The Alibaba News Roundup is a weekly digest of events and happenings across the company. This week, we look at Cainiao launching its logistics and supply-chain services for businesses in South Korea. Also featured are AliExpress’ localization efforts for this year’s 11.11 Global Shopping Festival and BMW joining Alibaba’s Business Operating System.
To receive the latest news direct in your inbox, sign up for the weekly Alizila newsletter.
Cainiao Launches South Korea Logistics Service, Cuts Shipping Times in Half
Cainiao Smart Logistics Network this week launched end-to-end logistics and supply-chain services for local businesses in South Korea. The Alibaba Group logistics unit said its first- and last-mile, warehouse management, international shipping, trucking and customs clearance services should reduce delivery times to 5-7 days from the current 10-13 days. Cainiao is using both its smart logistics platform and technology to digitalize the entire value chain and over 15,000 square meters of strategically located warehouse space near airports and sea ports in South Korea to facilitate the movement of goods for import and export. China is South Korea’s largest partner in two-way trade, accounting for US$160 billion, or 25.9%, of total exports, and US$107 billion, or 21.1% of imports. Cainiao will handle international shipping on the route with six ships and six cargo planes weekly.
AliExpress Kicks Off 11.11 With Increased Efforts in Attracting Overseas Shoppers
Alibaba Group’s global retail online marketplace, AliExpress, kicked off the 2020 11.11 Global Shopping Festival with a slew of digital upgrades to facilitate cross-border B2C transactions. This year, the platform will see three times more participating merchants outside China and global consumers from over 200 countries and regions, making its localization efforts ever more important. For higher engagement from overseas shoppers, AliExpress is offering the world’s real-time livestreaming translation service as an e-commerce platform. Using this feature, viewers can read translated captions of what livestreamers say in real time. Supported languages are Chinese to English, Russian, Spanish and French, as well as English to Spanish, Russian and French. AliExpress will also offer localized interactive features like lucky draws, games to win prizes and product showcases. To heighten customer satisfaction, AliExpress is working with Cainiao and last-mile logistics partners to shorten cross-border delivery times, with selected goods expected to reach consumers in Spain and France within 10 working days, 30% faster than their previous delivery time.
AACA Brand Complaints Tumble via Increased Cooperation; Group Rolls Out Industry Awards
The Alibaba Anti-Counterfeiting Alliance said this week that through increased member participation in its big data-based cooperation measures, the number of IP-related takedown requests from AACA brands from January to September 2020 decreased by 35% year-on-year. In the past year, Alibaba and AACA rights-holders’ cooperation models facilitated large-scale offline actions by police, resulting in the seizure of RMB 1.5 billion in suspected fake goods. Speaking at the industry group’s first conference of the year, The LEGO Group Vice President and General Counsel for China and Asia Pacific, Robin Smith, lauded the alliance’s progress since its creation in January 2017. “We have found it is possible to protect intellectual property through cooperation with the right partners, such as Alibaba and law enforcement agencies,” said Smith. “We have to admit that this is a great achievement.” The AACA said its membership numbers swelled to 185 rights holders from 18 countries and regions from 155 around the same time last year. The number of brands represented by AACA members climbed 33% to over 600 in the past year. The number of industry working groups, which look at issues specific to different sectors and types of companies, rose to 14 from 12. New groups include those covering the publishing and software industries. The Shanghai gathering of top rights holders and brands from around the world this time also featured the first annual “IP Eagle Awards” ceremony, complete with red carpet and social-media buzz among the community of IPR professionals. Voted on by AACA members, the awards – the first of their type in China – recognized standout individuals, teams and innovation displayed by rights holders over the past year in new ways of protecting intellectual property.
BMW First Automaker to Tap Alibaba Business Operating System
BMW Group and Alibaba joined forces on Monday to accelerate the digital transformation of BMW operations in China, including enabling its dealer network to offer Chinese consumers more-seamless, personalized, online-to-offline experiences. To do so, BMW will leverage the Alibaba Business Operating System, or ABOS, a suite of integrated solutions across the company designed with the goal of helping businesses digitize. BMW is the first automaker to leverage the ABOS. For customers, this means a new era of car experience from purchase to maintenance. They will be able to purchase BMW and MINI models on Tmall and make online reservations for test-drive, repair and maintenance services with just a tap of their smartphone screens.
Alibaba Group’s First European Office in Milan Marks Five-year Anniversary
This week, Alibaba Group celebrated the fifth-year anniversary of the first Continental-Europe office. The group opened its Milan office on Oct. 26, 2015 to help regional brands and merchants digitalize and do business globally leveraging the Alibaba ecosystem. A virtual party with Alibaba employees from all over the world was held, featuring videos showing the history and key milestones of the operation. In the past five years, hundreds of Italian brands opened their flagship stores on Tmall alone in key Italian sectors like food, cosmetics, luxury and fashion. Small businesses that lack infrastructure or investment were also able to gain easy access to global buyers on Alibaba.com, the group’s B2B marketplace. One of many notable performances by Italian brands was when Maserati Levante sold 100 SUVs in just 18 seconds on Tmall in 2016. Today, the majority of Italian luxury brands are on Tmall’s Luxury Pavilion, including Prada, Armani, Valentino, Marni, Versace, Moschino, Salvatore Ferragamo, Golden Goose, Tod’s, Zegna and Maserati.
Bialetti Joins Alibaba.com
Bialetti, Italian manufacturer of coffee makers and accessories to make and serve coffee, has joined Alibaba.com to expand its footprint in the overseas B2B market. The brand, which opened a flagship store on Tmall in 2017, is particularly known for its iconic Moka Pot coffee makers and over 100 years of history. By joining Alibaba.com, Bialetti aims to sell coffee machines, coffee beans, capsules and a wide range of accessories targeting hotels, restaurants, coffee shops as well as catering businesses. Beyond sales, the brand said it hopes to educate buyers and raise their awareness about the Italian tradition of coffee-making.
Bravado Launches Tmall Global Store Featuring Merchandise from Taylor Swift
Bravado, Universal Music Group’s merchandising and brand management division, is extending its product offerings to Chinese consumers through Tmall Global. The company said its partnership with Alibaba’s cross-border marketplace will provide both international and domestic artists with opportunities to engage more deeply with fans in China. The store is offering merchandise collections with top artists such as Taylor Swift, who played at the Alibaba 11.11 Countdown Gala in Shanghai last year. Consumers in China will have access to merchandise items of her latest album ‘folklore‘ prior to shipping globally. Additionally, the store plans to spotlight a featured artist each month to meet China’s growing interests and demand for global music and culture.
Sign up for our newsletter to receive the latest Alibaba updates in your inbox every week.
