Alibaba.com, Alibaba Group’s global B2B ecommerce platform, today unveiled its trending categories amongst UK buyers for 2023.
More than 44% of B2B buyers in the UK use digital platforms, a figure expected to increase to 51% of buyers within the next five years. As part of March Expo, its flagship online B2B expo, Alibaba.com has announced a 64% increase in the number of UK daily average paid buyers on its platform, reflecting this wider trend.
Alibaba.com has also revealed its top five performing categories, with significant year-on -year growth in the number of daily active buyers in the first week of March Expo compared to last year:
- Apparel: 27% increase year-on-year
- Home & Garden: 27% increase year-on-year
- Personal care and household cleaning: 24% increase year-on-year
- Pets: 14% increase year-on-year
- Mother, baby and toys: 12% increase year-on-year
Growth in these categories indicates a clear shift to online sourcing, with buyers seeking alternatives to traditional forms of procurement to mitigate supply chain delays. Over the last year, more than 44% of businesses have switched to a new supplier, with 13% citing demands for a larger product range; 12% citing logistical reasons; and 12% citing difficult returns processes.
To make digital sourcing easier than ever before, Alibaba.com has unveiled a series of new initiatives and upgraded tools for businesses at March Expo. This includes thousands of virtual reality factory tours and livestream sessions, providing unrivalled transparency into suppliers around the world. Alibaba.com is seeing significant growth in its ‘LIVE’ events, with UK B2B buyers increasingly turning to livestream events as a way of engaging sellers. In total, the platform has recorded a 300% increase in the number of viewers globally compared with the year prior.
Alibaba.com has also launched a series of other measures including its upgraded Trade Assurance – a comprehensive service umbrella designed to protect SMEs along the whole sourcing journey, from payment to delivery; and its Easy Return Service, enabling SMEs to return goods to local warehouses across the UK free of charge.
Roland Palmer, general manager of UK, Benelux & Nordics for Alibaba Group, said: “There are significant benefits associated with retail e-sourcing, which B2B buyers in the UK are increasingly taking advantage of. Competitive pricing, time-saving, and increased transparency and efficiency in the outsourcing of the procurement process are all key factors in the switch to digital sourcing. It is encouraging to see such high growth figures in categories such as apparel, home & garden and personal care. We are also seeing strong engagement from industry verticals such as smart electronics and skincare. With more and more UK B2B buyers using digital platforms to source, Alibaba.com is well positioned to serve them.”
Alibaba.com offers businesses a virtually unlimited catalogue of products – from up-to-date fashion and homewares to raw ingredients and office supplies – to purchase at the click of a button. Leveraging technology from Alibaba Group’s B2C platforms, Alibaba.com is digitising the procurement process for buyers in the UK, enabling them to create efficiencies, shop around to drive margins, and discover new and differentiated products to surprise and delight customers.
