New York’s Woodbury Common Premium Outlets will play virtual host to Chinese shoppers during Alibaba’s 11.11 Global Shopping Festival and all holiday season long.
Outlet operator Simon Property Group will leverage Shop Premium Outlets (SPO), a joint venture between Simon and Rue Gilt Groupe, to power the back-end technology for Alibaba’s Tmall Global to access the center’s inventory in real time. The partners will host a series of livestreamed shopping events from October through December, giving China’s consumers access to SPO’s online inventory alongside merchandise from individual outlet storefronts. Woodbury Common host brands including Adidas, 7 for All Mankind, AllSaints, Calvin Klein, Coach, Cole Haan, Dior, Balenciaga, Kenzo, Fendi, Ganni and Gucci.
The collaboration centers around China’s upcoming 11.11 Global Shopping Festival and will see a studio pop up at the Woodbury Common Premium Outlets. Overseas shoppers will be able to access the livestreams through Taobao Live, browsing inventory from participating brands and having products shipped directly to their doorsteps. Chinese celebrity influencers will help introduce American brands to Tmall shoppers.
Simon senior vice president of field marketing Kelly Mikesell said that Simon, America’s biggest shopping center, mall and lifestyle center operator, is focused on developing innovative activations that offer consumers a variety of ways to shop. Livestreaming in collaboration with retail partners “further reinforces our ongoing commitment to an omnichannel experience,” she said.
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The effort supports SPO’s “ongoing commitment to deliver a best-in-class digital experience to all of our shoppers,” according to the company’s CEO, Neel Grover. “We’re excited to power these livestream shopping events with our innovative tech and offer a new avenue to sell on-sale premium and luxury brands to shoppers in China.”
“Chinese Shoppers are eager to discover new brands, and this is a great way for them to explore new products and shop at their fingertips,” added Tony Shan, head of Tmall Global for the Americas. “We’re excited to collaborate with Simon and Shop Premium Outlets to bring such an iconic shopping destination to consumers in China.”