18-Sep-18, South China Morning Post
Alibaba is banking on its New Retail model, where online and offline retail are integrated, and the Hangzhou-based company’s chain of Hema Supermarkets is a test bed. The company has poured billions into acquiring offline retailers. Separately, the company is also hoping to help brick-and-mortar shops digitise their operations to offer online services, and use data generated from such businesses to further improve operations.
%20SCMP.jpg "Alibaba says New Retail is paying off in China as Hema shows bigger average spending (c) SCMP")
Image: SCMP
"Alibaba has evolved its mission in a new environment, a new era," said Alibaba CEO Daniel Zhang, adding "Alibaba uses big data, analytics, machine learning and artificial intelligence to create value from data, to help businesses and partners improve operations."