Alibaba kicks off efforts to penetrate Korean wholesale market

[Captured from 1688.com hompage]

Alibaba Group’s business-to-business (B2B) platform 1688.com is hiring South Korean market experts in a strategic move to intensify its focus on Korean wholesalers.

The move is expected to impact local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) due to 1688.com’s competitive pricing for bulk purchases, often significantly cheaper than AliExpress.

According to sources on Tuesday, 1688.com posted a job advertisement on Alibaba Group’s recruitment site, seeking professionals with expertise in the Korean market.

The successful candidate will work in Hangzhou, China, handling a range of responsibilities including product sourcing, delivery, and supply chain management for the Korean market.

Applicants must have at least five years of experience in e-commerce product operations.

1688.com is a leading B2B platform under Alibaba Group, primarily offering wholesale and bulk purchase services. The platform supplies many products at about half the price of retail, attracting a variety of sellers on international online marketplaces like AliExpress and Shopify.

In Korea, some sellers on open markets like 11Street and Gmarket also use 1688.com. The platform’s annual transaction volume reaches about 160 trillion won ($116 billion).

The recruitment of Korean experts is interpreted as a preparatory step for a more direct entry into Korea.

In the past, AliExpress, another Alibaba entity, gained popularity among a small group of direct importers in Korea. However, it evolved into a platform for the general public by offering Korean language services and expanding its local market services.

Currently, only a limited number of Korean sellers use 1688.com, but the introduction of Korean-language app services is expected to broaden its utilization. Before announcing this recruitment, 1688.com had revealed plans to collaborate with Domeggook, Korea’s leading wholesale platform.

“China is likely to push more of its products through 1688.com, and Korea’s imports from China will increase significantly not only in B2C but also in B2B transactions,” said Professor Park Soong-chan of Yongin University’s Department of Chinese Studies.