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Need for speed: Alibaba ramps up China instant commerce push with Cainiao and Tmall tie-up
Partnership designed to expand warehouse network and boost Taobao Shangou’s rapid service as rivals Meituan and JD.com scale up facilities
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Ben Jiangin Beijing
Alibaba Group’s logistics arm Cainiao and online grocery business Tmall Supermarket are teaming up to expand fulfilment infrastructure and speed up deliveries, as the Chinese e-commerce giant ramps up its efforts in China’s fast-growing instant commerce battle to fend off rivals such as JD.com and Meituan.
Cainiao will launch new or expand instant commerce warehouses for Tmall Supermarket across 31 mainland Chinese cities by the end of January 2026, it said in a statement on Thursday. Alibaba owns the Post.
The tie-up was expected to bolster Taobao’s Shangou instant commerce business, Cainiao said. It would enable groceries and consumer goods ranging from beverages to cosmetics ordered from Tmall Supermarket via Taobao Shangou to be delivered in as little as four hours, the statement said.
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The move underscores Alibaba’s increased investments as it intensifies its instant commerce drive to compete with Meituan and JD.com. Instant commerce warehouses are purpose-built facilities designed to store fast-moving goods closer to consumers, allowing rapid-order fulfilment and expedited delivery.
The move was aimed at accelerating Alibaba’s roll-out of such warehouses to build an expansive rapid-delivery network, according to Zhuang Shuai, founder and chief analyst at market consultancy Bailian.
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