Alibaba Group Holding is set to launch a new membership programme spanning a range of services from an online marketplace to food delivery and travel booking, according to Chinese media reports and a person with knowledge of the matter, as the tech giant strives to recapture its leading position in China’s competitive e-commerce market.
Alibaba’s e-commerce group, led by Jiang Fan, will provide members of Taobao – China’s largest online marketplace – with subsidised access to various other company services, including the on-demand delivery app Ele.me, online travel agency Fliggy and grocery chain Freshippo, according to Chinese media reports.
The development was first reported by Chinese financial news portal Sina.com. A source, who declined to be named as the information is not public, confirmed the programme’s coming launch.
Alibaba, owner of the Post, did not respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.
The planned move would follow the merger of Ele.me and Fliggy into the e-commerce group. Initiated in late June, the restructuring “marks a strategic upgrade from an e-commerce platform to a comprehensive consumer platform”, Alibaba CEO Eddie Wu Yongming said in a letter to employees.
According to Sina’s report, Alibaba also planned to enhance its 88VIP membership scheme, which offered benefits like free delivery for returns. Touted as China’s largest paid e-commerce loyalty programme, it had more than 50 million subscribers as of March.
