Buyers from around the globe flocked to e-commerce site Alibaba.com this month to participate in annual digital trade fair March Expo, and their activity painted a picture of the latest B2B trends.
The platform saw increased demand from buyers worldwide during the event, including a 33% jump in the number of active B2B buyers in France and a 14% rise in the U.S.
March Expo connects buyers and sellers from around the world and helps them discover products, services and business opportunities on Alibaba.com.
“As business owners look for competitive pricing, new products and ways to meet increasing consumer demand for fast delivery, March Expo is another example of how we can deliver on our mission to help entrepreneurs grow their businesses,” said Rah Mahtani, Head of Marketing for North America at Alibaba.com.
March Expo will run until the end of the month, but a range of improved offerings will remain in place.
New guaranteed services on the platform will give businesses access to fixed per-unit prices, 72-hour promised dispatch of goods, guaranteed delivery by the expected date and money back for order issues.
Trend Tracker
The activity of buyers on Alibaba.com during March Expo is a window into the latest B2B trends from all corners of the globe.
In the United Kingdom, the most popular category by active buyers was skincare, while German buyers flocked to haircare and luggage.
By gross merchandise value, beauty products proved the most in-demand category in France, according to Alibaba.com, while across the pond in the U.S., the platform noted increased interest in t-shirt printers, packaging stickers, custom logo hats and sweaters.
All these items, and many more, are put at the fingertips of businesses large and small on Alibaba.com.
“We are optimising and streamlining the entire sourcing journey for SMEs, enabling them to mitigate supply chain challenges and focus on what’s most important – growing their business,” Jijay Shen, Alibaba.com’s General Manager for Europe, noted last month.
