Shoppers in Southeast Asia will soon have access to millions of South Korean products through a brand new tie-up between Lazada and Gmarket.
The partnership, launched on Monday, brings a dedicated Gmarket storefront to LazMall, Lazada’s online shopping hub. Buyers in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Vietnam can now order from 20 million South Korean products, including well-known beauty and personal-care brands akin to Sulwhasoo, d’Alba, Mediheal, COSRX, Skinfood, and Laneige.
Orders might be delivered using Lazada’s logistics network, while after-sales support might be handled jointly by each firms, Lazada said.
This move follows the creation of Grand Opus Holdings, a 50-50 three way partnership between Alibaba International and Shinsegae Group, Gmarket’s parent company. The three way partnership oversees each Gmarket and AliExpress Korea. South Korea’s competition regulator conditionally approved the deal earlier this month, though data-sharing concerns remain.
“Our partnership with Gmarket will play an instrumental role in expanding the variety and depth of our brand assortment, reinforcing our long-term technique to drive sustainable growth through trusted global and native brands,” a Lazada spokesperson said.
Lazada has been pushing to grow through global brand partnerships as Southeast Asia’s e-commerce sector expands. The region’s gross merchandise value reached US$128.4 billion in 2024, a 12% increase from the previous yr, in accordance with Momentum Works. Brand-led sales make up lower than 30% of total sales on e-commerce platforms within the region, compared with greater than 50% in China, pointing to room for growth.
During its “9.9” mega sale in September, LazMall saw almost 30% year-on-year growth in average order value, the corporate said.
Alibaba has also been tightening links between Lazada and its domestic platform, Tmall. This connection allows Chinese merchants to sell on to 160 million energetic users of Lazada, expanding their reach while giving shoppers in Southeast Asia access to more products.
Alibaba’s International Digital Commerce unit, which incorporates AliExpress, Lazada, Trendyol, Daraz, and Alibaba.com, reported revenue of 34.7 billion yuan (US$4.9 billion) within the quarter ending June, up 19% from a yr earlier. Adjusted losses before interest, taxes, and amortisation dropped by 98% to 59 million yuan.
Lazada recorded its first month of positive earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation in July. This was attributed to AI integration, more efficient logistics, and higher operations, the South China Morning Post reported.
Tmall sellers tap Southeast Asian market
Alibaba can be stepping up its cross-border strategy by allowing merchants on its premium Tmall site to sell on to Southeast Asian customers through Lazada.
“This is the primary time that Tmall has established a direct connection to Lazada’s platform to facilitate the seamless onboarding of sellers,” a Lazada representative said on Tuesday, noting the programme began last month.
Sellers won’t need to establish latest storefronts or manage local logistics. They can send their goods to a warehouse in China, and Lazada will handle all the pieces else, from cross-border shipping and customs clearance to sales and customer support in local languages.
Lazada will use AI tools to localise store listings for shoppers in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines. This includes translating product information and reviews, converting prices, and adjusting for local taxes and margins.
Global brands akin to Harman International and Spalding have already joined the invite-only programme, Lazada said.
The initiative reflects Alibaba’s push to bring more products into Southeast Asia’s digital economy, which is predicted to surpass US$330 billion this yr, in accordance with the US International Trade Administration.
(Photo by Duc Van)
See also: Alibaba launches AI agent to hurry up online sourcing for merchants
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