Mondelēz strikes up e-commerce partnership with Alibaba

Mondelēz International has launched a strategic e-commerce partnership with Alibaba Group, the largest online and mobile commerce company in the world.

The collaboration enables Mondelēz International to further tap into the potential of e-commerce by expanding its reach and deepening its penetration in the Chinese market.

Chinese consumers will now be able to purchase a fuller range of Mondelēz International products, including Oreo, Chips Ahoy, belVita, Toblerone, Cadbury and Trident, through its flagship store on Alibaba’s Tmall.com platform, China’s largest third-party business-to-consumer e-commerce platform for brands and retailers. Mondelēz International will also increase its investment in Tmall.com by launching exclusive products to expand consumer reach and accelerate growth, starting with Oreo Colorfilled in May, which was exclusively developed for Tmall.com’s consumers. Initially piloted in the United States in November 2015, Oreo Colorfilled will enable consumers across China to design their very own Oreo packaging.

Under this strategic partnership, the two companies will work closely to further advance Mondelēz International’s business strategy in China by leveraging Alibaba Group’s comprehensive e-commerce ecosystem. Key areas of collaboration include consumer insight, cloud computing, branding and advertising solutions, product innovations and expansion of sales and distribution channels.

Alibaba a ‘powerful partner’ for Mondelēz International

Commenting on the partnership, Tim Cofer, Chief Growth Officer, Mondelēz International, said: “This partnership with Alibaba is a significant step toward our goal of generating e-commerce revenues of at least $1 billion by 2020. Snacking is a fast-growing sector for the e-commerce market in China and Alibaba is a powerful partner to help us capture our share of that growth by expanding our distribution channels and improving our brands’ accessibility in both rural and urban Chinese markets.”

Jet Jing, Vice President of Alibaba Group, added: “We look forward to helping Mondelēz International fully utilize our e-commerce ecosystem and technology infrastructure to successfully build their brands and effectively reach the 407 million annual active buyers on our China retail marketplaces who are looking for quality international products that Mondelēz International provides.”

Earlier this year, Nestlé announced a similar partnership with Alibaba Group, introducing products including Nido milk powder, Damak chocolate and Nescafé Dolce Gusto BMW MINI coffee machines on Tmall.com. Last year, United Biscuits partnered with Alibaba Group, officially opening its flagship eCommerce store for consumers in China on Alibaba’s Tmall Global platform. And last summer Alibaba Group and Unilever China announced a comprehensive strategic partnership, enabling Unilever to reach customers across China through Alibaba Group’s data-driven ecosystem.