UK-based consumer goods company Unilever and Alibaba-backed Lazada have signed an agreement to boost online retail growth in South-East Asia.
Under the agreement, the companies will build the e-commerce industry’s end-to-end alliance in the region to spur rapid growth.
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Unilever and Lazada will work on category development, supply chain and fulfilment, data and marketing, social commerce and talent development, as well as allocate resources to unlock regional growth potential by 2020.
Unilever South-East Asia and Australasia president Pier Luigi Sigismondi said: “E-commerce is the fastest growing channel in South-East Asia, making it vital for us to find innovative ways to address the needs of our consumers, allowing them to shop when and where they want.
“We believe this pioneering partnership will set new standards in customer experience, supply chain and digital marketing, helping our brands reach more consumers across South-East Asia.”
The shared expertise between the companies is also expected to create new solutions to address e-commerce challenges in South-East Asia.
This partnership builds on the recently launched Unilever store in Lazada Singapore which helps shoppers to buy Unilever brands at the click of a button.
Lazada Group CEO Maximilian Bittner said: “This partnership is a game changer for Lazada as it endorses our one-stop platform strategy to support the online development of top brands like Unilever.
“Having the commitment of Unilever will also greatly benefit the ecosystem of partners that support our platform.”
