Boots inks exclusive China deal with Alibaba

Boots has launched on Alibaba’s Tmall Global marketplace. This means that the retailer’s own beauty brands will be available for the first time to Chinese consumers, exclusively through the platform.

“This is a great opportunity for us to increase the internationalisation of our products and to utilise the many innovative technologies that Alibaba has developed,” says Ken Murphy, Executive Vice President, Walgreens Boots Alliance and Chief Commercial Officer and President of Global Brands.

“At the same time, our collaboration with Tmall Global complements our presence in wholesale and retail pharmacy in China with a new, fantastic channel, through which we can distribute our beauty brands in a market with almost endless possibilities. Today’s announcement is the first step on a path we believe offers both of us incredible potential for the future.”

“We are thrilled to be partnering with Walgreens Boots Alliance as they continue to build their brands in China, engage a new audience and meet the evolving lifestyle demands of the Chinese consumer,” comments Michael Evans, President of Alibaba Group. “We look forward to building on the relationship with WBA to continuously expand the range of product selection to better serve the more than half a billion consumers on our marketplaces looking for quality international beauty and cosmetics product.”