Alibaba 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.

See: Jack Ma says Alibaba is not going to ‘invade’ America