Alibaba.com is the biggest B2B marketplace in the world, and it has maintained that position despite rising competition. Now the company wants to expand its reach among U.S. merchants not only as a sourcing partner but also as a platform where they sell their wares to other merchants around the world.
“Let’s be honest, there’s not a whole lot of manufacturing, especially if we’re talking about white-label consumable goods, in the U.S. right now,” said Justin Liu, U.S. Country Manager of Alibaba.com. “But the U.S. is one of the most robust markets when it comes to innovation and creating new brands. So we are working with emerging brands, brand owners [and] wholesalers to bring that selection to our buyers.”
This is the impetus behind Alibaba.com’s new partnership with Wix, and it’s only the company’s latest salvo in its bid to serve small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) around the world. The company also recently launched a gen AI sourcing platform, Accio.com, that aims to make it easier than ever for entrepreneurs to bring new product ideas to life and/or expand the range of products they sell.
In the latest episode of the Retail Remix podcast, Liu takes listeners behind the scenes of Alibaba’s efforts to support today’s entrepreneurs in their commercial endeavors and shares on-the-ground insights on the impact of the current trade turmoil.
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“Like any supply chain disruption, new policies around tariffs and trade just add extra complexity to the already intricate global supply chain,” he said. “And this extra layer of complexity will naturally force businesses, especially SMBs, to reevaluate their sourcing strategy and capability and be forward-looking. Because maybe they’re not impacted today, the category or the product they’re selling isn’t on that list of tariffs, but who knows? So it is important for these SMBs to be forward-looking and think about, ‘How do I reevaluate my sourcing strategy and strengthen my capability to able to source from different manufacturers all over the world?’”
Listen to the episode here or anywhere you get your podcasts, and head over to LinkedIn to share your thoughts as well as who you’d like to hear from in future episodes!
