Super September 2020: Getting back to business

Business is back online! Alibaba.com is offering our special Super September promotion from September 1-30, 2020.

September is a time of renewal. An opportunity to start anew, to reinvent some aspect of your life, to refocus on tasks that got forgotten in the heat and lazy days of summer.

This year has been tough, with so many of us still living and trying to work under safer-at-home policies. It's been a rough year for retailers in particular, with so many stores closed for months due to the coronavirus. In fact, eMarketer has adjusted its 2020 retail sales forecast from its original projection of a 2.8% sales increase to US $5.6 billion in total retail sales to a 10.5% sales decline to US $4.9 billion.

But there is a brighter side to that forecast — and it's ecommerce. Online sales are, according to eMarketer, expected to rise 18% this year to US $710 billion. This represents 14.5% of total retail sales, which eMarketer says is "both an all-time high and the biggest share increase in a single year."

So, with that encouraging news, let's get back to business this September, and if you want to increase your chances for success — that means getting back to business online! And since this is the month where many of us are ready to refocus, Alibaba.com is offering our special Super September 2020 promotions.

Super September 2020

This year more than 30,000 sellers are participating in Super September. You'll be able to check out merchandise in 3D reality and virtual showrooms and make connections with potential partners from all over the globe.

Some of the special incentives Alibaba.com is offering this month include:

• Discounts on livestream products
• Black Friday group buy discounts
• New buyers can save up to US $60 on transaction fees
• All buyers can save up to US $200 on logistics by placing orders through Alibaba.com Freight
• Get 20% off third-party inspection service fees on site

Aiming to lower the barrier of B2B trading and raising awareness for the inevitable need for digitalization in businesses, suppliers participating in “Super September 2020” are provided with a digital platform fully equipped with new features and services to enable connection and interaction with global buyers, further improving the efficiency of sourcing and trading online.

In this global online event, thousands of global suppliers will get the opportunity to livestream and showcase their products to an enormous pool of global buyers during a difficult period when trading and offline events have become a challenge. Reinventing tradeshows online, “Super September 2020” features over 18,000 livestream broadcasts, 150,000 supplier videos and 2,000 popular products.

To help businesses overcome the challenges of COVID-19, Alibaba.com is doing more to make it easier for SMEs to do business online.

Cash Flow

We all know cash flow is literally the lifeline of small businesses. Previously, if you tried to do cross-border trade, you had to pay for your order upfront, a hit to your cash flow. To help, Alibaba.com is offering Payment Terms, which allows qualified buyers to place orders for merchandise and pay for them up to 60 days after the goods are shipped.

Logistics

Getting the merchandise to your doors can be particularly challenging for small businesses. Alibaba.com Freight takes a lot of the complexities out of the shipping process, by helping small businesses arrange bulk shipments and giving them the ability to instantly compare, book, manage, and track ocean and air freight in real time online.

Finding Products

One of the biggest challenges for retailers/e-tailers during the time of COVID-19 has been the inability to go to trade shows. Alibaba.com introduced Alibaba.com Online Trade Shows, which are category-specific virtual events, spread over several days, connecting manufacturers and wholesalers with business buyers live online.

In this month of renewal, it's the perfect time to get back in gear, and get your business back online, so you're well-positioned to finish 2020 on solid footing and head into 2021 primed for an economic recovery. Talk to a sales consultant to learn how to start selling and grow your business on Alibaba.com.