This week, we share news about Lazada’s sales promotion to mark its ninth anniversary. We also highlight Cainiao’s partnership with Hong Kong Air Cargo that will help cut delivery time to Southeast Asia by up to 60%, as well as the opening of registration for the annual “Africa’s Business Heroes” prize. We also share Tmall’s consumption trends on camping gear.
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Lazada Marks Nine Years with Birthday Mega-Sale
To celebrate its ninth anniversary this year, Alibaba’s flagship e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia on March 27 rolled out promotions across all six of its Southeast Asia markets: Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. In its signature style of fusing commerce with entertainment – or “shoppertainment” – Lazada engaged shoppers with gamified voucher giveaways and trivia. It also held a concert, dubbed “Lazada Super Party,” starring over 110 influencers and celebrities, including Katy Perry and South Korea’s NTC Dream. The countdown concert went live at midnight, leading up to the sales day, and was aired on local television networks, social media as well as Lazada’s in-app livestream channel, LazLive.
Cainiao Partners Hong Kong Air Cargo to Launch Cargo Flights to SEA Via Cainiao eHub
Cainiao Network, Alibaba’s logistics arm, announced a partnership on Monday with Hong Kong Air Cargo, to launch cargo flights to Southeast Asia via Cainiao eHub. As part of its phase-one rollout, Cainiao will operate seven, three and six weekly flights from Hong Kong to Manila in The Philippines, Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, and Bangkok in Thailand, respectively. The expanded cargo capacity will support growing e-commerce logistics demand in Southeast Asia, with the ability to deliver approximately a quarter-million parcels per week. Traditionally, e-commerce goods from Mainland China are transported to Hong Kong and sent to a warehouse for sorting and consolidation before being shipped to Southeast Asia. With the integration of Cainiao eHub into the logistics chain, goods can now be moved directly to the eHub located near the airport to shorten overall delivery time. The new logistics flow will cut the delivery time by 60%, 28% and 42% for goods shipped to the Philippines, Malaysia and Thailand, respectively. Customers in those countries who buy from platforms such as Lazada, the flagship eCommerce platform of Alibaba Group in Southeast Asia, will be able to receive parcels from Mainland China in as fast as three days.
‘Africa’s Business Heroes’ Competition Accepting Applications
Starting this week, African entrepreneurs can apply for the Jack Ma Foundation’s third-annual “Africa’s Business Heroes” prize. ABH’s top 10 finalists – who will be revealed in September – can win a share of US$1.5 million in grant funding, as well as training opportunities and mentorship from a global community of industry leaders and investors. Read more here.
Camping Gear in High Demand on Tmall
After a sustained period of Covid-related lockdowns and confinement, Chinese consumers seeking more bucolic surroundings are turning towards the outdoors. Sales of camping-related products between January and March have tripled year over year on Tmall, Alibaba’s B2C e-commerce platform – continuing a trend that accelerated during Covid-19 last year. “Glamping,” short for glamorous camping, became a trending keyword for Tmall searches last year, while products like recreational vehicles, camping lights, portable coffee makers – even camping gear for pets – have grown in popularity. More players are starting to cater to these needs, such as the outdoors lifestyle brand Fantasy Garden. It recorded over RMB1 million in sales as of March, since launching a store on Tmall last December.
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