Alibaba Group, the world's largest online and mobile commerce company, is taking another step in its globalisation strategy.
This week, Alibaba Group president Michael Evans will meet with Australian and New Zealand stakeholders to advance local operations.
He will visit Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland and Wellington as part of a roadshow to educate companies on using its various platforms to target China and other international markets.
Alibaba has 423 million users in China alone and transacts $248 billion a year.
“We believe the international growth opportunity for Alibaba Group is enormous. ANZ is one of our key markets and a stronger presence here will advance our global goal of serving two billion consumers, while supporting tens of millions of small businesses, brands and retailers across the world,” Evans said.
According to Alibaba Group, Australian and New Zealand products are thriving on its Tmall Global site but there is still huge potential for growth, due primarily to Chinese consumers’ growing demand for quality products coupled with the trusted reputations of both countries.
Currently, there are 1,300 Australian brands on Tmall and Tmall Global combined, 80% of which entered China for the first time through these platforms.
In addition to gaining access to China’s e-commerce site, they are provided with Alibaba Group’s planning, merchandising, sales and marketing solutions to help them grow.
The best performing ANZ categories on Tmall and Tmall Global are mother and baby, supplement, cosmetic, and food and beverage, currently served by some of the market’s largest companies including Blackmores, a2 Milk, Jurlique, Fonterra and Penfolds.
At the same time, smaller companies are gaining access to the platform via retailers, including Australia Post, Woolworth and Chemist Warehouse, which stock a range of locally-owned products.
Evans’ visit comes in advance of the opening of an ANZ office in Melbourne in the latter half of 2016.
Local operations will be led by MD Maggie Zhou, with John O'Loghlen as business development director and James Hudson as director or corporate affairs and marketing.
“With a local office and expanded team, we will be well-positioned to support Australian and New Zealand merchants already on our platforms, as well as new merchants looking to expand into China," Zhou said.
"We have an active consumer base of 423 million across our China retail platforms where they have access to authentic and quality products from countries around the world. By working together with brands and retailers, we want to be an enabling force for local businesses and entrepreneurs striving for success."