The genie’s out of the bottle: Ocean Spray, other foreign brands clamour to join Alibaba’s e-commerce bonanza on Nov. 11 ‘Singles Day’
Chinese e-commerce giant expected to beat its one-day sales record of US$9.3 billion set last year as it increasingly globalises its online marketplace
Renowned American agricultural cooperative Ocean Spray, with more than US$2 billion in annual revenue, has joined a group of 5,000 international brands featured in Alibaba Group’s “Double 11” campaign, the world’s biggest online shopping festival to be held in China next month.
Ocean Spray, which is co-owned by more than 700 grower-families across the United States, sells its popular line of cranberry juices and drinks, dried fruit snacks, sauces and fresh fruit to more than 60 countries. Its first online flagship store in China is on Alibaba’s Tmall.com.
The Massachusetts-based company represents the second major US beverage supplier recently signed up by Alibaba ahead of Double 11, which is its promotional festival during the annual Singles Day celebration in mainland China on November 11.
Famous California winery Robert Mondavi launched last month its exclusive flagship online shop in Tmall, China’s largest business-to-business e-commerce platform. The winery is also one of the global brands participating in the Double 11 campaign.
“Working directly with Alibaba will enable us to tell our brand story, introduce the latest product innovations and connect directly with its consumer base of 367 million [active] buyers,” said Peter Wyman, the president of Ocean Spray International.