Coca-Cola, one of the world’s most iconic beverage brands, is opening a flagship store on Alibaba Group’s Tmall online marketplace.
The Coca-Cola Tmall store comes just in time for the Global Shopping Festival, the world’s biggest online sale, on November 11.
Coca-Cola has designed special packaging for the 24-hour 11.11 festival and its shop, now in trial operation in preparation for an official launch in early November, is already pre-selling four-packs of Coke priced at RMB 29 yuan (US$4.60) containing bottles adorned with images of Tmall’s cat mascot or the 11.11 festival logo.
The shop will soon sell other Coca-Cola brands including Sprite, Fanta and Minute Maid, as well as related merchandise like the beverage company’s classic polar bear dolls, according to Coca-Cola.
Coke and Alibaba have also agreed to collaborate on branding, marketing, offline services and the launch of exclusive products, according to a Chinese language press release issued by Alibaba. The collaboration shows a commitment by both parties to “embrace change and adapt to e-retail,” said Henrique Braun, Coca-Cola president of greater China & Korea, noting that the internet “has gradually changed people’s lives and consumer behavior.”
The addition of Coke to its roster of merchants and brands participating in the 11.11 festival is a coup for Alibaba. The company has emphasised this year’s shopping bonanza is meant to be a global event, with overseas and global retailers selling directly to Chinese consumers through Tmall and consumers all over the world buying goods on Alibaba’s AliExpress international marketplace.
Alibaba expects more than 5000 international brands from 25 countries and regions to participate in festival this year.
To whet shoppers’ appetites for the sale, Alibaba and Coca-Cola plan to give away five million bottles of 300ml Cokes. Starting from November 1, the bonus bevvies will be distributed randomly to consumers who order other merchandise through Tmall.
