Chinese retail giant AliExpress chooses Barcelona to open second store in Europe

AliExpress, a global online e-commerce platform belonging to the Chinese group Alibaba, has chosen Barcelona to open their second store in Europe. The company has invested 1 million Euros in the new retail centre, located in the Finestrelles Shopping Centre in Esplugues de Llobregat (Barcelona), creating 33 jobs in the process.

According to William Wang, general director of AliExpress Spain, “AliExpress is one of the most popular ecommerce platforms in Spain, and for that reason we want to explore new ways to integrate physical and digital stores”. The company has another store in Arroyomolinos (Madrid), which started operations last August.

Joan Romero, CEO of Catalonia Trade & Investment, said at the inauguration of the store that “the fact that a group like Alibaba is investing in Catalonia is great news. China, with 115 companies established in Catalonia, is without a doubt a strategic country in the field of foreign investment”.

The store will offer a selection of products from more than 60 international brands, such as Huawei, Samsung, Xiaomi, Ecovacs, or Cecotec. All the products will have a scannable code so consumers will be able to access additional information such as reviews, pictures or recommendations. Under the concept of “new retail”, the Chinese company aims to apply the advantages of buying online to the offline buying experience.

Launched in 2010, AliExpress is a global online platform that allows consumers to buy directly from manufacturers and distributors from China, principally. According to the company, its goal is to allow worldwide sellers to sell both nationally and internationally.

Source: AliExpress and Catalonia Trade & Investment