Fitbit and Tmall.com sign MoU to expand Fitbit’s reach in China
This post was originally published on the Fitbit press site. It has been adapted from its original format.
Fitbit, the leader in the connected health and fitness market, and Tmall.com, China's largest third-party platform for brands and retailers, owned by Alibaba Group , today announced that they have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to significantly expand Fitbit’s reach in China. With the mission of helping people achieve a healthier, more active lifestyle, the partnership will introduce the Fitbit platform to hundreds of millions of people across the country. The Fitbit platform – which consists of devices, apps, social and motivational features, advice and personalized coaching – helps people make behavioral changes to be more active, exercise more, eat smarter, track their sleep and manage their weight.
Alibaba and Fitbit today formalized their intent to enter into a strategic partnership at a signing ceremony at Alibaba’s global headquarters in Hangzhou, China. As part of this arrangement, Fitbit will establish a major retail presence on Alibaba’s Tmall.com online shopping site as one of Tmall’s key brand partners. Tmall will also aim to help Fitbit become one of the first 10 global brands within Tmall’s electronics category to achieve 10 million fans in Asia.
“Alibaba is the gateway to China for international brands seeking to access one of the world’s largest consumer markets, and we are pleased to announce this partnership to provide Chinese consumers greater access to Fitbit products,” said Hao Li, GM of 3Cs Business Unit of Alibaba. “Across China there is a growing interest in personal health, fitness and overall well-being, and we see very strong demand from our customers in these categories – specifically for Fitbit devices. We look forward to leveraging Fitbit’s leadership in the emerging field of connected health and fitness to connect our consumers with the budding national fitness craze.”
To introduce the retail partnership, Tmall.com plans to host a Fitbit Super Brand Day on May 18, to promote Fitbit’s newest devices, Fitbit Blaze and Fitbit Alta in China. This promotion will be Tmall.com’s first Super Brand Day for an activity tracker and will directly reach consumers via the Tmall.com portal and mobile app. On Super Brand Day, Fitbit will be one of the most promoted products on Tmall.com, with strong traffic directed to Tmall.com’s Fitbit page. Super Brand Day will extend Fitbit’s exposure to millions more Chinese consumers, helping build brand and category awareness across China. Fitbit Blaze and Fitbit Alta join the diverse line of award-winning products from Fitbit including Fitbit Surge, Fitbit Charge HR, Fitbit Flex, Fitbit One and Fitbit Zip activity trackers, as well as the Aria Wi-Fi Smart Scale. The products are part of the Fitbit platform, which empowers people with information, offering a fun and engaging experience, providing insights and guidance for users to get the most out of their trackers and help them reach their health, fitness and wellness goals.
“Since 2014, we’ve seen steady growth in the market as Chinese consumers become more aware of how Fitbit devices enable you to live a more balanced, more active life. Like millions of people around the world, Chinese consumers are finding that Fitbit can help you to make small changes, like walking more, that can add up to big health and fitness benefits,” said Woody Scal, Chief Business Officer at Fitbit. “In partnering with Alibaba’s Tmall, we have the opportunity to reach millions of Chinese consumers. We’ve always seen great potential in China, and we’re looking forward to launching the fashionable Fitbit Blaze and Alta devices through Tmall.”
Fitbit recently announced it had shipped more than one million Blaze devices in its first month of availability in the U.S., Europe, Australia and South Asia. The company also announced that more than one million Alta devices have shipped since it went on sale in the U.S. in March.
