Centrale del Latte d'Italia has signed a strategic partnership with the Alibaba group, world leader in online and mobile commerce, for the sale of long-life whole milk on the Chinese market. The products of Centrale del Latte d'Italia (CLI) will be marketed through Tmall, the largest Chinese b-to-c (business to consumer) e-commerce platform of the Alibaba group, which guarantees access to a potential market of over 460 million annual active consumers.
On Tmall, Chinese consumers will have the opportunity to purchase long-life milk (UHT milk with a shelf life of 300 days), 100% Italian, under the Mukki brand, the CLI Group's Tuscan brand, synonymous with excellence and quality and an emblem of Italian spirit. The products will be available in 1 liter packs and in the practical 200 milliliter format designed for out-of-home consumption. This agreement will allow Centrale del Latte d'Italia to exploit the e-commerce potential of a leading partner in the reference markets to expand its exports to China, already launched in 2014 through traditional distribution channels.
“Partnering with Alibaba is a great opportunity for our growth. Based on Clal's calculations, imports of UHT milk into China in the last 4 years have increased by almost six times and between 2015 and 2016 by +36,5%, increases justified by an ever-increasing demand from Chinese consumers of quality and food safe products. We believe that our products and our brands can fully satisfy these needs”, declared Luigi Luzzati, President of the Centrale del Latte d'Italia Group.
“We are particularly proud to announce this collaboration,” said Rodrigo Cipriani Foresio, Alibaba Group Managing Director for Southern Europe. “Milk is among the best-selling product categories on our platforms; on our Singles Day, for example, over 10 million liters were sold in just 24 hours. Through this agreement, Mukki milk, strongly linked to the Tuscan territory, will be able to be sold to hundreds of millions of Chinese consumers eager to bring the best of Made in Italy into their homes".
