All Alibaba articles
Chinese goliath Alibaba is the one of the world’s largest retailers and ecommerce companies. It comprises three main marketplaces – B2B Alibaba.com, C2C Taobao, and B2C Tmall – all of which sell an eclectic variety of products. Since its inception in 1999, Alibaba has grown to boast a 60% share of the Chinese ecommerce market. Its primary sales events on November 11, Singles’ Day, offers massive discounts as well as a countdown-to-midnight gala featuring performances from global stars. Alternative Chinese marketplace JD.com is Tmall’s biggest competitor.
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News
Alibaba investigated over ‘possible espionage’ at logistics hub
The Chinese tech and retail giant Alibaba is being investigated by the authorities in Belgium over possible charges of espionage.
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News
Alibaba expands into Europe with commerce network partnership
Alibaba’s Spanish marketplace Miravia has partnered with ecommerce network for global retailers and brands CommerceHub to power its European expansion.
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News
Alibaba CEO steps down to focus on brand’s cloud business
Alibaba chief executive and chairman Daniel Zhang will step down later this year to focus on the retail giant’s cloud business.
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Interview
Q&A: Alibaba’s Roland Palmer on Brexit and what UK retail can learn from China
Alibaba’s UK general manager Roland Palmer speaks to Retail Week about how the marketplace giant is making a name for itself in the country despite challenges from Brexit, and where UK businesses can follow China’s example
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Analysis
Are driverless vehicles retail’s fulfilment future or science-fiction fad?
As we approach the middle of the 2020s, talk of advanced technology is rife as retailers look to digitally transform parts of their supply chain in line with the evolution of the industry
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Analysis
Innovation of the Week: Alibaba and L’Oréal partner to promote circular beauty in China
Innovation of the Week is a subscriber-only series highlighting retail initiatives that have caught the eye of our analysts.
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Analysis
Coupang: What can UK retailers learn from the Amazon of South Korea?
Coupang has turned industry heads around the world, with many claiming the Korean platform has even managed to ‘out-Amazon’ Amazon. So what sets it apart? And what might UK retailers be able to learn from its example?
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Retail Voice
Three lessons to learn from beauty brands’ success in China
The beauty sector is soaring to new levels of brand engagement in China, but what is the key formula to success and how can UK retailers emulate it? Alibaba’s Kristina Hui investigates.
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Retail Voice
Three ways retailers can learn from China’s ever-changing beauty market
The Chinese beauty market is one step ahead with its innovative and exciting approach. Alibaba Group’s Zarina Kanji examines how UK retailers can learn from key players in this industry.
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Retail Voice
How UK retailers can learn from China
Chinese shopping and media consumption habits are very different to the rest of the world, says BAV Group’s David Roth, and UK retailers can learn plenty from the innovative ways in which businesses present and communicate
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News
NRF 2022: The time is right to break into the Chinese market, says Alibaba exec
Alibaba’s head of Tmall Global in Americas Tony Shan urged retailers to make moves in the Chinese market, when speaking at NRF 2022 in New York this weekend.
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Analysis
Analysis: The future of the Mega-Sale-day event
In the wake of Black Friday 2021, Retail Week assesses the future impact on UK retailers of the various Mega-Sale-day events dominating the industry calendar.
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News
Alibaba Singles Day sales growth slows to lowest ever rate
Alibaba has posted an increase in sales at its annual Singles Day shopping extravaganza, but growth slowed to its lowest rate since the festival began more than a decade ago.
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Analysis
Analysis: Ready shopper one – how the metaverse will change how customers shop
When Facebook revealed its intention to rebrand the group as Meta in October, the announcement catapulted both the term and concept into public discourse. Retail Week examines what the metaverse is and the opportunities that the next chapter of virtual living holds for retail brands.
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Analysis
Robot wars: Five companies rolling out autonomous delivery around the world
As Wilko unveils plans to begin autonomous home deliveries by 2023, the UK retailer joins a growing group of companies already using robots to deliver products to customers globally.
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Interview
Interview: Kingfisher’s Thierry Garnier on building a new mindset at the DIY giant
With the pandemic prompting an acceleration in-store and online innovation, Kingfisher chief executive Thierry Garnier talks us through the group’s new retail formats, its test-and-learn approach and how that has shaped a new way of thinking throughout the business.
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News
Alibaba revenues fall short of estimates as further regulatory crackdown looms
Alibaba reported an increase in sales but a fall in income as annual active consumers across the world reached over 1 billion for the first time.
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News
Alibaba hit with record £2bn fine for breaching competition rules
Chinese ecommerce giant Alibaba has been hit with an Y18.3bn (£2bn) fine after an investigation ruled that it had abused its market position.
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Analysis
China boycotts H&M: Will Western brands have to choose between ethics and profits?
Tensions between China and the West reached boiling point last week as several countries, including the UK, imposed sanctions over human rights abuses against Uighur Muslims and retail found itself caught in the crossfire.
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Analysis
Worldview: How Chinese retail lit a fire under its Covid-19 recovery
In the first instalment of our new Worldview series gleaning insight and inspiration from global markets, Eliam Huang analyses how China is bouncing back from Covid-19.