HANGZHOU, China--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Alibaba Group (NYSE: BABA) today announced its plans to bolster Tmall’s position as the leading ecosystem for the most cutting-edge IoT products, and the go-to platform to drive consumer adoption of a technology-enabled lifestyle. As part of the initiative, Tmall will showcase its prowess in the consumer technology category during the 11.11 Global Shopping Festival by debuting new products from some of the biggest names in the industry, including Beats by Dr. Dre, iRobot, Dyson, Leica, among many others.

At a press conference at Alibaba’s headquarters in Hangzhou, Alibaba Group CEO Daniel Zhang and head of Tmall Electronics Jing Yin, gathered with top executives from Beats, iRobot, Intel, the Consumer Technology Association, and other key industry representatives, to discuss the growth of IoT in China, and how the industry can leverage e-commerce to further advance product and technology innovation.

“Over the past 17 years, Alibaba has been constantly evolving our ecosystem to support today’s new era of commerce powered by the Internet and new technologies,” said Daniel Zhang, CEO of Alibaba Group. “With more than 439 million active users on our platforms, Alibaba owns a robust database of real-time consumer insights that not only fuels our ecosystem, but serves as an extremely powerful source of market intelligence for our partners and clients. As we enter the fast-changing age of IoT, we’re excited to join forces with key global players in the industry such as Intel and CTA to spearhead the creation of a smart living ecosystem that will significantly improve people’s everyday lives.”

Alibaba’s Tmall Electronics marketplace introduced more than 280 new products this fall. Over the years, the platform has transformed from a virtual shopping mall, to an interactive destination for brands and consumers to engage and explore the latest innovations in consumer technology. Many brands are taking advantage of the attention Tmall receives during the 11.11 Global Shopping Festival, the world’s biggest shopping day, to promote their new product lines and help consumers discover ways that technology can enhance their lifestyles. For example:

• Beats by Dr. Dre will be promoting its new Solo 3 Wireless, the perfect everyday headphone, with extra battery life and enhanced sound quality;
• Leica to debut its Leica Sofort instant film camera, a small and compact device for fashion-conscious people who love photography. It comes in a choice of three colors – orange, mint and white.
• iRobot will be launching the Braava Jet 240, a mopping and vacuum cleaning robot that tackles dirt and stains in small places;
• Dyson to bring its V8 Absolute Cordless Vacuum Cleaner through Tmall to Chinese consumers, which can be used to vacuum floors but also converted to a handheld for quick clean ups, spot cleaning and cleaning difficult places;

“Our partnership with Tmall is focused on delivering the best of wireless and premium sound to the tech-savvy, innovation-loving Chinese audience,” said Luke Wood, President of Beats by Dr. Dre, who also joined today’s event. “We hope to grow with Tmall and its consumers as part of our commitment to bring great product to music fans across China.”

Other brands also leveraging 11.11 as a marketing opportunity to launch new products include Samsung, A.O. Smith, Siemens, Midea, Leica, Bowers and Wilkins, and more. In the weeks leading up to 11.11, participating companies were given a wide selection of engagement opportunities to maximize their brand exposure and consumer interaction during this period, from mobile live streaming, virtual reality shopping, interactive content, games and entertainment, to online-to-offline promotions.

“This year’s 11.11 is testament to our commitment in bringing more innovative smart living products to Chinese consumers,” said Jing Yin, President of Tmall Electronics, Alibaba Group. “Our vision is to collaborate with key players in the industry such as platforms, trade organizations, and brands, to create an open framework that allows innovative companies of all sizes to develop, display, and distribute their products in a far-reaching way. Our common goal is to bring about meaningful change and improvement to consumers’ lives.”

About the 11.11 Global Shopping Festival

The 11.11 shopping festival began in 2009 with participation from just 27 merchants as an event for Tmall.com merchants and consumers to raise awareness of the value in online shopping. Seven years later, 11.11 has become a global event with participating merchants in the tens of thousands, buyers in the millions, and total sales in the billions.

For additional history and facts from last year’s festival, as well as the latest news and updates on the 2016 11.11 Global Shopping Festival, please visit Alizila http://www.alizila.com.

About Alibaba Group

Alibaba Group’s mission is to make it easy to do business anywhere. The company aims to build the future infrastructure of commerce. It envisions that its customers will meet, work and live at Alibaba, and that it will be a company that lasts at least 102 years.

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