- AliExpress opened its first physical store outside China last month, in Madrid, Spain;
- Brazil is one of the main markets for Chinese e-commerce, and the new store is located in Curitiba.
Chinese e-commerce giant AliExpress, the main brand of the Alibaba group, has just launched a new venture in one of its biggest markets, Brazil. Located in the southern city of Curitiba, where their payments partner EBANX is also based, the pop-up store is focused on displaying, both physically and virtually, the main technology products sold at the AliExpress website, such as smartphones and drones.
Aiming at boosting the consumer’s confidence in AliExpress products, the experience store will allow customers to interact with the products, although the purchase will happen virtually, on the website. The idea is to bring online and offline experiences together – a rising trend in retail.
Two smartphone models, the Xiaomi Mi 9 and Xiaomi Mi 8, will be displayed physically, while other tech products, such as smartwatches, drones, and earphones, will be exhibited virtually through interactive showcases in a 5 meters long and 2.5 meters-high LED screen panel. The consumer will be able to get more information about each item and scan a QR code to access the AliExpress website.
“We are excited to join EBANX’s initiative bringing together the online and offline experience. AliExpress is one of the most popular e-commerce platforms in Brazil and we have always explored ways to boost the integration of digital and physical environments, ultimately looking to offer our consumers more choice, fun, and convenience while they shop,” stated Kang Huang, the country leader of AliExpress Brazil, in the official release.
“Like EBANX, we aim to further innovate and differentiate the experience of shopping on AliExpress, enabling our consumers to explore brands and products available on the platform.”
While AliExpress is the leader in terms of the most accessed international e-commerce in Brazil, the country itself is the second biggest market for the Chinese e-commerce when it comes to the volume of cross-border purchases, just behind Russia.