Alibaba expands into retail market with Bailian deal

Strategic partnership: A file picture shows a man walking past a logo of Bailian Group in Shanghai. Alibaba and Bailian have formed a partnership and will initially cooperate on supply chain technology. – Reuters

BEIJING: China’s Alibaba Group Holding Ltd said it formed a strategic partnership with Bailian Group, the largest retailer by store numbers to join the e-commerce giant’s drive to use big data to improve and profit from brick-and-mortar sales.

The deal, which does not include any financial investment in Bailian, is the latest in Alibaba’s still nascent efforts to capture a bigger share of the retail market as online sales growth slows.