 years, with the goal of serving two billion global consumers, empowering 10 million profitable businesses and creating 100 million jobs by 2036, even as he prepares to step down from the board in September 2019, when CEO Daniel Zhang will take over his role as executive chairman.

    But Ma said he will “always be happy to engage in any discussion about the company at any time in the future” and will remain a shareholder in the company and partner in the Alibaba partnership.

    He thanked Alibaba’s shareholders for their trust and support and promised that the company would not stop innovating to solve problems and create value, market opportunity and profitability.

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  • Alipay to support China’s micro and small businesses to embrace digitization

    Alipay to support China’s micro and small businesses to embrace digitization

    Alipay has announced that it will launch new initiatives to provide more digital tools, safeguards, loan services and training to further improve efficiencies and support the growth and digitization of small and micro businesses (SMBs) in China.

    SMBs form the cornerstone of Chinese society and create millions of job opportunities. However, shifts in industry models mean that online and offline operations are increasingly merging together and this group has lacked the services and tools needed to improve efficiencies and seize the opportunities from digitization. Aiming to tackle this on-going issue, Alipay, will provide the following support to bolster the development of SMBs in China.

    Ÿ   Provide tools and services to support digital operations, including business analysis, customer engagement, and supply chain services aiming to help 100 million SMBs across China.

    Ÿ   Provide an additional safeguard to SMB owners. SMBs using Alipay services will be offered a maximum of RMB1000 (USD $144) rebate every half year on out-patient services. Alipay expects to extend coverage to 50 million SMBs by the end of 2018 and rebate more than RMB500 million (‪USD $71.8 million) in total.

    Ÿ   Provide MYbank’s loan services to 30 million SMB owners and self-employed people over the next three years.

    Ÿ   In collaboration with 100 start-up entrepreneurs, Ant Financial, the parent company of Alipay, will tailor 100 lessons in corporate development and operations with the aim of training 10 million SMBs and facilitate their digital transformation.

    A great number of SMBs have benefited from Ant Financial’s range of services, including those provided to QR code merchants, who are typically SMBs that use Alipay’s QR code to collect payment from customers. These services include business analysis, financial management, loan and insurance services. Powered by Artificial Intelligence, Ant Financial enables SMB owners to apply for business loans in less than three minutes by smartphone, receive near-instant approval without human intervention. One QR code merchant from Wuhan, for instance, applied for a RMB20,000 (USD $2,874) business loan during Chinese New Year and received approval within one second. In the year ending October 2018, over three million QR code merchants have applied for loans through this service with an average loan size of less than RMB8,000 (USD $1,150).

    AI facilitates the entire process of out-patient benefits offered to QR code merchants, from guiding users to upload their invoices correctly, to identifying key data points on the invoice (such as hospital name and fee amount), to reviewing the information and materials submitted. Ant Financial’s blockchain technology secures the authenticity of the invoices. Tens of millions of QR code merchants have begun to take advantage of this offer with 20,000 merchants on average signing up for the service each day.

  • Alibaba, Richemont ink deal to bring YNAP to China

    Alibaba, Richemont ink deal to bring YNAP to China

    Alibaba is to launch Yoox Net-A-Porter China after entering into a partnership with Yoox’s owner, Swiss luxury fashion group Richemont. Under the partnership, YNAP and Alibaba will establish a joint venture (JV) to launch two mobile apps for YNAP’s Net-A-Porter and Mr Porter multi-brand, in-season online stores for consumers in China. Alibaba will provide technology infrastructure, marketing, payments, logistics and other technology support to the JV.

    The partnership will use YNAP’s strong relationship with leading luxury brands, some 950 of them being currently distributed through YNAP in China, and launch the brands on Alibaba’s Tmall Luxury Pavilion.

    “Chinese customers at home and abroad are an increasingly important customer base for Richemont and for the broader luxury industry,” said Richemont chairman Johann Rupert.

    “Our digital offering in China is in its infancy and we believe that partnering with Alibaba will enable us to become a significant and sustainable online player in this market. Alibaba has become the preferred online destination in China, with world-class teams in technology, logistics and marketing.”

    Rupert said the company would work with Alibaba to ensure Net-A-Porter and Mr Porter continued to expand “as neutral, open and sophisticated platforms”.

    YNAP group CEO Federico Marchetti said Alibaba provided “a neutral and powerful platform to maximise China’s immense potential” for the group.

    Daniel Zhang, CEO of Alibaba Group, added: “We believe this announcement is just the beginning of a long-term partnership, and together we are committed to exploring many more opportunities to collaborate in the future.”

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  • Baby apparel FirstCry in talks with Alibaba, SoftBank for funding

    Baby apparel FirstCry in talks with Alibaba, SoftBank for funding

    Indian online baby product retailer FirstCry is in funding talks with Chinese e-commerce platform Alibaba and Japanese multinational conglomerate SoftBank Group. The firm is seeking at least US$100–$150 million in the deal in a move to put it at the forefront of the market, according to unverified reports. Both investing partners may participate in the funding if the deal goes ahead.

    While none of the parties have released statements on the proposal, previous reports have revealed FirstCry as seeking similar investment figures over the past year.

    FirstCry has raised more than $100 million since launching in 2010. The business derives the majority of revenue from a network of more than 300 stores despite the relatively small size of its offline business compared to its online presence.

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  • Canada Goose debuts in Hong Kong market

    Canada Goose debuts in Hong Kong market

    Canadian clothing manufacturer Canada Goose has opened its first Hong Kong store. Located in the IFC mall, the inaugural greater China store follows a partnership struck in May with Alibaba to launch the brand on the mainland. Canada Goose’s CEO in China Scott Cameron said the brand chose to open in Hong Kong because of its status as China’s fashion capital, as well as its strategic location between the mainland and the rest of the world.

    The brand’s new 2018 fall products are available in store as well as its classic down jacket and “Fusion Fit” collection for Asian wearers.

    The Alibaba partnership was created in part to ensure consumer access to genuine products in a market category frequently assailed by counterfeiting.

  • Tmall’s “See Now, BuyNow” Show Kicks Off 2018 11.11 Global Shopping Festival

    Tmall’s “See Now, BuyNow” Show Kicks Off 2018 11.11 Global Shopping Festival

    Tmall, the largest B2C ecommerce platform for global and domestic brands and retailers in China, hosted its “See Now, Buy Now” Tmall Collection Fashion Show during the weekend in Beijing, kicking off the month-long lead-up celebration to Alibaba Group’s 2018 11.11 Global Shopping Festival.

    This year – the festival’s 10th anniversary – its fashion show added a new interactive element. In addition to popular “See Now” and “Buy Now” features that allow viewers to purchase items shown on the runway instantly from their mobile phones, this year’s fashion show also introduced an innovative feature, “Play Now”. “Play Now” gives viewers the chance to vote for their favorite outfits to create a trend report that would provide insights and instant feedback to participating brands.

    “Tmall Collection is our annual extravaganza to showcase the hottest trends in fashion. We created the ‘See Now, Buy Now’ concept two years ago, and we are excited to boost consumer engagement to a new level with the ‘Play Now’ feature, enabling viewers to share their views with brands real-time,” said Jessica Liu, President of Tmall Fashion and Luxury.  “The ‘See Now, Buy Now’ show provides a powerful sales channel for the world’s leading brands and also has the potential to reshape the fashion industry with the interactive component tailored for the always-online Chinese millennials.”

    The four-hour “See Now, Buy Now” show featured an impressive lineup of more than 60 international and domestic brands showcasing their latest collections, including Estée Lauder, Levi’s, Adidas, Guess, I.T, M.A.C.., G-Star Raw, and Swatch. More top luxury brands participated in the event than ever before, including Stella McCartney, Burberry, MCM, La Perla, Giuseppe Zanotti, and Stuart Weitzman.

    To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the 11.11 Global Shopping Festival, the fashion show also featured a special segment highlighting crossover products that are specifically designed for the Festival. Celebrities participating in the show this year included American fashion designers Anna Sui and Jason Wu, American singer Jaden Smith, and Chinese singer Chris Lee.

    The live runway show had attracted over 57 million online viewership, more than tripling that of last year. It was broadcast live on 10 platforms, including the Taobao app, Alibaba’s video platform Youku, social media platform Weibo, and short video app Tik Tok.

  • Honestbee risk losses with new experimental offerings

    Honestbee risk losses with new experimental offerings

    Online grocery service Honestbee has opened a retail space which merges cashless grocery store with a restaurant and a testbed for new retail technologies.

    Habitat by Honestbee in Pasir Panjang is billed as “the world’s first tech-integrated multi-sensory grocery and dining destination of its kind”. While Chinese online behemoth Alibaba may well challenge that claim, Habitat is certainly a revolution in Southeast Asia, boasting a cashless checkout experience and a fully automated robotic collection point, called RoboCollect.

    Spanning 60,000sqft, Habitat by Honestbee is a full supermarket with more than 20,000 Asian and global foods and ingredients as well as daily essentials, which can be purchased both online and offline.

    The store also features 15 unique food and beverage concepts ranging from grain bowls and grilled wagyu meats to Japanese souffle pancakes and homemade kombuchas, all available to eat on site or take away.

    More features are under development, including an invitation-only private dining space, an oyster bar, an entire section devoted to charcuterie and cheese, and a hidden bar.

    Honestbee says the new space heralds the arrival of NewGen Retail, a concept defined as “innovation in retail technology that inspires more human engagement for a multi-sensory experience” and not hugely dissimilar to Alibaba’s New Retail concept.

    For purchases of 10 items or less, shoppers can use the Scan & Go function on the Honestbee app, so they can skip the checkout line and get their items on the spot. Those with bigger shopping lists can drop off their trolleys at the convenient AutoCheckout and Habitat will take care of the scanning and packing, with bags ready for collection at the RoboCollect Stations.

    Honestbee says customer orders can be processed between checkout and collection in as little as five minutes.

    Online grocery orders are fulfilled by ‘Shopper Bees’ (Honestbee staff) using overhead conveyor belts for greater productivity before ‘Driver Bees’ pick them up for delivery.

    Purchases can be paid for securely using BeePay, Honestbee’s own digital wallet, either online or offline.

    “Habitat by Honestbee is a beautiful, physical extension of the honestbee brand we all love,” said VP and MD at Habitat by Honestbee, Pauline Png.

    “With its launch, we now provide tech-enabled convenience, value and quality through food in both the online and offline experience. It is a unique combination of a full supermarket, speciality grocer, dining and interactive lifestyle destination. In this innovative space, one can expect a multi-sensorial food experience that nourishes, educates and inspires. We designed it so that customers can get their groceries and meals efficiently but also linger and enjoy the experience.”

    View the full gallery of the newest Habitat store below (16 images) :

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  • Alibaba’s Robust Ecosystem Supercharges 2018 11.11 Global Shopping Festival

    Alibaba’s Robust Ecosystem Supercharges 2018 11.11 Global Shopping Festival

    Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA) today officially kicked off the 2018 11.11 Global Shopping Festival in China’s capital, promising this year’s mega-event will be the largest-ever in terms of scale and reach.

    Businesses within the Alibaba ecosystem will jointly offer hundreds of millions of consumers an enriching experience that supports their pursuit of high-quality products, entertainment and fast, reliable services. The Festival will also demonstrate the enthusiasm of consumers and brands embracing Alibaba’s New Retail strategy – the convergence of online and offline retail through technology.

    “This year marks the 10th anniversary of 11.11. On the back of China’s explosive digital transformation, the Festival’s astounding growth over the past decade has powered the steady growth of quality consumption sought by Chinese shoppers. The evolution also showcases the development of the Alibaba ecosystem over time expanding well beyond e-commerce,” said Alibaba Group CEO Daniel Zhang.

    Zhang conceived 11.11 as a concept a decade ago, turning “Single’s Day” on the Chinese calendar into the world’s largest annual shopping event. The first 11.11 in 2009 brought in US$7.8 million in gross merchandise value (GMV). Total GMV generated in 2017 was US$25.3 billion. Over the past decade, China’s number of Internet users has risen to 802 million and 98% of them are mobile1. Alibaba has captured the hearts and minds of these Chinese consumers and expects to keep leading the way in retail innovation.

    “Over the last two years, we have pioneered the concept of New Retail to accelerate the digital transformation of the offline. We are excited by the impressive results achieved to date and will continue to be the driving force innovating for merchants and customers in the coming decades. We aim to become both the number-one business partner for brands and the number-one shopping destination for consumers,” Zhang added.

    This year, 500,000 items will be available for pre-order on Tmall from October 20. Customers can enjoy additional promotional coupons on Mobile Taobao and Mobile Tmall. Specifically, the 2018 11.11 Global Shopping Festival will have the following features made possible by New Retail and interactive initiatives:

    • Brand Innovation Tmall will continue to give brands access to new digital capabilities – 180,000 brands from China and around the world will participate in this year’s celebration. 200,000 smart stores in China across the apparel, fast-moving consumer goods, beauty products, automobile and home décor industries will help boost traffic to offline and online shopping destinations. Tmall Global provides 3,700 categories of imported goods from 75 countries and regions on its platform.
    • International Consumers Tmall World, AliExpress and Lazada will bring the event to hundreds of millions of overseas users, making 11.11 a truly global event. Lazada will host its first 11.11 Shopping Festival across six countries in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam, offering more engaged consumer experience and the biggest discounts of the year from LazMall and Lazada marketplace.
    • Participation of Local Services Ele.me’s on-demand platform will provide delivery services for select Starbucks stores across 11 Chinese cities, including full-service coverage in Beijing and Shanghai. In addition, 150,000 merchant partners of Koubei will offer half-price discounts on catering, beauty and hair salons and karaoke bars.
    • New Opportunities for Small Merchants 200,000 mom-and-pop stores powered by Alibaba’s Ling Shou Tong (which translates as “retail integrated”) will provide online sales promotions, along with augmented reality-based red packets that offer discounts at 3,000 “Tmall Corner Stores.” Rural Taobao will also bring coupons to its services in 800 counties across 29 provinces in China.
    • Dining and Supermarket Hema supermarket will designate 11.11 signature stores featuring a number of promotions. RT-Mart will complete the makeover of its nearly 400 stores, fully equipping them with New Retail capabilities.
    • Star-studded Entertainment Tmall Collection’s “See Now, Buy Now” Fashion Show will be broadcast live on ten platforms including Taobao, Youku, Weibo and Toutiao on October 20, starting at 6pm in China. This will provide millions of customers the opportunity to buy their favorite items on the spot and vote for their favorite looks to create a trend report. In addition, the signature countdown Gala will be held on November 10 in Shanghai’s Mercedes Benz Arena, featuring renowned stars.
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  • Alibaba Announces Smart Mobility Initiatives with Partners

    Alibaba Announces Smart Mobility Initiatives with Partners

    Alibaba Group Holding Limited announced a series of smart mobility initiatives in partnership with auto brands and technology service providers. The announcement was made during The Computing Conference, the company’s largest technology showcase, held over four days in Hangzhou, Alibaba’s home base.

    Partnering with Bosch on Automated Valet Parking

    Alibaba Cloud, the cloud-computing arm of Alibaba Group, and Bosch, a leading global supplier of technology services, announced plans to introduce Automated Valet Parking (AVP) solutions in China. Both parties will work together to enable the infrastructure-based, driverless parking solution. The technology is powered by software in a cloud and it will offer a fully automated valet parking service in the near future.

    As part of the cooperation, Bosch will provide its AVP technology, its experience in systems engineering and its IoT competencies. Alibaba Cloud, meanwhile, will share its technologies and its experience in cloud computing, data analysis and smart mobility. Both parties intend to explore building showcase sites to demonstrate next-generation AVP technology throughout China.The two companies are also committed to exploring future opportunities in connected mobility in China and abroad.

    AVP is an ideal accompaniment to smart cities, an area in which both Bosch and Alibaba aim to become significant players. AVP is also an important milestone on the road to autonomous driving.

    Partnering with Volvo Cars for Car-to-Home AI services

    Alibaba A.I. Labs, the department leading consumer AI product development at Alibaba, announced it is upgrading its auto Artificial Intelligence solution, Tmall Genie Auto, by partnering with Volvo Cars and adding car-to-home AI services. Tmall Genie is an AI-powered smart assistant developed by the Labs. Through the upgraded solution, Volvo Cars drivers with a Tmall Genie-compatible device will be able to monitor and control their smart-home devices from their cars, starting next year. Some of the newly added services include:

    · Running a status check on humidity, temperature, light and air conditioning at home, as well as the on and off status of smart home appliances;

    · Controlling appliance functions, including turning on the heater, air conditioning, door lock and air purifier;

    · Turning on the “home model” when drivers are 10 minutes away from home, which readies smart appliances for your arrival while you’re still in the car.

    Over 90 appliance brands are already in the Tmall Genie ecosystem, enabling over 600 smart home appliances to be easily connected for car-to-home AI services.

    Last June, Alibaba A.I. Labs partnered with Daimler, Audi and Volvo Cars to offer home-tocar AI services through Tmall Genie Auto. The Labs also rolled out in-car AI services by integrating the speech-interaction and Natural Language Processing features of AliGenie, the AI platform behind Tmall Genie. This technology supports voice commands for different tasks, such as identifying nearby attractions and restaurants, booking hotels and movie tickets and ordering to-go boxes by activating the cars’ navigation and infotainment systems.

    Partnering with Ford for New Internet Car

    As part of the strategic cooperation inked last December between Alibaba Group and Ford, the auto brand today confirmed that Ford Kuga SUV customers will be able to order the car which has a 10.4-inch center screen and software powered by AliOS later this year. The debut of this technology in the Kuga marks another milestone in strengthening ties between the two leaders in their respective fields, and highlights the rapid growth of internetconnected cars in China. As of today, there are over 500,000 AliOS – equipped Internet vehicles on the road in China.

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