The Chinese e-merchant is showing its ambitions, nearly two months before Singles Day, also called 11.11. The company plans to add 2,600 additional foreign brands to Tmall, its B2C platform, during the event, which corresponds to its annual peak in sales.
Two months before the opening of Singles' Days 2020. Alibaba displays its ambitions for Tmall, its B2C platform. In a statement, the Chinese e-merchant unveiled his objectives for the promotional day, also called "11.11". The event corresponds to the annual peak of sales of the company and will take place, like every year, on November 11, 2020.
Tmall plans to welcome 2,600 new international brands
For this edition, Tmall plans to welcome 2,600 new international brands. “International brands need a reliable channel to connect with Chinese consumers, while domestic consumers are looking for ways to purchase more products from quality overseas. Our capabilities in consumer analysis, logistics, channel management and marketing support make Tmall Global the premier platform to support this business, "said Alvin Liu, President of Tmall Import and Export. Covid-10 requires, the leader also pointed to the restrictions induced by the health crisis involving "a growing and significant demand for imported products among Chinese consumers." The company will also step up its initiatives in terms of livestreaming by introducing this channel of sale in some of its warehouses. This practice, widely used in China and currently being tested in France, consists of a detailed presentation, by live video, of products or brands carried out by an influencer. Likewise, this live content is optimized for mobile, which offers interaction with potential customers and on the other hand facilitates purchases by pointing to the purchasing platform.
Tmall Global has become one of the major hubs for international companies to sell globally. By 2019 Q1, it was holding 25% of the market share and has since launched TOF (Tmall Overseas Fullfilement) in order to attract smaller brands. The main competitors are VIP.com, Jd.com, xiaohongshu and Kaola who was the crossborder leader back in 2019, thanks to its “distributor model”.
livestreaming
To do this, Alibaba has installed livestreaming studios in warehouses and regional industrial parks in order to arouse the interest of consumers. The platform already has livestreaming studios in a warehouse in Hangzhou, the cradle of the group. The hosts interactively share their experience on imported products with their viewers. The studios will be expanded "to ten other cities in China, including Hainan and Shanghai, over the next year," Alibaba reported. The e-merchant also specifies that to date, "more than 1,000 foreign brands have participated in this initiative".
American fashion label Marc Jacobs this week opened a digital flagship store on Tmall Luxury Pavilion, Alibaba’s dedicated platform for luxury and premium brands, to expand beyond its brick-and-mortar presence in China and connect with a wider audience. source
