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Tag: tmall

  • New Product Debuts on Tmall to Reach 20million in 2018

    New Product Debuts on Tmall to Reach 20million in 2018

    Alibaba Group’s Tmall, China’s largest B2C marketplace for brands, has fast become the “go-to” platform for Chinese consumers who want access to new gadgets and products from around the world.

    In 2017, 12 million products debuted on Tmall, a number expected to exceed 20 million this year, as global brands respond to the array of innovation capabilities available to them.

    “Inspiring millions of Chinese consumers to pursue better lives, Tmall aims to help every brand speed up its product R&D, innovation process and time-to-market, reducing the risks faced by introducing a new product. This also allows more new categories and products to feature in Chinese consumers’ lives at a much faster pace,” said Tmall President Jet Jing.

    By marrying the platform’s valuable consumer insights with analytical and research capabilities, Tmall Innovation Centre (TMIC), the dedicated retail innovation arm of Tmall, is focused on improving the effectiveness and efficiencies around launching new products. TMIC has collaborated with 81 leading enterprises over the past year, covering 600 individual brands. The household names which have already benefited include P&G, Unilever, L’Oréal, Estee Lauder, Shiseido, Mars and Samsung.

    TMIC has announced an alliance with 10 leading research and data technology firms to extend the capabilities of the ecosystem. Through this, TMIC is now joining with the industry to provide brands the necessary insights and analysis to supplement their research and development around new products, which will shape their China strategy. Partners include global market-research firms, The Nielsen Company, Ipsos, Kantar TNS, GFK and Euromonitor International, along with Kantar Worldpanel, which specializes in consumer panels and insight, and AdMaster, a Chinese marketing data technology company.

    This alliance pairs TMIC’s consumer reach and insights with the methodology and knowledge of its partners. Solid models will be built that cover the end-to-end process of product development, from R&D to precision marketing.

    Statistics from Alibaba have shown that brands working with TMIC have managed to cut the length of their product development cycle in half, at the same time mitigating the risks of misjudging consumer tastes and preferences.

    For example, with TMIC’s discovery of younger women’s preference for mouthwash products with flower and fruit flavors, Listerine, Johnson & Johnson’s oral care brand, will launch two mouthwash products in China during this year’s 11.11 Global Shopping Festival targeting women. Using the insights from TMIC, Listerine have only needed around five months to complete the “idea-to-shelf” journey.

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  • Theory Expands Footprint in China with Tmall Debut |

    Theory Expands Footprint in China with Tmall Debut |

    New York-based clothing label, Theory, known for its minimalist, precisely tailored wardrobe essentials, has opened its first online store in China on Alibaba’s Tmall e-commerce platform and its dedicated site for high-end shoppers, Tmall Luxury Pavilion. The stores offer all items in Theory’s womenswear and menswear collections available in its brick-and-mortar stores, including its newest Good Wool and autumn-winter 2018 lines. Offline, the brand currently counts 33 stores across 17 cities in China, a number it expects to double in three years.

    “Tmall’s partnership with Theory is a milestone in our continued market leadership in China as the premier B2C platform for fashion. We will empower Theory through our unparalleled data-driven consumer insight and New Retail technology to serve and discover fashion consumers across China, as well as build lasting relationship with customers,” said Jessica Liu, president of Tmall Fashion and Luxury.

    As part of the partnership agreement, Theory and Tmall will work more closely to leverage consumer insights and offer personalized New Retail experiences, starting with providing the same bonus points, sales benefits and exclusive birthday perks to Theory’s hundreds of thousands of VIP loyalty club members, both online and offline, for a more-seamless shopping experience across all channels.

    Tmall also provided the brand with marketing support, such as promoting its popular merino wool and cashmere clothing on Tmall Cashmere Category Day, an online-to-offline, multi-brand marketing event that ran from Sept. 24 to 26. The category is specially highlighted because of growing popularity of cashmere goods among the 30-40 age group on the platform, with the most rapid sales growth coming from younger consumers under 30 years old, the e-commerce platform said.

    “We will continue to roll out similar campaigns with Theory. At the same time, the brand has already merged its online and offline membership system to ensure the most complete set of rewards and services for its customers across all its online and offline channels,” said Anita Lyu, vice president of Tmall Fashion.

    Owned by Japan’s apparel giant Fast Retailing, Theory has pioneered a new category in the market now known as contemporary fashion — garments and accessories with designer aesthetics and premium quality, but sold at more-affordable price points. Contemporary fashion labels include Massimo Dutti, Charles & Keith and H&M Group’s COS.

    Aside from Theory, Fast Retailing also owns fashion brands, including Austrian contemporary label Helmut Lang, Los Angeles-based demim brand, J Brand and French lingerie brand, Princesse tam.tam, as well as premium fashion brand Comptoir Des Cotonniers. Two of its brands, Uniqlo and GU, have already opened flagship stores on the Tmall platform.

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  • Alibaba invests in clothes sharing platform Ycloset

    Alibaba invests in clothes sharing platform Ycloset

    Alibaba has invested an undisclosed figure in Chinese garment-sharing platform YCloset.

    The site’s strategic fundraising round that secured the Alibaba funding will be used to expand its data analysis functions and physical operations centres.

    The Beijing-based service allows users to rent clothes and accessories for a monthly subscription fee. It has more than 15 million registered users and provides a range of subscription plans and options to purchase garments.

    YCloset CEO Liu Mengyuan said wearing fashionable clothes will “always top the agenda of almost every woman”.

    “Compared with buying items in a store, clothes rental services will allow women to update their looks more frequently and wear more dresses that they could not afford to buy.”

    He added that the company will cooperate with a number of e-commerce platforms including Xianyu, Taobao, Tmall and Alipay.

    Alibaba Innovation Ventures was among the investors who raised $50 million for YCloset last year in a series C fundraising round.

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  • Tmall and L’Oréal China strengthen partnership

    Tmall and L’Oréal China strengthen partnership

    Alibaba Group’s Tmall, and L’Oréal China said today they’ll work closely together to find new ways for the beauty group to tap into the Chinese market, leveraging data-driven consumer analytics and a new value chain that better connects consumers, products and channels.

    Tmall Innovation Center (TMIC), the retail innovation arm of Tmall, will work closely with L’Oréal China to catalyze the consumer-to-business (C2B) approach, based on insights and trends generated from the 600 million-plus customer base across Alibaba’s marketplaces.

    The partnership’s first initiative will focus on China’s male-grooming industry. According to a white paper co-developed by TMIC and L’Oréal China Consumer Intelligence Team, online sales of men’s grooming products have increased by more than 50% in each of the past two years. In the past year, 62% of the male consumer pool between the ages of 15 and 50 said they used male-specific facial skincare products, showing a massive addressable market for male grooming products.

    “With Tmall’s unparalleled customer insight, we are committed to helping L’Oréal China offer its customers best-in-class personalized product experiences. Tmall has transformed product development in every area, from product innovation and brand building to consumer assets and channel management. We help brands discover new demand and markets as well as offer completely new customer experiences,” said Jet Jing, President of Tmall.

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  • Tao Heung sales improved as visitors increases

    Corporate restaurateur Tao Heung is reporting improved sales in both its core Hong Kong market and on the mainland as people dine out more often and the average tab increases.

    Tao Heung operates 60 restaurants under its own brand, two RingerHut eateries focused on non-Chinese cuisine, and 18 Tai Cheong Bakery stores.

    In the half-year to June 30, consumption sentiment improved both in Hong Kong and Mainland China, the company said. Its strategy to strengthen its culinary portfolio to attract a more diversified customer base, and right-size its operations led to a 5.4 per cent increase in year-on-year sales to HK$2.08 billion.

    “The increase was principally driven by same-store sales growth, in turn the result of the rise in per-head spending particularly for seafood and including late night dining – “all you can eat hotpot”,” the company said in its results commentary.

    Profit attributable to shareholders rose to $51.3 million (from $40.8 million in the same period last year) and would have been up by 53.7 per cent to $62.7 million had it not been for a one-off expense relating to the government-enforced closure of the company’s pig farm during the period.

    In Hong Kong, which accounted for 61.7 per cent of the company’s sales, the company says it faced “fierce competition” rebuffed by several seasonal marketing strategies. “All these helped to further drive same-store sales growth as well as increase per-head spending.”

    Eight Hong Kong restaurants were renovated during the six months, including Tao Heung – The Pier Market Store in Mong Kok which opened in June, specialising in seafood. It is targeted towards affluent customers – “a segment that not only appreciates fine Chinese cuisine but also a suitably sophisticated ambience”. Other restaurants were either closed or right-sized, leaving a net reduction of six outlets since the end of last year.

    As the company looks to diversify its restaurant portfolio, several collaborations were realised, with more partnerships in the pipeline. Du Hsiao Yueh, which specialises in Taiwanese cuisine, which opened its first Hong Kong branch in Tsim Sha Tsui in June last year, now has a sister restaurant in Causeway Bay. Another collaboration involves Flamingo Bloom, a modern, chic Chinese tea salon that opened at IFC mall in July.

    “Management trusts that such collaborations will not only broaden the group’s portfolio, but also provide it with greater flexibility in terms of business development,” the company said.

    Tao Heung is also exploring overseas partnership opportunities for its Tai Cheong Bakery, after achieving success in Singapore.

    “Besides consolidating its bakery network, further efforts will be made at increasing distribution channels through collaboration with different brands and supermarkets.”

    Mainland China operations

    On the mainland, the group operates an integrated complex business model, comprising Chinese restaurant, self-owned supermarket, indoor playground, museum, shops and parking facilities covering over 22,000sqm. The company said the three family-oriented complexes it operates continued to deliver stable income during the period, attracting the patronage of middle-to high-income families.

    The company’s packaged food business on the mainland also experienced strong growth. Sales of frozen food increased by 26.3 per cent, largely due to e-commerce partnerships with online platforms such as Tmall.com and JD, which give the group access to customers nationwide. Takeout services like Dianping.com, Meituan and ele.me also boosted sales.

    As at June 30, Tao Heung operated 46 restaurants in Mainland China, along with 26 Bakerz 180 outlets during the period.

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  • Online boosted 361 Degrees sales growth

    Online boosted 361 Degrees sales growth

    Sportswear retailer 361 Degrees International believes sponsorships of the Asia Games in Indonesia this month, and a focus on e-commerce are helping it attract younger customers.

    The Hong Kong-listed, Mainland China retailer of sports apparel, says sales increased 7.8 per cent in the first half year to RMB2.798 billion (US$411 million), with profit attributable to shareholders up 5.3 per cent to RMB335 million.

    361 Degrees sponsored the debut of esports as a demonstration sport at the Jakarta Palembang Asian Games and has a broader involvement in the fast-growing market.

    “As the youngest leading sports brand in China, 361 Degrees has been committed to establishing a youthful brand image,” said chairman Ding Huihuang.

    In the first half of this year, 361 Degrees launched sportswear and accessories products jointly with QG Club, a mainland esports championship team.

    “In the future, the group will promote the 361 Degrees brand among esports customers, cooperate with more esports teams, increase the esports product lineup, explore multiple sales modes such as physical store sales, and add an esports zone on e-commerce platforms to approach younger generation with the esports and blaze a trail for attracting young generation consumers,” he said.

    Meanwhile, 361 Degrees’ e-commerce business increased by 185.5 per cent to RMB328.9 million, representing 10.9 per cent of the group’s turnover in the first half of this year, compared with just 4.1 per cent in the same period last year.

    In the second half of this year, the group says it plans to continue to optimise its sales network and strengthen cooperation with e-commerce platforms such as Tmall, JD and Vipshop to promote the combination of online and offline sales channels.

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  • Alibaba signs new deal that speed up cosmetics certification in China

    Alibaba signs new deal that speed up cosmetics certification in China

    Alibaba Group has signed a deal with Zhoushan Free Trade Zone, in China’s eastern Zhejiang province, that speeds up the cosmetics certification in China for Tmall brands who want to import non special-use cosmetics.

    This agreement, signed between the Hangzhou-based e-commerce giant and two Zhoushan City government agencies, cuts the approval time down from a typical six to eight months to just three months, Alibaba said.

    The expedited service could be a major boon for brands that wish to accelerate the launch of their products in China, as they move to keep up with the rapidly changing tastes of the Chinese consumers, said Jet Jing, the head of Alibaba’s B2C marketplace Tmall.

    According to Chinese regulations, non-special-use cosmetics are products that do not have any specialty functions, such as lipstick and eyeshadow. Specialty items, such as sunscreen or freckle-removal cream, are not included in this agreement. Currently, nearly 80 per cent of the cosmetics sold on Tmall are non-special use, Alibaba said.

    The deal, effective immediately, is result of a policy enacted in March last year through which the China Food & Drug Administration accelerated the approval time for first-time imported non-special used cosmetics at the Shanghai FTZ. Since then, 11 FTZs nationwide, including Zhoushan, have been granted permission to offer the same expedited approval by centralising all the necessary testing agencies in one location.

    In China, only the very first shipment of non-special-use cosmetics undergoes this kind of testing. After that initial approval, all other testing is random in order to ensure that the quality of imported cosmetics is maintained. Alibaba emphasised that all required documentations and testing remains the same under the new scheme.

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  • Inditex’s Uterqüe arrives in China in partnership with Tmall

    Inditex’s Uterqüe arrives in China in partnership with Tmall

    Zara sister label Uterque has opened a flagship on Alibaba’s Tmall to build brand awareness in China’s premium fashion market.

    Uterque has yet to open any physical stores in China, but the company’s parent Inditex says China is definitely on the radar in the near future.

    According to Alibaba Group news site Alizila, Uterque will continue its tradition of renewing the product selection in stores and online twice a week in China as well and customers of Tmall, Alibaba’s B2C marketplace, will have immediate access to all of the label’s newly launched clothes.

    “With the rapid growth of the market for high-end goods on Tmall, more and more premium fashion brands from Europe and North America have joined the platform, even opening a store on Tmall ahead of its brick-and-mortar roll-out,” said Anita Lyu, VP of Tmall Fashion.

    She said launching online in advance of opening physical stores helps brands understand the market first.

    “Through partnering with Tmall, brands can receive accurate feedback from Chinese users and leverage that to design an overall strategy that suits the China market,” Lyu said. “Meanwhile, tapping Tmall can help boost brand awareness and open up markets more quickly.”

    Inditex operates more than 7448 stores worldwide under eight brands, including Zara, Zara Home, Massimo Dutti, Bershka, Pull and Bear, Stradivarius, Oysho and Uterque. Uterque is the last to open an official store on Tmall.

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  • Starbucks and Alibaba form New Retail Partnership in China

    Starbucks and Alibaba form New Retail Partnership in China

    Starbucks China and Alibaba have announced an alliance that stretches way beyond the latter’s online delivery platform Ele.me.

    The two companies describe their pact as “a deep, strategic New Retail partnership” that will enable a seamless Starbucks experience and transform the coffee industry in China.

    The partnership spans Ele.me, the food delivery platform acquired by Alibaba last month, Hema supermarkets, Tmall, Alipay and Taobao. Pilot delivery services by Starbucks China will start next month with the coffee company opening delivery kitchens to fulfil orders and “co-create an unprecedented virtual Starbucks store”.

    Starbucks China CEO Belinda Wong says the partnership with Alibaba breaks the physical and virtual barriers between the home, office, in-store and digital space.

    “It will make China the first Starbucks market to deliver a seamless Starbucks experience across all facets of our customers’ lives.”

    Alibaba CEO Daniel Zhang said Starbucks is more than a destination for premium coffee “and we share the same vision to pioneer a new coffee culture and lifestyle through innovation and technology”.

    It starts with Ele.me

    Ele.me, China’s largest on-demand food delivery platform with 3 million registered delivery riders, will start delivering Starbucks orders from 150 stores in key trading zones in Beijing and Shanghai next month. By the end of the year, that service is expected to expand to more than 2000 Starbucks stores across 30 Chinese cities.

    The two companies have worked together to develop what they describe as “a unique, customised delivery infrastructure” including dedicated delivery riders, precise delivery times, and custom carriers. They believe they will be able to offer “a best-in-class coffee delivery service standard for Chinese customers” which could well be interpreted as a challenge to local startup Luckin Coffee which has grown into a US$1 billion company in less than a year, based on a mixed delivery and in-store model.

    Starbucks will partner with Hema supermarkets to open dedicated “Starbucks Delivery Kitchens” within stores. The kitchens will use Hema’s fulfillment and delivery capabilities to complement the delivery of Starbucks beverages offered through existing Starbucks stores. Starbucks will also use Hema’s consumer insights and fulfillment expertise to reach more communities across China.

    Data from Hema stores will be used to help plan the location of future Starbucks cafes, combined with delivery kitchens. The first delivery kitchens will open in selected Hema supermarkets in Shanghai and Hangzhou next month.

    Digital transformation

    Starbucks China and Alibaba say the creation of a ‘virtual Starbucks store’ in China is a key strategic initiative under the partnership.

    Alibaba will develop a centralised online management hub, with the capability to integrate and deliver a consistent Starbucks experience across multiple digital platforms. “This innovation will transcend the traditional limitations of a single-app visit by providing the consumer an elevated, and even more personalised Starbucks digital experience across the Starbucks app and Alibaba’s customer-facing mobile apps, including Taobao, Alipay, Tmall and Koubei,” the companies said in a statement.

    “This latest innovation will revolutionise the traditional offline-to-online model by effectively extending the reach of the Starbucks experience into the everyday lifestyle ritual of the Chinese consumer, regardless of time or place. Whether it is at home or in the office, within a Starbucks store or online, Starbucks customers will be able to access and enjoy a one-stop Starbucks experience when purchasing merchandise online, buying a Starbucks handcrafted beverage to be delivered to a friend or sending a Starbucks gift of love on the “Say it with Starbucks” social gifting platform.”

    Starbucks will progressively integrate its Starbucks Rewards membership platform onto the centralised system to use its consumer insights to deliver a personalised experience to customers.

    “Starbucks China and Alibaba are trusted business partners who share common values in the spirit of innovation and the unrelenting pursuit of product and service excellence,” the statement said.

    “Thanks to the elevated customer experience delivered by our more than 45,000 partners, Starbucks is growing and innovating faster in China than anywhere else in the world,” said Kevin Johnson, president and CEO at Starbucks Coffee Company. “Our transformational partnership with Alibaba will reshape modern retail, and represents a significant milestone in our efforts to exceed the expectations of Chinese consumers. Starbucks China is one to watch, and I have full confidence in the team that will bring the new innovation behind the Starbucks Experience to life.”

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  • Ele.me big ambition ready to dominate China’s food-delivery market

    Ele.me big ambition ready to dominate China’s food-delivery market

    Ele.me aims to grab a majority share of China’s food-delivery market in the near future, CEO Wang Lai, (pictured), said this week.

    Moving into Alibaba’s ecosystem has already created new and immediate opportunities for Ele.me and the 3 million-strong delivery force registered through its platform, Wang said. While core food delivery is likely to provide strong growth longer-term, insights offered by various Alibaba apps and platforms, coupled with a growing need for last-mile delivery in Alibaba’s overall New Retail strategy, offer hints of what’s to come.

    Alibaba took control of Ele.me in May. In June, after plugging the delivery company into its ecosystem, Ele.me delivery orders for categories including supermarkets, convenience stores under Alibaba’s Ling Shou Tong program, fresh fruits and flowers climbed 110 per cent from a year earlier. In the future, Wang said there’s the chance for tie-ups with other Alibaba business units and collaboration with nationwide food chains as a delivery partner.

    Ele.me has already begun benefiting from consumer insights derived from Taobao, Tmall, Alipay, Youku and other platforms and apps in the Alibaba ecosystem, which drives traffic to Ele.me and helps it understand the needs of Chinese consumers.

    As for Ele.me’s core food-delivery market, the Alibaba unit recently launched a RMB3 billion summer promotion campaign that’s already starting to show results in several Chinese cities. In Hangzhou, Ele.me added 100,000 customers to its membership program early this month. In Changsha, during just the first two weeks of July, gross transaction volume climbed by almost 15 per cent over the same period in the previous month.

    The summer campaign kicked off with discounts and coupons for late-night snacks delivered during the recently ended FIFA World Cup 2018 tournament. The World Cup deals spurred what Ele.me said was a “rapid rise in food delivery” in early July, with momentum sustained since then.

    But it is the sector’s longer-term prospects that excite Ele.me’s CEO. Chinese customers spent around RMB4 trillion on food in 2017, according to China Cuisine Association data. Less than 10 per cent of that went toward food delivery, which has become one of the fastest-growing and most-competitive areas in China.

    “We view the limited penetration of delivery in the food and beverage sector to-date as a tremendous opportunity for growth,” Wang said.

    Ele.me also complements Koubei, Alibaba’s local services platform. By combining Ele.me’s on-demand delivery service with Koubei’s consumer-acquisition and in-store engagement capability for restaurants and service establishments, Alibaba can offer an integrated online/offline experience to consumers, in line with the group’s overall New Retail strategy.

    “The local-services market is a must-win for Alibaba as part of its New Retail strategy, and we look forward to Alibaba’s continued financial and technological support to win this market,” said Wang. “As the spending power of Chinese shoppers continues to grow, the local-services sector becomes critical for Alibaba to build customer and merchant engagement and fulfill its mission of accelerating the digital transformation of traditional retail.”

  • Innisfree teams up with Alibaba to open new concept store in China

    Innisfree teams up with Alibaba to open new concept store in China

    South Korean cosmetics giant Amorepacific’s cosmetics brand Innisfree has opened a new concept store in Hangzhou, China, in collaboration with Alibaba’s Tmall, the company said Thursday.

    According to Innisfree, its new concept store features a technology-based shopping experience, backed by Tmall’s new retail technology.

    Tmall is China’s largest B2C platform for brands and retailers, in terms of GMV.

    At the store, customers can test makeup products by using Magic Mirror, which has adopted Tmall’s augmented reality technology. An automated vending machine that sells mask sheets and sample products will allow customers to easily purchase items at lower prices, the company said.

    In addition, smart shelves are installed to show each product’s information on interactive screens.

    “With the South Korean cosmetics brand acing in the Chinese market, especially with Innisfree being the only brand to have hit 1 billion RMB ($148 million) of sales, our trial with Innisfree to provide a new retail and interactive experience based on big data technology will strengthen customers’ brand experience and increase their satisfaction,” said Mike Hu, head of Tmall’s retail business division.

    Tmall also plans to collect information on real-time product availability at 61 stores in Shanghai and Hangzhou through big data technology to boost online sales and help stores digitize their operations and upgrade the supply-chain operation and offer shoppers an integrated online and offline experience.

    “Tmall is one of the most innovative and leading retail platform operators globally. We will strive to adopt digital technology and interactive content marketing from Tmall for Innisfree’s brand value,” said Filipp Cai, head of Innisfree China.

    Innisfree, which means “pure island” in Korean, is based on the philosophy of introducing beauty products with natural ingredients sourced from the Korean island of Jeju. It opened its first store in China in 2012.

  • China’s e-commerce explosion is creating massive cultural change in its rural areas

    China’s e-commerce explosion is creating massive cultural change in its rural areas

    The good leap ahead: China’s lack of big-box shops has allowed the nation to leapfrog the age of brick-and-mortar retail and head straight to on-line ordering. In america, “e-commerce is a desert,” says Jack Ma, cofounder of Alibaba. “In China, it’s turn into the primary course.”

    Reaching all of China: The Chinese language authorities and e-commerce giants like JD.com are investing closely in creating infrastructure to ship to rural areas of the nation. By drawing on locals to supervise deliveries and function model ambassadors, corporations can encourage potential clients to embrace the brand new applied sciences.

    The air supply community: Drones have been key in serving to JD.com get its merchandise to rural clients. Based on the New Yorker, small cities like Zhangwei now get about 4 drone deliveries a day. Demand for drone piloting courses is hovering, too, as folks look to capitalize on the pattern.

    By the numbers: China might need the most important e-commerce market on this planet—twice the dimensions of the US—however lots of of hundreds of thousands of individuals in rural areas aren’t but procuring on-line. As giants like JD.com attain into far-flung areas, that’s altering quick: China’s e-commerce market is predicted to double within the subsequent two years.

  • China’s E-Commerce Giants Aren’t Worried About Trade War

    China’s E-Commerce Giants Aren’t Worried About Trade War

    How does the CEO of China’s second largest e-commerce company feel about the escalating U.S.-China trade war?

    Richard Liu, founder and CEO of JD.com–an online retailer with 300 million annual active customers, $56 billion in revenues in 2017, and investors including Tencent, , and –doesn’t like it. But he’s not worried either.

    “I can tell you it’s okay, ” Liu said on Monday. If his customers think the price of American goods has become too high, JD.com can find products, whether it be meat, apparel, or some other item, from Europe or Japan or Korea (among other places) to sell to them instead. “We can find another choice,” he said, adding that he didn’t think the trade war would benefit either party.

    Whatever the case, Liu noted that consumer experience–which comes down to quality, price, and service–remains JD.com’s top priority. It’s that focus that motivated his company’s early and significant investment in drone delivery; it currently uses a daily fleet of 500 drones that has over 100,00 hours of flying time.

    Whatever the product (so long as it costs at least roughly $10) and wherever the customer, JD.com delivers it for free and in less than 24 hours. Competing in Chinese retail–and against its chief rival Alibaba–without that sort of service, said Liu, would be a “disaster.” Liu hinted that may be struggling to achieve that speed in China.

    JD.com, which thrives partly because of “shopping circles”–social media-enhanced shopping–on China’s leading social platform WeChat, plans to enter the American retail market soon.

  • E. & J. Gallo Winery to Launch Tmall Flagship Store

    E. & J. Gallo Winery to Launch Tmall Flagship Store

    E. & J. Gallo Winery, the world’s largest family-owned winery has signed a three-year strategic partnership with Alibaba Group.

    As part of the partnership, Gallo will open a flagship store this September on Alibaba’s Tmall, China’s largest B2C platform for both international and Chinese brands and retailers. Gallo and Tmall have partnered together in the past for some of Gallo’s entry-level wine brands, but the new flagship store will feature more than 20 of Gallo’s premium wine brands in order to meet the growing demand from China’s increasingly sophisticated consumers for high-quality wine.

    According to a new report from Vinexpo, China was the world’s third largest importer by value at $16.41 billion in 2017. By 2021, the wine market in China is expected to grow 40% to $22.97 billion which would make it the second most valuable wine market in the world.

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  • Parfois to expand in Asia and other country

    Parfois to expand in Asia and other country

    Portuguese accessories brand Parfois is planning an expansion into Asia and Eastern Europe.

    Parfois, founded in 1994, currently operates 900 stores in 65 countries and is seeking to reach its 1000th by the end of this year. The brand opened in around 10 new markets this year – including joining Alibaba’s Tmall Global platform – and while immediate plans are focusing on building its presence in Latin America, it has already begun to explore options in Asian and Eastern European countries.

    Parfois’ director of marketing and communications Susana Coerver said sales in Portugal and Spain represent more than half of the firm’s revenue, with Spain by far the biggest market, prompting expansion into smaller municipalities within the country. The company also aims to expand its product range with a venture into apparel.

    The brand closed the 2017 financial year with €306 million in sales, with growth expectations for the current year aiming at 20 per cent.

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