• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

The millennial generation is split in 2: an older crowd with boomer-style comfort, a younger set going 'back to the early 1900s'

2

'The demographic dividend of the last 40 years is ending': J.P. Morgan says the world is running out of the two things that kept interest rates down

3

Jensen Huang made his $172 billion fortune on AI chips. His family's $75 million gift to Vanderbilt argues art decides what technology is for

1

The millennial generation is split in 2: an older crowd with boomer-style comfort, a younger set going 'back to the early 1900s'

2

'The demographic dividend of the last 40 years is ending': J.P. Morgan says the world is running out of the two things that kept interest rates down

3

Jensen Huang made his $172 billion fortune on AI chips. His family's $75 million gift to Vanderbilt argues art decides what technology is for
E-commerce

Alibaba Eyes U.S. Small Businesses in New Tie-Up With Office Depot

By
Bloomberg
Bloomberg
and
Anousha Sakoui
Anousha Sakoui
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Bloomberg
Bloomberg
and
Anousha Sakoui
Anousha Sakoui
Down Arrow Button Icon
March 4, 2019, 7:57 AM ET
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Alibaba’s business-to-business trading platform has forged its first U.S. partnership with a large company as it teams up with Office Depot.

Alibaba.com (BABA) will create a new online destination to access the business supplies distributor’s network and build out its offering to small businesses in the U.S.

The partnership gives the Chinese online retailer access to 10 million business customers and 1,800 sales agents, according to a statement. The new partnership will allow the small businesses to link with Alibaba.com’s global network of over 150,000 suppliers, offering next-day delivery.

“It connects businesses together for products and services,” Gerry Smith, chief executive officer of Boca Raton, Florida-based Office Depot (ODP), said in an interview. “We are really bringing the world capabilities back to the U.S.”

The collaboration will give U.S. entrepreneurs and small business owners access to a single online destination through which they can access one of the world’s largest catalogs of goods and services. Another target is to improve cross-border distribution and fulfillment for U.S. small and medium-sized businesses, and eventually help them sell in the U.S. and around the world through Alibaba.com.

“We have a common mission to be a catalyst for growth for small businesses,” John Caplan, head of North America B2B at Alibaba Group, said in an interview. “If you are a bicycle manufacturer, you buy office supplies from Office Depot. Now, Office Depot can introduce you to Alibaba.com, where you can get access to the manufacturers of bicycle parts that you need.”

Smith estimates the market opportunity is six times the size of the market for sales to just consumers.

“When we talk to our small and medium-sized business customers today, their two biggest challenges are cash and time,” said Smith. “They want one-stop shopping. They can come to one person to do all their shopping needs. They save time and they save money. We’re providing this with this collaboration.”

About the Authors
By Bloomberg
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
By Anousha Sakoui
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

Latest in

France deploys giant military cargo plane to dump tons of flame retardants as European wildfires displace more than 250,000
Environmentwildfires
France deploys giant military cargo plane to dump tons of flame retardants as European wildfires displace more than 250,000
By Mark Carlson, Emma Da Silva, John Leicester and The Associated PressJuly 25, 2026
3 hours ago
Intern arrested in Belgium on suspicion of spying inside NATO military headquarters and ‘being a member of a criminal organization’
CybersecurityNATO
Intern arrested in Belgium on suspicion of spying inside NATO military headquarters and ‘being a member of a criminal organization’
By Sam McNeil and The Associated PressJuly 25, 2026
3 hours ago
Let’s get ready to rumble: The next Fed meeting will be a ‘family feud’ — and that’s exactly what Chairman Kevin Warsh wants
EconomyFederal Reserve
Let’s get ready to rumble: The next Fed meeting will be a ‘family feud’ — and that’s exactly what Chairman Kevin Warsh wants
By Jason MaJuly 25, 2026
3 hours ago
The ‘Trump Trade’ is turning into a loser in the stock market
InvestingStock
The ‘Trump Trade’ is turning into a loser in the stock market
By Geoffrey Morgan, Joel Leon and BloombergJuly 25, 2026
5 hours ago
Samsung wins $200 billion order to supply chips to Broadcom
AIChips
Samsung wins $200 billion order to supply chips to Broadcom
By Hooyeon Kim and BloombergJuly 25, 2026
5 hours ago
SK chair says Anthropic asked for supplies to make its own chips
AIChips
SK chair says Anthropic asked for supplies to make its own chips
By Ian King and BloombergJuly 25, 2026
6 hours ago

Most Popular

The millennial generation is split in 2: an older crowd with boomer-style comfort, a younger set going 'back to the early 1900s'
Real Estate
The millennial generation is split in 2: an older crowd with boomer-style comfort, a younger set going 'back to the early 1900s'
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 25, 2026
14 hours ago
'The demographic dividend of the last 40 years is ending': J.P. Morgan says the world is running out of the two things that kept interest rates down
Economy
'The demographic dividend of the last 40 years is ending': J.P. Morgan says the world is running out of the two things that kept interest rates down
By Eleanor PringleJuly 24, 2026
2 days ago
Jensen Huang made his $172 billion fortune on AI chips. His family's $75 million gift to Vanderbilt argues art decides what technology is for
Big Tech
Jensen Huang made his $172 billion fortune on AI chips. His family's $75 million gift to Vanderbilt argues art decides what technology is for
By Sydney LakeJuly 23, 2026
3 days ago
Trump pulls back after Iran crosses his red line as U.S. military breaks two-week streak of airstrikes amid talks for potential Hormuz deal
Middle East
Trump pulls back after Iran crosses his red line as U.S. military breaks two-week streak of airstrikes amid talks for potential Hormuz deal
By Jason MaJuly 25, 2026
6 hours ago
An 11-year-old is cleaning his neighbors' trash cans for $10 each—he now has 100K followers as teens face the worst summer job market since 1948
Success
An 11-year-old is cleaning his neighbors' trash cans for $10 each—he now has 100K followers as teens face the worst summer job market since 1948
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJuly 25, 2026
17 hours ago
The $39 trillion U.S. national debt isn’t as high as Japan’s and Singapore’s relative to economy size—and yet it's still worse somehow
Economy
The $39 trillion U.S. national debt isn’t as high as Japan’s and Singapore’s relative to economy size—and yet it's still worse somehow
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 23, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.