Alibaba has launched three new platforms — Alibaba.com Payment Terms, Alibaba.com Freight and Alibaba.com Trade Shows — designed for small businesses seeking ways to digitally optimize their operations during the COVID-19 crisis and beyond.
“U.S. small businesses are fighting through what is a remarkable set of challenges because of COVID,” said John Kaplan, Head of North America and Europe for Alibaba.com during a media briefing. “They’re looking for ways to continue to operate while being remote, and looking for ways to thrive despite all of the disruptions and challenges in the market. We’re seeing them rapidly pivot to going digital and going global faster than ever before — we’ve seen 20 years of transformation in the last two months.”
Payment Terms lets qualified buyers order goods and pay for them up to 60 days after they ship. The service is embedded directly into Alibaba’s cross-border marketplace, and the feature is designed to help smaller businesses benefit from the global supply chain without needing to pay before their items ship.
The Freight platform offers retailers the ability to compare, book, manage and track ocean and air freight in real time. The service aims to simplify the ordering process for bulk shipments, making the related information transparent to help retailers ensure they have the items they need, where and when they need them.
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Trade Shows will facilitate live, invite-only meetings between suppliers and retailers online. The series will kick off on July 7 with a virtual event for the supplement and vitamin category.
