Alibaba’s Tmall has partnered with American apparel and footwear company VF to expand the availability of branded lifestyle apparel, footwear and accessories in China.
The platform’s retail arm Tmall Innovation Center (TMIC) will enable VF to adapt and modify its products to suit Chinese consumers.
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TMIC will offer VF data-driven consumer analytics from the 654 million annual active consumers across Alibaba’s marketplaces.
Both parties will also focus on optimising product design, range and assortment by identifying new consumption trends, pre-launch testing, consumer profiling, and post-launch tracking in order to explore the needs of Chinese consumers.
Alibaba marketing platform business general manager Liu Bo said: “With Tmall’s unparalleled customer insights, strong technical support and in-depth market knowledge, we are eager to work with the world’s leading companies to help them bring their best products into the China market in the most-effective and efficient way.
“Through our partnership with VF, we are committed to helping VF create products that can precisely match the appetite of the Chinese consumer.”
The deal follows a series of successful collaborations between VF and TMIC, including the launch of a new style of backpack from VF’s accessories brand Kipling on the Tmall platform this year.
VF’s workwear brand Dickies has also partnered with TMIC to create customised products featuring elements of street culture for Chinese consumers.
VF global strategy and growth platforms executive vice president David Wagner said: “We’re very excited to partner with TMIC to further unleash the power of consumer insights and analytics.
“TMIC’s data-driven insights have enabled VF brands to better serve the Chinese customers, who make up one of the most-important markets for our business and brands.”
TMIC has also helped the VF’s Vans brand to optimise its product range for Alibaba’s 11.11 Global Shopping Festival this year.
