Alibaba and the global B2B revolution: What opportunities for Vietnamese businesses?

1. Understand Alibaba and the Global B2B Model

• Alibaba is the world's leading international e-commerce platform, connecting millions of suppliers with buyers from more than 190 countries.

• Unlike B2C e-commerce platforms such as Shopee or Lazada, Alibaba operates according to the B2B (Business to Business) model - that is, transactions between businesses and businesses, not between sellers and individual consumers.

• On the Alibaba e-commerce platform, businesses can post products for sale, find international customers, and negotiate export contracts without the need for intermediaries. Special feature: Alibaba is a "global gateway" that helps Vietnamese businesses export directly to international markets with just one online store.

2. Alibaba Vietnam - A bridge for businesses in the integration period

Alibaba Vietnam is the official support channel to help Vietnamese businesses easily access this global platform. With a team of professional store opening consultants, Alibaba Vietnam guides businesses step by step:

• Build international standard company profile

• Post products according to SEO standards

• Consulting on payment, shipping, and transaction insurance policies

Thanks to this support, many Vietnamese businesses - from agricultural products, spices, handicrafts to mechanics - have successfully transformed digitally and exported through Alibaba to more than 20 countries.

3. How Alibaba E-commerce Platform works

Alibaba operates on a product listing + customer query (RFQ) mechanism:

• Businesses post products on booths.

• International customers search for products or post purchase requests (Request for Quotation).

• The two sides communicate directly through the Alibaba platform, negotiate price, MOQ, and delivery conditions.

Once an agreement is reached, businesses can sign a contract and receive payment via Trade Assurance - Alibaba's secure transaction protection system. This is how Alibaba redefines the B2B export model, turning the world into a "global marketplace" where Vietnamese businesses can sell 24/7.

4. The global B2B revolution that Alibaba created

Before Alibaba was born, exporting required businesses to:

• Attending international fairs is expensive

• Waste of time finding foreign agents

• Encounter language, cultural and legal barriers

Alibaba has broken that barrier with its B2B cross-border e-commerce platform, helping:

• Transactions are completely online, fast and transparent

• Every business, small or large, has the opportunity to export globally with just a computer

• Alibaba is not just a trading platform – it is a digital revolution in the global B2B sector.

5. 10 outstanding benefits when Vietnamese businesses export through Alibaba

• Reach more than 40 million international buyers every day

• The cost is much lower than going to fairs or opening a foreign office

• Increase reliability thanks to the Gold Supplier & Trade Assurance certification system

• Promote products 24/7 on a platform accessible in more than 200 countries

• Automatic translation and consulting system supports English, Chinese, and Vietnamese

• Buyer data is clear and easily accessible through the RFQ (Request for Quotation) section.

• Integrate smart advertising tools (Alibaba Ads) to increase visibility

• Analyze customer behavior through Alibaba Analytics

• Quickly connect with international logistics, payment and insurance partners

• Get support from the Alibaba Vietnam team in consulting on store opening and operation training

6. Why do Vietnamese businesses need to participate in the B2B "game" on Alibaba?

According to 2024 statistics, Vietnam is in the Top 10 countries with the fastest seller growth rate on Alibaba. However, compared to China, Thailand or India, the rate of Vietnamese businesses opening booths is still very low. Meanwhile, the trend of globalization and B2B e-commerce is growing strongly:

• 80% of import businesses in the world find suppliers online

• 70% of B2B buyers prioritize businesses with official booths

• 65% of export transactions are initiated through online platforms like Alibaba

Therefore, participating early is a competitive advantage so that Vietnamese businesses do not miss the global B2B wave.

7. Vietnamese products with high export potential on Alibaba

• Southeast Asian agricultural products & spices: coffee, cashew nuts, cinnamon, pepper, fish sauce, dipping sauces...

• Processed foods & snacks: rice paper, snacks, instant noodles, curry sauce, coconut milk...

• Handicrafts & bamboo and wood products: popular with European and American buyers.

• Textiles & fashion accessories: large orders from Korea, Japan, Australia.

• Construction materials & light industrial products: plastic, bricks, technical supplies.

8. Process of opening a store on Alibaba Vietnam

To open an effective booth, Vietnamese businesses can follow these 6 basic steps:

• Register for a business account aboveAlibaba.com.

• Verify company information (Business Verification).

• Create a booth & design a professional interface.

• Upload SEO standard products: title, description, images, keywords.

• Use in-house advertising tools (P4P) to increase exposure.

• Effective tracking via Alibaba Analytics & international customer care.

If businesses are not familiar with this process, Alibaba Vietnam provides full store opening consulting services, helping to save time and ensure efficiency from the beginning.

9. How Alibaba ensures safety and transparency in B2B transactions

Alibaba establishes a comprehensive security ecosystem including:

• Trade Assurance: payment protection for both buyers and sellers.

• Supplier Verification: authenticate the supplier through a third party.

• Reputation rating system & customer feedback.

• Live chat tool (Alibaba Message Center) helps negotiate quickly and save transparent transaction history.

Thanks to that, Vietnamese businesses can export through Alibaba safely - professionally - effectively.

10. The future of B2B commerce and the role of Vietnamese businesses

Alibaba is constantly expanding the global B2B ecosystem with new solutions:

• AI Matching: automatically matches buyers - sellers according to search behavior.

• Alibaba Trade Show Online: virtual fair connecting thousands of global buyers.

• Cainiao smart logistics system helps reduce international shipping costs.

With this development, Vietnamese businesses can completely become "big players" in the global supply chain, if they know how to take advantage of opportunities at the right time.

ALIBABA VIETNAM COMPANY - EXPORT E-COMMERCE FLOOR

• Head office: 19th Floor, Saigon Center Building, No. 67 Le Loi Street, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1

• Email:  [email protected]

• Phone: (+84) 987 258 510

• Branch 1: 10th Floor, Becamex Tower, 230 Binh Duong Avenue, Thu Dau Mot, Binh Duong

• Branch 2: 9th Floor, TTC Plaza, Vo Thi Sau, Thong Thong Ward, Bien Hoa City, Dong Nai

• Branch 3: 123 Cong Hoa, Ward 12, Tan Binh, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Vietnam