Alibaba Program Lets Small Web Retailers Order Small Quantities from Factories

Sales are up on 1688.com, Alibaba Group’s business-to-business e-commerce site for connecting China-based suppliers with retailers within China. One reason is that suppliers are offering their customers more flexible ways to place small and customized orders through Alibaba’s Tao Factory program.

The program, which is geared toward retailers who also sell through Alibaba’s Taobao.com and Tmall.com retail e-commerce sites, also lets retailers apply for loans to purchase merchandise. It also includes a system through which suppliers automatically replenish a retailer’s inventory of particular products when they fall below specified levels.