Alibaba in India has quietly launched Yoli, a new video commerce app, marking a stronger push into the country’s USD40bn ecommerce market. Yoli has already been operating as an affiliate app for eight months, promoting deals from external sites including Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra and Paytm. Reports suggest Alibaba is now planning to convert Yoli into a solely video-focused platform, directing users to transactional sites through interactive video content.
Alibaba continues to develop synergies between its commerce and entertainment businesses as part of its broader global strategy, with the launch of its Tmall Flagship Store 2.0 last year putting visual and interactive content at the forefront of the shopping experience. In India, Alibaba has, until now, struggled to gain a strong foothold through its stake in ecommerce marketplace Paytm Mall, as well as other investments including search engine UC Web and social video app Vmate.
With social commerce gaining momentum in India and forecasts predicting that it could account for up to 20% of the total online retail market by the end of this decade, retailers and brands must develop interactive content to excite and engage shoppers, and ultimately generate new conversion opportunities on their relevant platforms.
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