Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. has announced its plans to extend its global presence by launching new services targeted at small businesses in the United States and Europe. The company’s latest offering, “Alibaba Guaranteed,” aims to provide reliable delivery dates, secure payments, and streamlined dispute resolution. This move is part of Alibaba’s broader international strategy, which includes direct consumer sales through platforms like AliExpress.
Kuo Zhang, the president of Alibaba.com, emphasized the growing fragmentation in supply chains and the increasing need for local businesses to source products globally to maintain profit margins. Over the past five years, the number of buyers on Alibaba.com has tripled, with a gross merchandise value of approximately $50 billion. The platform’s popular products include custom printing machines, laser cutters, and new car parts, driven by the rise of the new energy vehicle industry and post-pandemic supply chain diversification.
To further strengthen its global presence, Alibaba.com invested in German B2B company Visable and its European marketplace Europages last November. Additionally, the company plans to integrate artificial intelligence tools to assist merchants in generating product descriptions and providing customer service support during off-hours.
Alibaba’s expansion into the US and European small business markets comes as part of its ongoing efforts to enhance its brand influence globally. The company has been leveraging artificial intelligence to gain a competitive edge in the e-commerce sector. In May, Alibaba introduced Wenwen, an AI chatbot on its Taobao platform, to offer personalized product recommendations.
Furthermore, Alibaba recently signed soccer legend David Beckham as the global brand ambassador for its e-commerce platform, AliExpress. This partnership aims to boost AliExpress’s global presence, particularly in the face of fierce competition from rivals like PDD Holdings and Shein.