Singer-turned-entrepreneur Victoria Beckham launched her eponymous beauty line on Tmall Global last year, one of many brands entering China

This week, Alibaba Group pledged RMB100 billion (US$15.5 billion) to fund 10 initiatives that promote “common prosperity” in China. Alibaba’s logistics arm Cainiao Network also ramped up its philanthropic efforts, announcing a logistics upgrade in 1,000 Chinese rural counties. 

Alibaba’s flagship e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia Lazada saw the number of new users surge on its virtual mall LazMall. Alibaba’s cross-border marketplace Tmall Global aims to recruit 1,000 international beauty brands over the next year, while global marketplace AliExpress rolled out its first batch of contactless, digital self-pickup lockers for shoppers in France. 

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Alibaba Pledges US$15.5 Billion To China’s ‘Common Prosperity’ Push

Alibaba committed RMB100 billion (US$15.5 billion) to realizing 10 initiatives promoting “common prosperity” in China, supporting a nationwide push towards a fairer society. Alibaba said on Friday that it has set up a dedicated task force, spearheaded by Group Chairman and CEO Daniel Zhang, to see through each initiative by 2025. The task force will focus on technology innovation, economic development, creating high-quality jobs, care for vulnerable groups, as well as launching a RMB20 billion Common Prosperity Development Fund that will help cut income inequality in Alibaba’s home province of Zhejiang. Click to learn more about the initiatives.

Cainiao Strengthens Rural Delivery in China with 1,000 County-Based Service Centers 

Cainiao has set up service centers in 1,000 Chinese counties and in 28 provinces. According to the State Post Bureau, 300 million parcels are shipped across the country every day, of which 100 million packages are delivered to rural areas. More farmers are turning to e-commerce platforms like Taobao as a new source of revenue. The company also launched service stations in more than 30,000 villages to help expedite the delivery of packages.

Southeast Asia’s Rising E-Commerce Consumption and Brands to Watch

Lazada said that the number of new buyers on LazMall doubled during the first half of this year from the same period a year earlier. Shoppers’ average basket size also grew over the first six months of this year on LazMall, Lazada said during Wednesday’s second annual LazMall Brands Future Forum (BFF). The growth comes as a swathe of shoppers and merchants have migrated online during the coronavirus pandemic. The BFF event recognized rising brands across nine categories that have successfully tapped into Lazada’s digital offerings during and after the coronavirus pandemic. The Estée Lauder Companies, Samsung, Nike, Coach, Lancôme, Shiseido, Starbucks, Synagie and L’Oréal Consumer Products Division all took home trophies for successfully leveraging Lazada’s e-commerce infrastructure and capabilities in direct-to-consumer outreach. Click here to view the full list of winners.

Tmall Global Boosts Brand Recruitment in Beauty and Cosmetics to Meet Rising Consumer Demand in China

The cross-border e-commerce marketplace will introduce 1,000 overseas beauty brands to China in the coming year. Tmall Global’s incubation program aims to help Chinese consumers easily shop for international brands as overseas travel has dried up during the pandemic. Over the past year, more than 400 overseas brands have joined Tmall Global every month. The platform is home to more than 29,000 international brands in over 5,800 categories. Tmall Global said it would offer digital solutions and market insights to newcomers to help brands understand the world’s largest consumer market.

AliExpress, Cainiao Rolled Out First of a Kind Contactless Lockers in France

AliExpress and Cainiao joined forces to set up 60 contactless, self-pickup lockers in Paris this week. Shoppers can select their preferred delivery option when placing an order on AliExpress. The digital lockers provide a safe and contactless alternative to receive parcels around the clock with a digital code. The locations of these digital lockers have been chosen based on algorithms. The initial batch covers core business districts in Paris, including near the Palace of Versailles and the Montparnasse Tower. The two platforms aim to scale the service and build 650 sets of digital lockers across France by the end of the year.

AliExpress Ramps Up Seller Training Amid Brazil’s E-Commerce Expansion

AliExpress hosted its first-ever virtual Seller Day in Brazil on Wednesday following its local-to-local business expansion, allowing Brazil’s small and medium-sized enterprises to handle local transactions. Over 10,000 merchants registered for training, and close to 3,000 people attended the live event. Industry leaders and e-commerce experts from the market, including IEST Group, Intelipost, Pegaki, Tiny, Associação Brasileira de Lojistas de e-Commerce (ABLEC), along with Alibaba’s Alipay and Cainiao, participated in the event to share tips and know-how to Brazilian sellers. To read more about the e-commerce boom in Brazil, click here.

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