Alibaba brings Black Friday to China via Tmall.com

London - Those who thought Black Friday’s shopping frenzy was only limited to the western hemisphere need to think again, as Alibaba Group is brining the US promotional phenomena to China through its online marketplace Tmall.com

For the first time Tmall.com has partnered with several US retailers, including Macy’s, Costco and Target, to launch “same products, same time, same price, same Black Friday” campaign. The offer, which started on Monday and will run all the way through to Sunday, offers consumers in China the change to purchase selected items for the same price they are offered during Black Friday in the US. Other non US retailers participating include Sainsbury and South Korea’s LG, with approximately 1,000 retailers partaking in Black Friday via Tmall.com.

“We want to give Chinese consumers access to unique brands, unique products and a unique shopping experience during the Black Friday shopping holiday, as well as help international merchants to boost their branding power and sales in China,” said Alvin Liu, head of Tmall Global. “This campaign is another opportunity for Alibaba to do that.”

The online promotional offer comes not long after Alibaba closed its record breaking 11.11 Global shopping festival, previously known as Singles’ Day, which saw the conglomerate generate 17.8 billion dollars in sales. However, Tmall.com aims to ensure that its Black Friday sales offers Chinese consumers more than just a simple click and buy option. The online marketplace will continue to focus on encouraging consumer engagement and interactivity during Black Friday, much like Alibaba did during 11.11.

For example, visitors to Tmall.com will be offered the chance to shop in a virtual city and visit the flagship stores of some participating retailers, such as Saks Fifth Avenue, where they will be offered the chance to win even more discounts on their purchases. Consumers will also be shown a side-by-side price comparison on the product page which shows they are getting the same discount in China as consumers in the US. Tmall.com also hosted a live stream of the countdown to Black Friday’s midnight launch which showed the crowds forming at Macy’s flagship store in New York’s Herald Square, as well as rebroadcast parts of its famous Thanksgiving Day parade.

Photo: via Alibaba Group