China's e-commerce giant Alibaba announced the merger¹ of its two major platforms, Ele.me and Koubei.

 

阿里巴巴宣布将合并饿了么与口碑。

 

The merger is part of the company's strategy to create a "three-kilometer circle of life" that enables its users to acquire almost everything they need for their daily life within three kilometers using its platforms. This includes restaurants, shopping malls, grocery stores, pharmacies², and delivery services.

 

The announcement was made via a letter issued by Alibaba's CEO Zhang Yong. The letter said that the two companies will be brought under the control of a new holding company. "Currently, the two platforms Koubei and Ele.me together join hands with 3.5 million merchants to provide services in 676 cities across China, and so the establishment of the new company is a significant milestone³ for Alibaba's ambitions in the field of consumption," said Zhang.

 

The integrated services will reportedly cover nearly 800 million residents in cities across China.

 

In August this year, Ele.me and Koubei reportedly received over three billion U.S. dollars in funding from investors⁴, including Softbank.

点击收听单词发音