Australia Post extends partnership with Alibaba
Australia Post has expanded its partnership with Alibaba, with an initiative that will involve extending Australia Post online storefronts beyond China to Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. The Australia Post-branded storefronts will establish the first Australian marketplace within South-East Asia’s leading e-commerce network, Lazada (in which Alibaba has a majority shareholding).
Lazada provides merchants with direct access to more than 560 million consumers in six countries and features categories ranging from consumer electronics and household goods to fashion and health products.
In a statement issued today (6 February), Australia Post Executive General Manager Parcels and StarTrack CEO, Bob Black said the South-East Asian expansion built on Australia Post’s strong relationship with Alibaba.
“We are committed to supporting local Australian businesses and delivering eCommerce solutions that make it easier to grow their businesses whether that be across Australia or overseas,” said Black.
“International expansion can be daunting for many businesses, particularly small and medium sized enterprises. That’s why we are proud to have partnered with Alibaba to help give Australian businesses access to the booming eCommerce sector in China and now the lucrative South-East Asian market.”
Black added that Australia Post also planned to open storefronts on Lazada’s other sites in Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines beyond this year.
The timing for Australia Post’s announcement about the deepening relationship with Alibaba was interesting. On Saturday (4 February), Alibaba’s Executive Chairman Jack Ma was in Melbourne to preside over the opening ceremony for a new office that will serve as the headquarters for Alibaba’s operations in Australia and New Zealand.
