Alibaba.com, a B2B e-commerce platform and a division of Alibaba International Digital Commerce Group, celebrated businesses in their quest for success and global growth on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Day on June 27. Reaffirming its commitment to supporting MSMEs, Alibaba.com announced the rollout of AI tools for global suppliers. These tools have so far been adopted by approximately 30,000 businesses on its platform.
Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Day marked the seventh anniversary of the United Nations designation of recognition of the vital role played by MSMEs in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and the contribution of MSMEs to the global economy. On the occasion, Kuo Zhang, Chairman of Alibaba.com, participated in a Roundtable on global trade at the Global Review of Aid for Trade The World Trade Organization (WTO) biannual Aid for Trade Summit. Along with four MSMEs from Ethiopia, Vietnam, Italy and India, Mr. Zhang also took part in a session organized by the United Nations International Trade Centre and the WTO to celebrate MSME Day.
AI for all countries
Stressing the importance of ensuring that no MSME in underdeveloped countries is left behind in the AI era, Kuo Zhang said that among the 20 countries that most frequently use AI tools in Alibaba.comabout 10 are developing countries. “As a member of the private sector, we are honoured to have worked alongside international agencies such as the WTO and the ITC, and to have supported MSMEs around the world over the past 25 years,” said M. Zhang. « As we promote wider adoption of our AI tools for MSMEs, we also hope to expand our global supplier base to reach 100,000 suppliers over the next three years.. Ultimately, by leveraging AI, we are building a global supply chain by and for MSMEs.”
MSMEs are embracing the power of AI
According to a recent survey conducted by Alibaba.com among MSMEs using its platform, these businesses are regularly looking for innovative solutions such as AI. 25% to 30% of MSMEs surveyed even say they use AI on a daily basis. On Alibaba.com alone, approximately 30,000 MSMEs worldwide are using the platform’s AI tools. Through the use of these tools, the companies surveyed saw their product exposure increase by 37%, creating new business opportunities and increased growth. Additionally, the MSMEs surveyed that are already using Alibaba.com’s AI tools are further expanding their businesses with AI expertise, as they collectively accepted 70% of the optimization suggestions provided by the tools.
“Using AI has put my Alibaba.com store on autopilot and saved us a lot of time since there are only two of us, one employee and me, running our business,” said Nghiep Sieu, founder of Hanh Sanh Co. Ltd, an electric fan company based in Vietnam. « I think AI tools will bring many business owners who are new to e-commerce closer to the platform. »
MSMEs benefit from increasing access to global suppliers
In addition to a growing set of innovative solutions to support their businesses, MSMEs on Alibaba.com can diversify their product sources by connecting with suppliers that specialize in specific industries and products. These key groups in the global digital supply chain include:
Read also: Alibaba International’s AI Suite Sees Growing Success
– In Northeast Asia, buyers can connect with natural skin care suppliers from Korea and partner with home furniture and camera, photo and accessory manufacturers in Japan.
– In Southeast Asia, Vietnam is the hub for suppliers of seasonings and condiments, as well as home and outdoor furniture. Buyers can also turn to expert suppliers in India and Pakistan for bulk gemstones and horse racing equipment.
– In Western Asia and Europe, we find suppliers of carpets, men’s clothing and construction and building machinery in Turkey. Buyers can call on suppliers in Germany for industrial machinery, and those located in Italy for wine, women’s clothing and textile machinery.
“As a company Italian major on the Alibaba.com platform, I have always had confidence in the quality of our Italian supplement products. Alibaba.com has helped me expand my business beyond Europe to markets like China, Vietnam, Bangladesh and Ghana »said Maria Francesca Aceti, CEO of Deltha Pharma.
Strengthening support for suppliers in developing countries
As Alibaba.com seeks to expand its supplier base, it is stepping up efforts to integrate suppliers from developing countries. Alibaba.com commits to helping 100 MSMEs across Africa to establish a presence on its platform to enable them to sell their products globally. In addition, of the 500 events and seminars that Alibaba.com is organizing this fiscal year (April 2024 to March 2025) for global suppliers, about 300 will be held in developing countries.
Read also: Elf, Walmart, Aldi… 10 retail and customer relations ideas (July 8-12)
“Moving from traditional commerce to e-commerce has been a strategic journey for my business,” said Dagmawit Abebe, owner of Ethiopian coffee brand Kedemt Coffee. “Leveraging e-commerce platforms like Alibaba.com has been crucial in overcoming local market challenges and expanding our reach.”
Alibaba.com connects more MSMEs than ever before, with over 48 million buyers and over 200,000 suppliers on its platform worldwide. Alibaba.com will continue to put MSMEs first through innovation and new solutions to simplify global sourcing and selling.
Source: www.ecommercemag.fr
