GS1 Australia and the Alibaba Group (Australia and New Zealand) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to formalise, promote and strengthen online trade between China and Australia.
GS1 is the world's most widely used supply chain standard. The signing of the MoU follows the October 2016 announcement from Alibaba Group, GS1 Global Office and GS1 China to standardise product information for the benefit of all supply chain stakeholders, especially consumers.
Alibaba invited brand owners to adopt GS1 standards for product information management and the use of the barcode, or Global Trade Item Number (GTIN), for uniquely identifying their products within the Alibaba e-commerce network.
The MoU was signed by Maggie Zhou, managing director, Alibaba Group (Australia and New Zealand) and Russell Stucki, chairman of GS1 Australia in Melbourne.
Stucki said, “The MoU signed here today will formalise the strategic partnership to support the growth and introduction of Australian brands using GS1 standards to the millions of online shoppers using Alibaba Group’s platforms in China. The alliance with GS1 Global Office will also foster great opportunities for Alibaba to connect with over two million member businesses worldwide.”
{loadposition ray}
Alibaba users are encouraged to join GS1’s Global Data Synchronisation Network (GDSN) for online exchange of product information. This means that Alibaba will now be able to receive product and pricing data from brand owners and suppliers via the National Product Catalogue.
“We are excited to enter into this agreement with GS1 Australia and support local businesses entering the Chinese market through Alibaba’s platforms,” said Zhou. “The demand for Australian products on Alibaba Group’s platforms continues to grow and Chinese consumers recognise the importance of safe and authentic products.”
Sean Sloan, manager – Omni-channel & RFID at GS1 Australia, said, “The purpose of this MoU is to provide a framework for Australian businesses, in particular, SMEs, to benefit from this alliance. The adoption of GS1’s Global Data Synchronisation Network is a major win for Chinese consumers seeking to purchase authentic Australian products from Australian brand owners.”
During Alibaba Group’s 2016 Double 11 sale, Australia increased its overall global ranking to fourth on the Tmall and Tmall Global platforms, up from fifth in 2015.
“Today’s signing symbolises a partnership which we believe will lead to many opportunities for Australian businesses to leverage Alibaba’s e-commerce ecosystem and build on the already established partnership between China’s largest online retailer of imported products, GS1 Global Office and GS1 China,” added Stucki.
L to R: Russell Stucki, chairman of GS1 Australia, and Maggie Zhou, managing director, Alibaba Group (Australia and New Zealand), at the MoU signing table. The signing waswitnessed by (L to R standing): Sean Sloan, manager – Omni-channel & RIFD at GS1 Australia, and James Hudson, director of Corporate Affairs and Marketing, Alibaba Group (Australia and New Zealand).
