Lazada to expand to Europe

Leading Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba Group is planning to expand Lazada, its Southeast Asian arm, into Europe, according to a report in the Bangkok Post. 

Context

Alibaba is already present in Europe: AliExpress, its global e-commerce platform, is focused on cross-border sales from China, while Cainiao, its logistics arm, Cainiao, recently opened a central hub for European sales in Belgium.

Why it matters

Faced with increased competition and tighter regulation, Alibaba’s growth opportunities domestically are slowing, hence it is casting its net overseas. But it’s not the only one: Lazada’s chief rival, Shopee, moved into Poland, Spain and France last year. 

While European markets have accelerated their transition to digital retail over the past two years, the process has been uneven. Two Asian giants bringing their online expertise to the region has the potential to further shake up the sector. 

Lazada fact

In the year to September 2021, Lazada generated $21bn in gross merchandise volume (GMV) from 159 million users. Alibaba has set targets of $100bn in GMV and 300 million users.

Sourced from Bangkok Post