阿里巴巴宣布其將以28.8億美元的價格收購中國規(guī)模最大的商超賣場運營商高鑫零售（Sun Art）的主要股份，這將是這家電子商務巨頭向線下零售市場擴張的重要舉措。

這家線上巨頭即將收購中國規(guī)模最大的沃爾瑪式商超賣場運營商高鑫零售集團36%的股份，以尋求進軍實體零售獲得新發(fā)展。據彭博報道，高鑫零售集團運作著歐尚和大潤發(fā)兩大品牌，在全國各地約有400家綜合性大賣場 （與其相似，沃爾瑪在中國也運營約450家零售商場）。根據協議，法國歐尚零售（Auchan Retail）擬增持高鑫零售的股份，和阿里巴巴所持股份相當，助力零售大聯盟形成，牢握十億美元級的中國食品零售業(yè)發(fā)展的大好機會。

未來，阿里巴巴計劃通過集成技術實現傳統(tǒng)零售的轉型，有效管理庫存，提升利潤空間。阿里巴巴在一份聯合聲明中強調需要與零售伙伴達成精誠合作，為中國13億消費者帶來線上與線下無縫連接的購物體驗，同時擴大現有網絡的布局，讓零售走進更多中國的偏遠地區(qū)。

阿里巴巴首席執(zhí)行官張勇在聲明中表示，“實體商店在消費者購物體驗中是不可或缺的一環(huán)。我們應該發(fā)展數字經濟的數據型技術，推出個性化服務，助力實體商店的發(fā)展。”

在投資高鑫零售之前，阿里巴巴還先后入股蘇寧云商（Suning Commerce）和銀泰商業(yè)集團（Intime Retail Group）。隨著城市電商市場在中國逐漸處于飽和狀態(tài)，這家市值4740億美元的公司調整了戰(zhàn)略方向，不斷采取新舉措開拓線下、農村和海外市場，甚至一反往日態(tài)度，采購了部分基礎設施。

現今新零售的發(fā)展尚處于早期階段。不過一旦成功，阿里巴巴就能在這場零售大戰(zhàn)超越亞馬遜 （Amazon），獲得領先地位，實現線上與線下的連接。當下勝負未定，但早在亞馬遜締造者杰夫·貝佐斯宣布收購全食超市（Whole Foods）之前，阿里巴巴創(chuàng)始人馬云就將數十億資金注入各家食品商、百貨商店和賣場。相較之下，似乎更勝一籌。（財富中文網）

譯者：陳亞芬/汪皓

Alibaba (BABA, +1.60%) will invest $2.88 billion for a major stake in the top Chinese hypermarket operator Sun Art as the e-commerce platform moves into the offline retail market.

The online giant looks to be betting on an evolution of brick-and-mortar retail, acquiring 36% of Sun Art Retail Group (SURRY, +3.21%)–China’s largest operator of Walmart-style hypermarkets. Bloombergreports the retail group operates approximately 400 hypermarkets under the Auchan and RT-Mart banners (similarly, Walmart operates about 450 retail stores in China). As part of the deal, France’s Auchan Retail will increase its stake in Sun Art to match Alibaba’s, forming an alliance to target opportunities in the billion dollar Chinese food retail sector.

The Alibaba of the future looks to transform classic retail by integrating technology so as to better manage inventory and improve margins. In a joint statement, the company spoke of the need to work closely with retail partners to provide a seamless online and offline experience to China’s 1.3 billion consumers, as well as look to expanding existing networks and tapping into the relatively untouched Chinese hinterland.

“Physical stores serve an indispensable role during the consumer journey, and should be enhanced through data-driven technology and personalized services in the digital economy,”said Alibaba Chief Executive Officer Daniel Zhang in the statement.

Alibaba’s most recent investment in Sun Art is the latest acquisition in a series that’s also seen Suning Commerce and Intime Retail Group join the group. The $474 billion firm is making more moves to secure offline, rural and overseas buyers as China’s urban e-commerce market begins to saturate, including buying infrastructure (which the company has previously avoided).

While the retail experiment is only in its early stages, if successful, it could propel Alibaba into the lead over Amazon (AMZN, -0.28%) in the battle to connect the online and offline realms. While the winner is uncertain, Jack Ma’s head-start looked like investing billions into grocers, department stores and malls, long before Jeff Bezos’s Amazon announced the takeover of Whole Foods.