- Avnet’s new Super Store on 1688.com will cater to customers specifically in the small and medium business (SMB) market.
- This alliance will enable developers in China to accelerate IoT prototyping and take solutions to market faster
Leading global technology solutions provider Avnet has launched an Avnet Super Store on Alibaba Group’s China-focused B2B purchasing and wholesale marketplace, 1688.com, through an alliance with the e-commerce company.
The companies announced the alliance during Alibaba’s Apsara Conference in Hangzhou’s Cloud Town on Wednesday.
One of the first products offered through the new Chinese Super Store will be the Alibaba Cloud-enabled Raspberry Pi 3 Model B/B+ computer.
“Through our alliance with Alibaba Cloud, developers in China can accelerate their IoT prototyping on a familiar and versatile platform with built-in cloud connectivity,” said Nishant Nishant, vice president of digital, Avnet.
“By giving them easy access to feature-rich products that integrate hardware and cloud, plus experts in the Avnet ecosystem that can help them overcome the challenges of scaling to production, Chinese developers will be able to take their IoT solutions to market faster than before,” he added.
Avnet enhances global e-commerce strategy
As China’s largest wholesale platform for industrial products, 1688.com is home to more than 10 million enterprise storefronts and 150 million users visit the site per day, Avnet said in a press release.
The site has been expanding its cross-border wholesale business, including bringing foreign suppliers onto the platform.
In August 2017, the platform introduced IMALL, short for “Industrial Mall,” a dedicated marketplace for major industrial brands and their official distributors. IMALL now has up to 3,000 international and domestic brands.
By opening a Super Store on 1688.com, Avnet aims to enhance its global e-commerce strategy and expand its online presence in China to serve customers specifically in the small and medium business (SMB) market.
“Alibaba Cloud is pleased to partner with Avnet and bring its products and solutions to China. With Avnet’s extensive offerings, the two companies will be able to create a lot of synergies to propel the development of IoT solutions and build an ecosystem of experts together,” said Ken Shen, president of global ecosystem, Alibaba Cloud Intelligence.
