Alibaba.com reaffirms commitment to serving export businesses in Lahore with Second Local Seller Summit.

Alibaba.com, a leading platform for global business-to-business (B2B) trade, hosted its second seller summit in Lahore to highlight export opportunities available to local businesses from online commerce, reaffirming its commitment to helping exporters in the region enter the global market. The event this time was well attended by more than 250 participants including over 100 participants who tuned in online.

The Alibaba.com seller summit, titled “Bharo Digital Export ki Nayi Udaan Lahore se”, discussed various aspects of B2B e-commerce including the promising categories of products from Lahore in the global market and how Pakistani exporters can tap the opportunity. Alibaba.com representatives also provided the participants with tips and advice on equipping themselves with the necessary skills and tools to thrive as sellers on Alibaba.com.

The event featured a line-up of leaders from Alibaba.com as well as prominent industry leaders from Lahore’s business circle, including Mr. Song Song, Head of Alibaba.com Pakistan; Mr. Maaz Mehmood, Executive member of Sundar Trade and Industry Association; Mr. Ahmed Jahangir, Executive Director of Home Textile Business at Nishat Mills; Ms. Amy Li, Marketing Head at Alibaba.com Pakistan; and Mr. Aziz Ur Rehman, Founder of Adan Enterprises.

Mr. Song Song Head of Alibaba.com Pakistan shared his views by saying; “I am greatly encouraged to see the enthusiasm of the business community in Lahore for transitioning to the digital age by grasping opportunities in B2B e-commerce, which is why we are here again to meet with local business leaders and entrepreneurs. We look forward to working with more SMEs here to help drive export opportunities for Lahore, and contribute to the growth of Pakistan’s national economy”.

Speaking at the event, Mr. Maaz Mehmood said; “we are thankful to Alibaba.com for organizing this event. Lahore has huge potential for e-commerce but we are still following traditional ways of doing business. We need to encourage buyers and sellers of this age to become part of global e-commerce through platforms such as Alibaba.com”.

Commenting on the potential of Pakistani exports, Ms. Amy Li said; “apparel and textile export from Pakistan is on the rise with a year-on-year growth of 4.18% in export volume during July-August 2022, according to data from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. In particular, the knitwear category witnessed a year-on-year growth of 16.95% in export volume while non-knitted garment a year-on-year growth of 8.49% during the same period. We expect Pakistani export will reach a new level as an increasing number of sellers go online and go global with e-commerce”.

Sharing his thoughts at the event, Mr. Ahmed Jahangir said; “platforms like Alibaba.com are creating level playing fields and helping businesses to reach genuine global buyers with minimal investment. This helps exporters save time from looking for buyers and allows them to spend more energy on making good-quality products for buyers”.

About Alibaba.com: The first business unit of Alibaba Group, Alibaba.com is a leading platform for global B2B e-commerce that aims to make it easy to do business anywhere. Launched in 1999, Alibaba.com is engaged in services covering all aspects of commerce, including providing businesses with tools that help reach a global audience for their products and helping buyers discover products, find suppliers, and place orders online fast and efficiently. It serves millions of buyers and suppliers from over 200 countries and regions around the world.

Martin Dow Marker Limited (MDM) joins hands with DVAGO.

Pakistan’s leading pharmaceutical company Martin Dow Marker Limited (MDM) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with a leading pharmacy chain of Pakistan i.e., DVAGO for Joint Patient Awareness Access & Care (JPAAC) program.

The purpose behind this strategic collaboration is to increase patients’ awareness on disease and dosage compliance and the dissemination of reliable information to cater to the health issues of the public.

To achieve this objective both companies agreed on organizing and facilitating pharmacist training programs, pharmacy management skills trainings and educational awareness sessions to improve their capabilities in counselling the patients and to improve the access of medicines to the public. The collaboration will also aid Martin Dow Marker in providing greater access to authentic medication via DVAGO’s E-Commerce platform to patients from the comfort of their home, so they stay safe during the pandemic.

Speaking on the occasion Group Director Business Growth & Strategy, Martin Dow, Dr. Anum Akhai said; “we are consistently working towards patient safety and awareness with leading pharmacy chains amid covid-19 and the rising spread of the new variant omicron with an ultimate aim to serve the masses aptly.”

While also talking at the occasion Chief Commercial Officer Pharma & Trade Nouman Lateef and Head of Trade Marketing Sheraz Ahmad, expressed their views by saying that; “this is just the beginning of collaboration with DVAGO and more initiatives will continue for greater good of patients and quality health service for the entire country”.

Celebshop: The first social-commerce platform co-owned by celebrity influencers launched in Pakistan.

With the increase of online businesses in Pakistan and abroad, a number of new ventures have popped up and are making their mark. One of them is Celebshop, the first of its kind e-commerce which introduces Social Commerce in Pakistan with boutiques co-owned by Pakistan’s very own celebrity influencers.

The online store is slowly but gradually making waves as it boasts planned presence of more than 100 celebrities and 150+ brands on its platform. What makes the concept of Celebshop utterly unique is that it connects celebrity influencers with brands and consumers through style aspiration. This isn’t the same as endorsement as the products present in the boutiques are curated by the celebrities themselves. In other words, consumers are not just buying products, they are buying a ‘look’ put together by the boutique co-owners.

“Market expansion in Pakistan has been extremely promising with fashion alone accounting for 69% of the ecommerce revenue, followed by electronics and media with 13% and personal care at 9% in 2019.” says Saad Ali, Co-Founder, Chief Operating Officer of Celebshop and CEO of the Pakistan Fashion Design Council. He further said; “with 37 million active-social-media users in the country, it goes without saying that social commerce, a concept that combines social media and e-Commerce, is the next big step for Pakistan’s digital industry.”

The brands present on the platform range from high-end, luxury names such as Dolce and Gabbana to our local powerhouses such as Generation and Limelight. From accessories to perfumes, nothing has been left unattended. What’s more; there are products of all price ranges available so that the consumer has a variety to choose from.

Celebshop has both Pakistan’s male and female celebrity influencers. From Ahsan Khan’s go-to grooming products to Ayesha Omar’s skincare staples, users can buy them straight from the respective celebrity’s boutique. Other celebrities include Aiman Khan, Minal Khan, Nausheen Shah, Nadia Hussain, Sunita Marshall, Sanam Saeed, Fahad Mustafa, Yashma Gill and Faysal Qureshi to name a few.

“We here at Celebshop want to bring all leading brands across categories under one umbrella. Influencer support will only enhance their selling potential to the next level; making it a win-win situation for everyone involved; brands, celebrities and consumers” Saad Added.

On concluding note Saad Ali said; “influencer marketing and brand promise together can give consumers a retail experience like never before”.

Celebshop aims to revolutionize the consumption of fashion and beauty products in an authentic way. With products available at competitive prices and unlimited contact with the industry’s latest trends backed by the very people who shape them, this platform is all set to become a powerful lifestyle hub.