This week, Alibaba Group has made headlines with significant developments on its luxury e-commerce platform, Tmall Luxury Pavilion, and its international marketplace, AliExpress. From a surge in livestreaming hours during the 6.18 Mid-Year Shopping Festival to a strategic partnership with one of Brazil’s largest retailers, here’s a roundup of the latest news from Alibaba.
Livestreaming Content Grows on Tmall Luxury Pavilion
Balenciaga Fashion Show and 6.18 Festival Drive Growth
Tmall Luxury Pavilion has seen a notable increase in livestreaming activity. During the recent 6.18 Mid-Year Shopping Festival, the platform reported a 75% rise in total livestreaming hours compared to previous periods. This surge in activity was driven by brands looking to engage more deeply with Chinese consumers.
Highlights from the 6.18 Mid-Year Shopping Festival
The 6.18 Mid-Year Shopping Festival, running from late May to mid-June, provided a significant boost to luxury brands on Tmall. Spanish fashion house Balenciaga was a standout, livestreaming its Spring 2025 fashion show from Shanghai and garnering over 2.11 million views. The show featured “See Now Buy Now” experiences with exclusive items like the Balenciaga X AliPay t-shirt, which sold out in three days.
VIP Loyalty Programs and Sales Success
The success of luxury brands during the 6.18 festival was largely driven by the purchasing power of Tmall’s 88VIP members and other brand-operated loyalty programs. These groups accounted for over 60% of the total Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) recorded on Tmall Luxury Pavilion during the event. The platform also reported the release of over 100,000 products, achieving double-digit GMV growth.
AliExpress Teams Up with Brazilian Retailer Magalu
Strategic Partnership to Enhance User Penetration
In a significant move to expand its market presence, AliExpress has partnered with Brazilian retail giant Magalu. This strategic agreement will bring AliExpress’ Choice line of products to a broader audience through Magalu’s digital channels and over 1,250 brick-and-mortar stores across Brazil.
Expanding Product Offerings and Purchase Frequency
The partnership is set to go into effect next quarter, allowing Brazilian consumers to purchase products from AliExpress’ Choice premium shopping service via Magalu’s extensive retail network. Additionally, products from Magalu’s inventory will become available on AliExpress, accelerating category diversification and increasing purchase frequency.
Statements from Leadership
Kai Li, CEO Latam at AliExpress, emphasized the company’s commitment to contributing to the development of Brazilian e-commerce. Frederico Trajano, CEO of Magalu, noted that the agreement aligns with Magalu’s strategy to diversify its offerings and boost its cross-border operations.
Alibaba Cloud’s Wuying Recognized for Innovation in Education Technology
Award-Winning Educational Initiative
Alibaba Cloud’s Wuying Cloud Study Room has been honored with the EdTech Deployment of the Year – K-12 Award by Tech Breakthrough. Since its launch in 2021, the initiative has provided over 100,000 students in rural China with access to IT resources, learning materials, and software applications, significantly enhancing educational opportunities in underdeveloped areas.
Reducing Costs and Increasing Accessibility
Powered by Alibaba Cloud’s Wuying architecture, the program reduces the maintenance costs for hardware in schools, eliminating the need for new IT equipment and making learning more accessible.
AliExpress Launches New Global Advertising Campaign
Olympic Games Paris 2024
AliExpress has unveiled its latest global advertisement campaign, “Find Your Sport,” at the Olympic Qualifier Series 2024. The campaign, featuring a skateboard-themed simulation, aims to inspire sporting dreams worldwide. This launch comes as AliExpress gears up for the Olympic Games Paris 2024, with platform data showing over 161 million orders for sports-related items since 2019.
Statements from AliExpress
Albert Zhu, Head of Global Marketing at AliExpress, shared that the campaign is designed to inspire people’s sporting passions globally, aligning with the platform’s broader marketing strategy.
Taobao Drives Immersive Retail with Updated Apple Vision Pro App
Enhancing the Shopping Experience
Taobao has released an updated version of its e-commerce application for the Apple Vision Pro, which is now available in Mainland China. The updated app offers an immersive shopping experience powered by 3D and mixed reality technology, allowing users to virtually test drive cars, redecorate rooms, and more from the comfort of their homes.
Alibaba Cloud Launches English-language Version of ModelScope
Expanding AI Accessibility
Alibaba Cloud has launched the English-language version of ModelScope, its open-source AI model community. This platform provides developers with tools and resources, including over 1,500 high-quality Chinese-language datasets and an extensive range of toolkits for data processing. ModelScope aims to facilitate the development and deployment of AI projects worldwide, making generative AI more accessible to businesses and developers.
From the growth in livestreaming content on Tmall Luxury Pavilion to AliExpress’s new partnership with Brazilian retailer Magalu, Alibaba continues to innovate and expand its reach in the global e-commerce landscape. Stay tuned for more updates on Alibaba’s ongoing advancements in technology and retail.
