Forget Starbucks. The Most Interesting Coffee Retailers Are HeyTea and Luckin (1 of 2)

China / Asia is usually the most dynamic frontier for retail – and especially when it integrates with ecommerce. This is the result of a really big market and never-ending hyper-competition. It means there is always frantic innovating just to stay in the game. It’s a space I generally avoid because of the degree of […]

Alibaba and Intersport: Why New Retail Could Be Powerful in Sports Apparel (3 of 3)

In Part 1 and Part 2, I gave some background on sports apparel in China and detailed my visit to the first Tmall – Intersport store in Beijing. It was pretty great. With lots of new digital initiatives. Note: the above picture is what happens when you change the gender setting on the magic mirror. […]

3 Lessons in Digitizing Sports Apparel from Intersport and Alibaba (2 of 3)

Several years ago, I got a message (via LinkedIn) from Robin Trebbe, who was at that time the Managing Director for China / Asia Pacific for Intersport International. They had a new project with Alibaba that was trying to digitize the sports apparel business. I jumped at the chance to do a visit. Note: I […]

Digitizing Sports Apparel: My Visit to the Tmall – Intersport Store in China (1 of 3)

Will “new retail” change sports apparel? It turns out it’s a really interesting question. Sports apparel retail is people buying running shoes, Nike gear, yoga pants, sweatshirts and so on. At first glance it looks like pretty standard apparel retail. Requiring lots of stores, good inventory management and effective marketing. So that certainly presents lots […]

New Retail in Furniture: My Visit to the JD-Qumei in China (2 of 2)

In this article, Jeff Towson shares his experience of visiting the JD Qumei Furniture Store in China and discusses the future of new retail. He highlights the importance of creating a seamless online and offline shopping experience for customers and how JD.com is leading the way in this regard. Towson also talks about the role of technology in the future of retail and how it can be used to enhance the customer experience.

New Retail in Furniture: My Visit to the JD-Qumei in China (1 of 2)

In this article, Jeff Towson shares his experience of visiting the JD Qumei Furniture Store in China and discusses the future of new retail. He highlights the importance of creating a seamless online and offline shopping experience for customers and how JD.com is leading the way in this regard. Towson also talks about the role of technology in the future of retail and how it can be used to enhance the customer experience.

The Secret Engine of Alibaba’s New Retail Is “Uni-Marketing” (Tech Strategy – Daily Article)

“New retail”, coined by Alibaba, was probably the least creative business term ever. But it was a big idea. You combine online and physical retail into a seamless, data-driven consumer experience. It is giving rise to new business models, from transformed supermarkets and cashier-less convenience stores to automated package pickup centers and re-imaged department stores. […]

Can ByteDance Breach Alibaba’s Infrastructure Moat and Become An Ecommerce Giant? (Tech Strategy – Podcast 82)

In this podcast, Jeffrey Towson discusses whether ByteDance, the Chinese tech giant behind TikTok, can breach Alibaba’s dominance in the Chinese ecommerce market. He argues that ByteDance has a number of advantages, including its large user base, its data-driven approach to marketing, and its ability to innovate quickly. However, he also acknowledges that Alibaba has a number of strengths, including its strong infrastructure, its deep relationships with merchants, and its brand recognition. He concludes that it is too early to say whether ByteDance will be able to challenge Alibaba, but that the battle between the two companies is one to watch.

China’s New OMO Platforms: Alibaba, Sun Art and Beike (Tech Strategy – Podcast 79)

In this podcast, Jeffrey Towson discusses the rise of OMO (online-merge-offline) platforms in China, such as Alibaba’s Sun Art and Beike / Lianjia. He argues that these platforms are disrupting the traditional retail and real estate industries. He explains that OMO platforms offer a number of advantages over traditional businesses, such as convenience, personalization, and data-driven insights.