Alibaba affiliate to set up 100 fresh food warehouses
Alibaba’s logistics affiliate Cainiao Network said it aims to set up 100 fresh food warehouses at county level dispatch centers around China to help connect rural agricultural products with online shoppers.
The first of its kind was unveiled in Wugong County in Shaanxi Province to help local farmers sell agricultural products through online vendors.
It will leverage off existing warehouses and also consider setting up new delivery facilities close to product place of origin over the next two years.
Online fresh food vendor Yiguo, of which Alibaba’s Tmall is a major stakeholder, has set up fresh food warehouses in 19 cities to standardize agricultural products and their delivery processes for urban shoppers.
The delivery of online fresh food and grocery requires huge investment in the supply chain, and Internet giants like JD.com and Alibaba are eager to get a foothold in the sector.
Using the latest technologies like drones, Cainiao also hopes to bring products more efficiently from farmland to warehouses.
