Steven Millward · · 2 min readAlibaba opens offices in France and Germany as it seeks new goodies for Chinese consumers
Photo credit: Loic Lagarde
Alibaba, China’s ecommerce titan, is opening offices in Munich, Germany and Paris, France, the company said today.
The move is the latest in a series of steps dating back to early 2013 in which Alibaba is seeking out business partnerships to get more foreign products for sale to Chinese consumers on Taobao and Tmall. Cross-border sales is one way that Alibaba is differentiating its online marketplaces from rivals in China like JD – while also sating growing demand in China for new things from around the world.
Alibaba’s German and French offices – to be run by country bosses Terry von Bibra and Sébastien Badault, respectively – will “serve as a ‘gateway to China’ for international brands and businesses of all sizes,” the company said in a statement.
“In Europe, our top priority is to engage with existing local partners and help European brands, retailers, small businesses, and government partners understand the opportunities China offers and how Alibaba can help them access this market,” said Michael Evans, president of Alibaba Group.
Alibaba, co-founded by chairman Jack Ma, opened offices for the same purpose in the UK and Italy back in October. It also has a US base.
Arch-rival JD opened its first office in the US a few months ago as it too pursues more cross-border deals for Chinese shoppers.
Alibaba Group (阿里巴巴集团)
Alibaba Group (阿里巴巴集团) enables businesses to transform the way they market, sell, operate, and improve their efficiencies by providing the technology infrastructure and marketing reach to help merchants, brands, and other businesses to leverage the power of new technology to engage with their users and customers and operate in a more efficient way. Alibaba Group's businesses are comprised of core commerce, cloud computing, digital media and entertainment, and innovation initiatives.
- Location
- China
- Founded
- 1999
- Employees
- 10,001+
- Website
- www.alibabagroup.com
- Latest Funding
- US$3B / Debt
- Hiring
- 0 positions
Stay updated on the go with our mobile app.
Get latest insights with smoother, more personalized experience through TIA mobile app.
Recommended reads
Malaysia’s GHL extends Grab’s PayLater to offline merchants
Philippine fintech firm partners with Alipay+
Visa partners with Vietnam’s Nexttech Group to promote digital payments adoption
Carousell names Ox Street founder as head of luxury
Indonesia’s iSeller bags series A round from Openspace Ventures, Mandiri Capital
Vietnamese social commerce firm On Group acquires local logistics platform
SCB, FairPrice’s Trust digibank launches in Singapore
Niche recommerce takes the fight to Carousell in SEA
Will Blibli’s smartphone play be a game-changer?
Ninja Van teams up with NearMe for e-payment services in Myanmar
Editing by Terence Lee
(And yes, we’re serious about ethics and transparency. More information here.)
