Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba is trying to attract small businesses in the U.S. and Europe with a new offering called Alibaba Guaranteed. This service provides buyers on the global B2B platform Alibaba.com with guarantees on delivery, payments, and settling disputes.
These features have been available to small business customers in China for years, attracting more domestic companies to the platform. But the company’s new goal is to attract more small business customers in the U.S. and Europe by providing a similar experience.
Since Alibaba’s products mainly come from suppliers based in China, there was an added layer of complexity for global buyers. Small businesses generally need to know when products are slated to arrive and how any disputes over payments or shipping are likely to be handled. So the ability for Alibaba to offer guarantees could certainly sway more global business customers to the platform.
For businesses that have yet to shop with Alibaba.com, the platform offers a huge range of supplies and equipment for various types of businesses. You can shop for single products or buy in bulk, and many of the items are available at competitive prices.
Since products generally come from China, small businesses in the U.S. and Europe are still likely to wait longer for shipping than they might while shopping with local suppliers. But for those who are willing to plan ahead and just want more certainty when shopping online, this new offering could be an attractive one.
Kuo Zhang, president of Alibaba.com, said in an interview with CNBC, which was translated from Mandarin, “We think this is in line with current global trends.”
Specifically, many small businesses have experienced disrupted supply chains in recent years. And challenges like inflation make price conscious shopping a must. So, buyers who are able to find deals on Alibaba.com may benefit greatly from this new offering.
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