阿里巴巴讓全球商家遇見中國中產

On a cold day in April, a group of New Zealand fishermen set out to harvest 50,000 large oysters from the waters of the South Pacific.

4月寒冷的一天，新西蘭一羣漁民出發去南太平洋水域打撈5萬隻大生蠔。

Once collected, the briny mollusks were transported to processing facilities, packaged four to a container, sealed in chilled polystyrene containers affixed with bright labeling and put on planes to China.

一旦被打撈起來，這些生長在海水裏的軟體動物將被運至加工廠，四隻一盒打包，封存在聚苯乙烯冷藏集裝箱裏。集裝箱會貼上明亮的標籤，然後登上奔赴中國的飛機。

Over the next three days, the oysters traveled thousands of miles to 67 cities across the Chinese mainland. There, they were shipped — still alive — by an army of deliverymen to the homes of thousands of shoppers who had ordered them using Tmall, a website operated by Alibaba, the sprawling Internet empire on the verge of an initial public offering that will most likely value it at about $160 billion.

在接下來的三天時間裏，這些生蠔跨越數千英里，抵達中國大陸的67座城市。在那裏，一支送貨大軍將尚還鮮活的它們，送到成千上萬通過天貓提交了訂單的消費者手中。天貓是一個網站，其運營商是龐大的互聯網帝國阿里巴巴。阿里巴巴即將進行首次公開募股(IPO)，屆時，其估值極有可能達到1600億美元（約合9800億元人民幣）左右。

It was a logistical feat, transporting oysters from the seabed to the doorsteps of more than 30,000 customers. But it was more than an exercise in supply-chain management.

將生蠔從海底送到3萬多名消費者的家門口是物流業的一項壯舉。但這不僅僅是供應鏈管理在一試身手。

For Alibaba, it was part of a continuing effort to make the instant gratification of global e-commerce accessible to China’s expanding middle class. If the biggest Internet company in the world’s most populous nation succeeds, it will make everything from culinary delicacies to flashy luxury goods available with a few keystrokes.

對阿里巴巴而言，這是一項持續努力的一部分，目標是讓中國日漸壯大的中產階級，獲得全球化電子商務帶來的即時享受。中國是全世界人口最多的國家，而阿里巴巴則是這裏最大的互聯網公司。如果它成功了，人們只需敲擊幾下鍵盤，便能享受到一切，從美味佳餚到華麗奢侈品。

The degree to which Alibaba can deliver on this promise will help determine how much the company is ultimately worth and to what extent it can open up the enormous Chinese market to both global retailers and small businesses in search of growth.

阿里巴巴兌現這一許諾的程度，將有助於確定這家公司最終的價值，以及它在多大程度上能幫助尋求增長的全球零售商和小企業，打開巨大的中國市場。

“It’s a huge opportunity for international sellers to tap into that market,” said Victor Anthony, an analyst at Topeka Capital Markets. “Particularly as the Chinese consumer’s wallet size is increasing all the time.”

“對跨國賣家而言，進入這一市場是一個巨大的機遇，”託皮卡資本市場(Topeka Capital Markets)的分析師維克托·安東尼(Victor Anthony)說。“尤其是中國消費者的錢包正越來越鼓。”

The Chinese middle class, those earning from $9,000 to $34,000 a year, is poised to balloon over the next 10 years. More than 75 percent of China’s urban consumers will fall into that demographic by 2022, according to a recent report by McKinsey & Company. In turn, demand for luxury goods and exotic foods like oysters is set to surge.

中國的中產階級，即年收入在9000美元至3.4萬美元之間的人羣，將在未來10年急劇增加。麥肯錫(McKinsey & Company)最近發佈的一份報告稱，到2022年，中國超過75%的城市消費者將邁入中產階級的行列。相應的，對奢侈品和生蠔等進口食物的需求也必然會猛增。

“The evolution of the middle class means that sophisticated and seasoned shoppers — those able and willing to pay a premium for quality and to consider discretionary goods and not just basic necessities — will soon emerge as the dominant force,” the report said.

這份報告中寫道，“中國中產階級在下一個十年會繼續高速增長。中產階級增加意味着將出現更老練、更有經驗的購物者，他們有能力也願意多花點錢購買優質商品、隨意購物而不僅限於基本需求，這部分人將很快成爲消費的主力軍。”

Even now, nearly 600 million people in China are using the Internet. “It is a huge market, nearly double the population in the United States,” Anthony said.

即使是現在，中國也有近6億網民。“這是一個龐大的市場，幾乎是美國人口的兩倍，”安東尼說。

And Alibaba already dominates the online lives of Chinese shoppers. Tmall, its upscale website where brands sell directly to consumers, hosts portals for big companies like Microsoft, Lego and Puma.

而且阿里巴巴已經主導着中國消費者的網絡生活了。在迎合高端市場的天貓網站上，各品牌直接面向消費者銷售。微軟(Microsoft)、樂高(Lego)和彪馬(Puma)等大公司均在天貓上設有官方店鋪。

“Alibaba is working really hard to attract a higher-end customer,” said Kelland Willis, an analyst at Forrester Research.

“阿里巴巴正在非常努力地吸引更高端的消費者，”弗雷斯特研究公司(Forrester Research)的分析師凱蘭·威利斯(Kelland Willis)說。

Taobao, an Alibaba website that is the equivalent of eBay, offers millions of listings, many of dubious provenance. Together, these two sites account for 80 percent of Chinese e-commerce. And that scale makes Alibaba’s reach irresistible to international brands hoping to reach Chinese consumers.

阿里巴巴旗下相當於eBay的網站淘寶提供了數百萬種商品，但其中許多頗爲可疑。這兩個網站加起來佔中國電子商務市場的80%。此等規模讓希望接觸到中國消費者的跨國品牌無法抗拒阿里巴巴的邀約。

“There is a massive opportunity for us,” said Daniel McKinnon, head of global brand protection at New Balance, the Boston-based sneaker company. “Alibaba is already larger than Amazon and eBay combined, and their market penetration is still relatively low.”

“這對我們來說是一個巨大的機會，”新百倫(New Balance)全球品牌保護事務負責人丹尼爾·麥金農(Daniel McKinnon)說。這家運動鞋公司總部位於波士頓。“阿里巴巴已經比亞馬遜(Amazon )和eBay加起來還大了，而他們的市場滲透率依然相對不高。”

Seeking to take advantage of Alibaba’s scale, New Balance is among the global brands that have opened a dedicated shop on Tmall. The online store provides a secure way for New Balance to sell authentic goods to Chinese consumers willing to pay full price and gives customers the confidence that they are not buying counterfeits.

希望利用阿里巴巴的規模的新百倫，是在天貓上開設了旗艦店的跨國品牌之一。這家網店爲公司提供了一個安全的途徑，可以向願意支付正價的中國消費者銷售正品，並讓他們相信，買到的不是僞冒產品。

Early success with the Tmall shop has helped make China the fastest-growing market for New Balance, and Mr. McKinnon said sales on the site were brisk.

天貓上的這家店取得的前期成功，幫助中國成爲了新百倫增長最快的市場。麥金農表示，天貓上的生意頗爲興隆。

Such efforts might also make a small dent in the growing trade deficit with China. The United States imported $440.4 billion worth of Chinese goods last year and exported just $121.7 billion to China, according to the Census Bureau. That resulted in a trade imbalance of $318.7 billion with the country, the highest ever, according to the bureau.

這些努力或許會讓美國與中國之間日益攀升的貿易逆差稍有緩解。根據美國人口普查局(Census Bureau)公佈的數據，去年，美國從中國進口了總價值4404億美元的商品，但僅向中國出口了1217億美元。普查局表示，與中國的貿易逆差達到了3187億美元，創歷史新高。

But like many other big companies, New Balance continues to struggle with counterfeits on Alibaba sites. Mr. McKinnon said that more than 200,000 fake New Balance products were for sale on Taobao. And in recent months, more counterfeits have been appearing on Tmall as well.

不過，與許多其他大公司一樣，新百倫一直受到阿里巴巴網站上仿冒品的困擾。麥金農說，淘寶上有20多萬件假冒的新百倫產品在出售。最近幾個月，天貓上也出現了更多的冒牌貨。

What is more, Alibaba does not make it easy for New Balance to remove counterfeits from its sites. Mr. McKinnon said he was required to flag each individual counterfeit listing he wanted removed, an impossible task with so many fakes for sale. “I don’t have time,” he said. “I could do it 24/7.”

而且，阿里巴巴並沒有讓新百倫從其網站上移除仿冒品的工作變得輕鬆。麥金農稱，阿里巴巴要求他標記出希望移除的每件仿冒品。鑑於假貨數量之多，這項任務幾乎不可能完成。“我沒有時間，”他說。“這件事得每天24小時不停地做。”

Alibaba has become more active in enforcing counterfeits on Tmall in recent months as it seeks to protect that site as a trusted marketplace. And in an apparent quid pro quo, Mr. McKinnon said once New Balance established a shop on Tmall, Alibaba appeared more eager to remove listings for knockoff sneakers.

最近幾個月，阿里巴巴希望能保護天貓值得信賴的形象，所以在更積極地打擊冒牌商品。麥金農說，新百倫一在天貓設立旗艦店，阿里巴巴在移除假冒運動鞋方面似乎就表現得更主動了。看起來，這是在投桃報李。

Yet counterfeits remain rampant. On Taobao and AliExpress, the English-language version of the site, myriad fakes of all shapes and sizes are evident. An imitation Rolex can be had for $9. A fake Gucci bag goes for $36.

不過，假貨現象還是很猖獗。在淘寶及其英文網站阿里巴巴全球速賣通(AliExpress)上，明顯存在大量形態各異、尺寸不一的仿冒品。只需花9美元就能買到一塊仿製的勞力士(Rolex)手錶，而36美元即能購入一款假冒的古馳(Gucci)手袋。

This has led to some disputes between big brands and Alibaba. This summer a group of luxury brands including Yves Saint Laurent and Gucci sued Alibaba, contending the company was enabling counterfeiters. The suit was quickly withdrawn, and the companies pledged to work together, but the episode illustrated simmering tensions between luxury retailers and Alibaba.

大品牌由此與阿里巴巴產生了一些糾紛。今年夏天，包括伊夫聖羅蘭(Yves Saint Laurent)和古馳在內的幾家奢侈品牌對阿里巴巴提起訴訟，指責阿里巴巴在助長售假現象。這起訴訟很快被撤銷，雙方承諾將展開合作，但該事件也說明了奢侈品零售商與阿里巴巴之間的矛盾一觸即發。

Elsewhere in the Alibaba empire, however, the partnerships are more harmonious. On Tmall, authentic Prada handbags are available for authentically sky-high prices, including a peach-colored leather satchel for $2,900.

然而，在阿里巴巴帝國的其他地方，也存在着更爲和諧的合作關係。天貓上同樣出售真品普拉達(Prada)手袋，其價格當然也高得驚人，比如一隻售價2900美元的桃紅色皮包。

Over all, Mr. McKinnon said the experience with Alibaba had been a good one for New Balance, giving the company access to millions of new consumers. But the fight against counterfeiters will be a constant struggle. “Alibaba knows this remains a huge issue,” he said.

麥金農說，總體而言，與阿里巴巴的合作對於新百倫而言是一次良好的經歷，公司由此獲得了接觸成百上千萬新消費者的途徑。但是，打擊仿冒品將是一場曠日持久的鬥爭。他說，“阿里巴巴知道這一直是個大問題。”

In the same way that Tmall offers Chinese consumers access to real luxury goods, not knockoffs, it is offering imported foods like the New Zealand oysters in a bid to allay persistent concerns about food safety.

在爲中國消費者提供購買貨真價實的奢侈品——而非仿冒品——的同時，天貓也在提供進口食品，比如新西蘭的生蠔。這是爲了減輕人們一直以來對食品安全的擔憂。

“There are so many concerns with safety,” said Keith Schneller, director of the United States Agriculture Department’s trade office in Shanghai, who helped organize the sale of some produce and seafood through Tmall. “Is it real? Is it fake? When we work together and can provide an endorsement, it gives the Chinese consumers a little more confidence.”

“大衆非常關心食品安全問題，”美國農業部貿易處上海辦公室主任石耐勞(Keith Schneller)說。他曾參與通過天貓銷售一些產品和海鮮的組織工作。“這是真的？還是假的？如果我們能展開合作、提供認證，就能給中國消費者增加一點信心。”

Other fresh food promotions by Alibaba have included blueberries from Chile, tulips from the Netherlands and 50 tons of Alaskan seafood worth more than $1 million.

阿里巴巴還在促銷其他鮮活產品，包括智利的藍莓、荷蘭的鬱金香，以及價值超過100萬美元的50噸阿拉斯加海鮮。

“Many consumers are untrusting of the food they can buy in China,” said Ms. Willis of Forrester. “Being able to buy certified imported products installs some trust in the customer.”

“許多消費者都不信賴他們能在中國買到的食品，”弗雷斯特公司的威利斯說。“如果能購買一些經過認證的進口產品，就可以增加消費者的信心。”

Alibaba declined to comment on the programs because the company is in a quiet period ahead of its I.P.O. But in a promotional video posted online, the company highlighted the booming appetite for foreign goods.

阿里巴巴拒絕對這些項目置評，因爲公司正處於IPO前的靜默期。但公司在網上宣傳片中突出強調，人們對外國商品的興趣正在急速增加。

With growing demand in China for imported products, the company said in the video that Tmall had been building its fresh food platform through a series of joint promotions with foreign trade offices.

隨着中國對進口產品的需求日益旺盛，阿里巴巴在宣傳片中表示，通過與外國貿易機構共同開展一系列推廣活動，天貓正在搭建自己的生鮮食品平臺。

Earlier this year, when Tmall sold the oysters, Mike Arand, New Zealand’s trade commissioner in Shanghai, ordered some for himself, longing for a taste of his homeland.

今年早些時候，當天貓開始銷售生蠔時，懷念家鄉味道的新西蘭貿易發展局駐上海商務參贊馬克·艾隆(Mike Arand)也給自己訂購了一些。

His package arrived less than 72 hours after he had placed his order. When he opened the box, he was happily surprised to find a small knife, a rubber glove and a lime, along with instructions on how to properly shuck an oyster.

在訂單下了還不到72小時後，他就收到了包裹。打開盒子，他驚喜地發現裏面有把小刀、一隻橡膠手套、一枚青檸，同時還有一份解釋如何剝生蠔的說明。

“They were very good,” he said. “And they got here quite fast.”

“東西非常棒，”他說。“而且送貨速度也相當快。”