Alibaba signs MoU with GS1 Australia
- Written by Linda Holmes
On Friday 6 January 2017, Alibaba Group (Australia and New Zealand) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with GS1 Australia to formalise, promote and strengthen online trade between China and Australia.
The MoU was signed by Maggie Zhou, Managing Director, Alibaba Group (Australia and New Zealand) and Russell Stucki, Chairman of GS1 Australia at an event in Melbourne. Over 40 journalists from China were also in attendance at the signing ceremony.
Russell Stucki, Chairman, GS1 Australia said, “The MoU signed here today will formalise the strategic partnership to support the growth and introduction of Australian brands using GS1 standards to the millions of online shoppers using Alibaba Group’s platforms in China. The alliance with GS1 Global Office will also foster great opportunities for Alibaba to connect with over two million member businesses worldwide.”
The signing of the MoU follows the October 2016 announcement from Alibaba Group, GS1 Global Office and GS1 China to standardise product information for the benefit of all supply chain stakeholders, especially consumers. Alibaba invited brand owners to adopt GS1 standards for product information management and the use of the barcode, or Global Trade Item Number (GTIN), for uniquely identifying their products within the Alibaba e-commerce network.
All Alibaba users are also encouraged to join GS1’s Global Data Synchronisation Network™ (GDSN®) for online exchange of product information. This means that Alibaba will now be able to receive product and pricing data from brand owners and suppliers via the National Product Catalogue.
“We are excited to enter into this agreement with GS1 Australia and support local businesses entering the Chinese market through Alibaba’s platforms,” said Alibaba Group’s Maggie Zhou. “The demand for Australian products on Alibaba Group’s platforms continues to grow and Chinese consumers recognise the importance of safe and authentic products.”
Sean Sloan, Manager – Omni-channel & RFID at GS1 Australia said, “The purpose of this MoU is to provide a framework for Australian businesses, in particular SMEs, to benefit from this alliance. The adoption of GS1’s Global Data Synchronisation Network™ is a major win for Chinese consumers seeking to purchase authentic Australian products from Australian brand owners.”
During Alibaba Group’s 2016 Double 11 sale, Australia increased its overall global ranking to 4th on the Tmall and Tmall Global platforms, up from 5th in 2015.
“Today’s signing symbolises a partnership which we believe will lead to many opportunities for Australian businesses to leverage Alibaba’s e-commerce ecosystem and build on the already established partnership between China’s largest online retailer of imported products, GS1 Global Office and GS1 China”, added Mr Stucki.
