Alibaba.com, the B2B marketplace of Alibaba, has launched its US seller programme, with Office Depot announced as one of its first ‘anchor sellers’.
Previously, US SMBs could only source goods on Alibaba.com because the site had originally been launched to connect suppliers in China with buyers in overseas markets. Now, the new programme aimed at US SMBs allows them to sell on the platform as well.
The newly opened channel, along with a new network of industry partners and a nationwide tour to meet with business owners and teach them about Alibaba.com, is part of a broader push to enable 30 million SMBs in the US to better sell and source by using the site.
“Alibaba aims to empower entrepreneurs and help them succeed on their own terms,” said John Caplan, Head of North America B2B at Alibaba Group. “With ten million active business buyers in over 190 countries and regions, we are reshaping B2B commerce by providing the tools and services needed for US SMB companies to compete and succeed in today’s global marketplace.”
If Alibaba.com is aimed at SMBs, where does Office Depot fit in to the equation? Well, the platform said it was building “an ecosystem of industry partners” to provide the goods and services these US SMBs need to succeed in global trade.
The ecosystem consists of ‘anchor sellers’, the first two of which – Office Depot and Robinson Fresh, the produce division of logistics company CH Robinson – launched stores on Alibaba.com this week. “The two companies, their name recognition and extensive product inventories will bring increased in traffic to the site, which in turn should serve to drive traffic to smaller sellers as well,” Alibaba.com said.
Office Depot announced a strategic collaboration with Alibaba.com earlier this year, and the office products reseller’s CEO Gerry Smith said he was “proud” to expand this collaboration.
In addition to anchor sellers, Alibaba.com has partnered with software companies and service providers, such as logistics provider ShipStation and jobs search engine Indeed, as well as organisations at the national, regional and local levels to support SMBs in their growth through exclusive offers, discounts and educational content.
Alibaba.com has launched a series of new features to support the onboarding and marketing efforts of new US sellers on the site. These include an interface for building and managing a digital store on the platform, CRM and communications tools for customer-relationship management, digital marketing tools to target likely customers, and online payments. Alibaba.com has also created what it calls a ‘customer success team’ in the US to support SMBs as they join the platform.
A national tour of educational and networking events, called Build Ups, began in Brooklyn (NY) on Tuesday, while events in Los Angeles and Chicago are planned in the coming week. Additional Build Ups will take place later in the year, supported by local and national business organisations such as SCORE, the largest network of volunteer, expert business mentors in the US.
Previously, US SMBs could only source goods on Alibaba.com because the site had originally been launched to connect suppliers in China with buyers in overseas markets. Now, the new programme aimed at US SMBs allows them to sell on the platform as well.
The newly opened channel, along with a new network of industry partners and a nationwide tour to meet with business owners and teach them about Alibaba.com, is part of a broader push to enable 30 million SMBs in the US to better sell and source by using the site.
“Alibaba aims to empower entrepreneurs and help them succeed on their own terms,” said John Caplan, Head of North America B2B at Alibaba Group. “With ten million active business buyers in over 190 countries and regions, we are reshaping B2B commerce by providing the tools and services needed for US SMB companies to compete and succeed in today’s global marketplace.”
If Alibaba.com is aimed at SMBs, where does Office Depot fit in to the equation? Well, the platform said it was building “an ecosystem of industry partners” to provide the goods and services these US SMBs need to succeed in global trade.
The ecosystem consists of ‘anchor sellers’, the first two of which – Office Depot and Robinson Fresh, the produce division of logistics company CH Robinson – launched stores on Alibaba.com this week. “The two companies, their name recognition and extensive product inventories will bring increased in traffic to the site, which in turn should serve to drive traffic to smaller sellers as well,” Alibaba.com said.
Office Depot announced a strategic collaboration with Alibaba.com earlier this year, and the office products reseller’s CEO Gerry Smith said he was “proud” to expand this collaboration.
In addition to anchor sellers, Alibaba.com has partnered with software companies and service providers, such as logistics provider ShipStation and jobs search engine Indeed, as well as organisations at the national, regional and local levels to support SMBs in their growth through exclusive offers, discounts and educational content.
Alibaba.com has launched a series of new features to support the onboarding and marketing efforts of new US sellers on the site. These include an interface for building and managing a digital store on the platform, CRM and communications tools for customer-relationship management, digital marketing tools to target likely customers, and online payments. Alibaba.com has also created what it calls a ‘customer success team’ in the US to support SMBs as they join the platform.
A national tour of educational and networking events, called Build Ups, began in Brooklyn (NY) on Tuesday, while events in Los Angeles and Chicago are planned in the coming week. Additional Build Ups will take place later in the year, supported by local and national business organisations such as SCORE, the largest network of volunteer, expert business mentors in the US.
