Alibaba.com Opens Platform to Empower US Small Businesses to Sell to the World

By STS News Desk On Jul 26, 2019

Alibaba.com Launches New Services, Support and Grants Program to Fuel the US Small- and Medium-Sized Business Recovery and Success of “New Digital Entrepreneurs”

Leading Global B2B eCommerce Platform Introducing New Seller Enablement Functions, Including US-to-US Transactions, New Ecosystem Participants, and a Nationwide Tour of “Build Up” Events to Help Small Businesses Go Live

Alibaba.com, one of the world’s largest B2B ecommerce marketplaces and a business unit of Alibaba Group, opened its platform to empower US businesses to sell their products to millions of Alibaba.com buyers in the US and around the globe. Now, the nearly 30 million Small and Medium-sized Businesses (SMBs) in the U.S.- especially manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors – can better access the $23.9 trillion global B2B ecommerce market, an opportunity that is six times larger than the global B2C ecommerce market.

The company is also unveiling an enhanced ecosystem of participants. These include anchor sellers and B2B service providers who share Alibaba.com’s mission to make it easier for SMBs to do business.

To help U.S. SMBs successfully access the $23.9 trillion B2B ecommerce opportunity, Alibaba.com is also co-producing a series of “Build Up” workshops and webinars with local chambers of commerce and B2B organizations across the country, including SCORE, one of the nation’s largest non-profit network of volunteer, expert business mentors.

“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 10 million active business buyers in over 190 countries and regions, we are reshaping B2B commerce by providing the tools and services needed for U.S. SMB companies to compete and succeed in today’s global marketplace.”

KEY NEW PLATFORM ENHANCEMENTS

Alibaba.com has added key features that enable U.S. SMBs to do business locally (U.S.-to-U.S.) and globally:

U.S. Business Sellers

U.S. Business Buyers

Streamlined ability to build and manage a single digital store on the global Alibaba.com platform
Valuable transaction capabilities, including online payment*
CRM and communications tools to facilitate the direct ownership of customer relationships
Enhanced digital marketing tools to target B2B demand that is right for them
Option to work with Alibaba.com’s U.S.-based Seller Success team

Access to a growing number of U.S.-based supplier options on the us.alibaba.com landing page, in addition to thousands of global suppliers
A more robust inquiry functionality that enables buyers to begin discussions and negotiations
Expanded product selection ranging from ready-to-ship to fully customized
Improved product and supplier search functionality to allow buyers to quickly identify best fit, i.e. customized vs. finished goods, and by types and locations of suppliers

* On-platform payment will be available for transactions within the U.S – except in New York and Nevada, beginning on July 25 2019.

“We recognized the opportunity to expedite global growth through Alibaba.com early on,” said Evan Gettinger, Co-Founder of Gett Clean, a U.S.- based professional cleaning products manufacturer who has seen a significant uptick in inquiries about its products on the platform. “With the new combination of platform tools available and the addition of major, name-brand sellers, we expect a faster path to our growth targets.”

Alibaba.Com Builds Its US B2B Ecosystem with New Participants

Alibaba.com is bringing on a number of brands and organizations that share a passion for supporting SMBs, including major U.S. businesses and service providers.

In March, Alibaba.com announced a strategic collaboration with Office Depot, and today Robinson Fresh, a division of C.H. Robinson, is joining the platform. Both are committed as “Anchor Sellers” to provide extensive product catalogs to meet the expanding interests of the platform’s huge audience of buyers. The participation of Anchor Sellers is intended to bring significant benefits, including generating new buyer interest that occurs when product selection expands.

“We’re proud to expand our strategic collaboration with Alibaba.com,” said Gerry Smith, chief executive officer for Office Depot, Inc. “By becoming an anchor seller, we can reach a larger small business audience and provide them with the products and services they need to compete on a global scale.” Additionally, Alibaba.com customers will now have access to member-exclusive offers, discounts and premium content from an expanding ecosystem of leading business service providers including:

● 71lbs

● BigCommerce

● Indeed

● ShipStation

● Skuvault

● TeamViewer

● Wellbots

● Xometry

NATIONAL TOUR OF LOCAL “BUILD UP” EVENTS TO SUPPORT SMB GROWTH

The first in-person Alibaba.com Build Up event will be held today in Brooklyn at Industry City – a community of innovative industrial and manufacturing businesses – along with co-hosts, the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce and Industry City. Each Build Up event will provide attendees an in-depth workshop, the opportunity for one-on-one training and consultation from Alibaba.com experts as well as exclusive discounts, incentives, and support from the ecosystem of brands and organizations.

The Brooklyn Build Up will be closely followed by events in Los Angeles on July 26 with the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce at California Market Center and Chicago on July 30 with the Illinois Chamber of Commerce at M Hub. Additional Build Ups around the country are planned throughout the year with support from local and national business organizations, including local SCORE chapters, Food Export USA – Northeast, and Food Export Association of the Midwest USA. In addition, Alibaba.com is co-producing digital Build Up content with SCORE.

“Small businesses are the engine of the U.S. economy, but they face challenges,” said Ken Yancey, CEO of SCORE. “SCORE and our network of mentors is excited about helping U.S. businesses learn about the huge opportunity in ecommerce at these physical and virtual Build Up workshops available to communities across the U.S.”