An executive of Portuguese coffee retailer Delta Cafés says Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba Group Holding Ltd has asked his company to run the first Portuguese outlet on its Tmall shopping website, Negócios reports.
The Portuguese business newspaper quotes the executive, Delta Cafés Director for International Markets Alberto Pinto, as saying his company and Alibaba have formed a five-year partnership, Alibaba having seen the sales potential of coffee.
The report says the owner of Delta Cafés, Grupo Nabeiro, intends to expand by selling its products online around the world.
It quotes Mr Pinto as forecasting sales of €400 million (US$455 million) this year, about 32 percent of them outside Portugal.
Grupo Nabeiro already sells coffee and related products in China through subsidiary Delta Food Shanghai, Negócios says.
