Alibaba’s Insights Opens the Door to Millions of Chinese Households

When iconic American brand Bissell, based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, sought to enter the China marketplace a few years ago, it relied on consumer insights from Alibaba to plan its expansion.

Alibaba reported that there had been a 14% surge in the floor-care category in China since the coronavirus outbreak. Bissell captured this emerging demand early on by promoting its formula-based cleaning solutions and steam cleaners – products that are particularly effective at disinfecting. “For us, it was about doing the research and having the knowledge to back up our product-development process, which helped us develop something unique and enabled us to be at the tip of the spear,” said Bissell Homecare President of Global Markets & Wash Max Bissell.

By leveraging consumer insights provided by Alibaba, Bissell saw a significant boost in online sales and higher return-on-investment results across its listed products. Today, Bissell’s products reach hundreds of thousands of Chinese consumers through its flagship store on Alibaba’s Tmall. The brand has become so popular in this market that it doubled its year-on-year business during an 11.11 Global Shopping Festival in just 12 hours.

Selling on Alibaba has been a game changer.

—Max Bissell, President Global Markets & Wash, Bissell Homecare, Inc