Chinese e-tail giant Alibaba Group's announcement that it will invest $249 million and take a 10-percent stake in Singapore Post (SingPost), Singapore's national postal provider, rattled virtual storefronts in Asia. The Asia-Pacific e-commerce market is fast becoming the world's largest, with sales expected to top $1 trillion by 2020, according to research firm eMarketer. Alibaba and SingPost also signed a memorandum of understanding to negotiate an international e-commerce logistics joint venture. SingPost maintains regional operations in 13 countries, with access to a global postal network of more than 220 countries and territories. The courier is well positioned to provide end-to-end e-commerce solutions such as warehousing, delivery, and returns management. Alibaba is the largest online and mobile commerce company in the world in terms of 2013 gross merchandise volume.
展开▼
