Alibaba banking on lower-tier cities

E-commerce giant pump primes Juhuasuan to cash in on abundant opportunities

Times are changing fast at e-commerce behemoth Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. While store-openings from a range of global brands like Burberry to Ferragamo were the norm earlier, they have since been replaced by deals, bargains and growth in lower-tier cities.

Against flattened economic growth and brutally aggressive competition, Alibaba is now giving unprecedented priority to Juhuasuan, its group-buying and flash-sale platform, repositioning it as the top destination for consumers from smaller cities and townships.