HONG KONG -- Alibaba Group Holding is building up its capacity to deliver online orders, especially daily essentials, direct to Chinese shoppers' homes to stem a loss of business to rivals including JD.com and Pinduoduo.
Alibaba's Cainiao Smart Logistics Network is encouraging vendors to keep goods like rice and cooking oil on hand in their spare warehouses to meet demand in cities including Beijing, Shenzhen, Shanghai, Hangzhou and Guangzhou. It is also arranging with contractors to take those products onward to buyers' homes.