The FINANCIAL — Unilever and the Alibaba-backed Lazada Group have signed an agreement to build the eCommerce industry’s first end-to-end alliance in the region to generate rapid growth for both businesses across Southeast Asia.
The agreement outlines how the two companies will work closely on category development, supply chain and fulfilment, data and marketing, social commerce and talent development – forging a deep collaboration between Unilever and Lazada. Both companies have agreed to allocate resources behind this alliance, as they hope to unlock the significant growth potential in the region by 2020.
The sharing of expertise between Unilever and Lazada is also expected to produce innovative solutions to tackle challenges specific to selling online in Southeast Asia such as high cost of delivery in a difficult geographic landscape. Close collaboration between the two companies will offer consumers an unprecedented choice of products, educational content, lower shipping options, and deliver a superior customer experience. It is hoped that the partnership will drive new growth in online sales and consumer insights for both companies, according to Unilever.
This partnership will build on the recently launched exclusive Unilever store on Lazada Singapore that enables shoppers to buy Unilever brands at the click of a button.
“Ecommerce is the fastest growing channel in Southeast Asia making it vital for us to find innovative ways to address the needs of our consumers, allowing them to shop when and where they want. We believe this pioneering partnership will set new standards in customer experience, supply chain and digital marketing, helping our brands reach more consumers across South East Asia”, said Pier Luigi Sigismondi, President, Unilever – Southeast Asia and Australasia.
“This partnership is a game changer for Lazada as it endorses our one-stop platform strategy to support the online development of top brands like Unilever,” said Maximilian Bittner, CEO of Lazada Group. “Having the commitment of Unilever will also greatly benefit the ecosystem of partners that support our platform,” he added.
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