Alibaba needs older customers to maintain growth - Ben Cavender

Ben Cavender

E-commerce giant Alibaba launched this week a special app for the older people at Taobao, its online shopping website. A logical step, says retail analyst Ben Cavender to Reuters. “It’s easier now than it was in the past to get some of these older users to actually open up their wallets and spend.”

Reuters:

The company on Wednesday announced the launch of an “elderly friendly” version of its shopping app Taobao after causing an online stir this month by posting job adverts for candidates over 60 to act as consultants to promote the app and provide feedback. 

“The big motivator here is that their revenue growth is slowing,” said Benjamin Cavender, Shanghai-based principal at China Market Research Group. “It’s easier now than it was in the past to get some of these older users to actually open up their wallets and spend.” 

Trying to appeal to the elderly fits in with Alibaba’s $10 billion-plus spending spree to raise its presence in brick-and-mortar stores, which are frequented more often by older shoppers.

More at Reuters.

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