Hermes' BorderGuru Announces Logistics Partnership with the Alibaba Group and Cainiao

Chicago, March 15, 2016 - Hermes, operator of the largest business-to-consumer (B2C) parcel shop network in Europe, announces its subsidiary, cross-border solution BorderGuru, has become the logistic partner to the Alibaba Group and its logistics affiliate Cainiao. The partnership will enable BorderGuru's U.S. and European clients to efficiently ship products sold on Alibaba's popular TMall Global online marketplace to Chinese customers. In collaboration with Cainiao, BorderGuru will manage the entire cross-border shipping process.

With a gross merchandise value (GMV) of $452 billion USD and access to over 280 million customers, the Alibaba Group is currently the world's leading online retailer. On Singles' Day 2015, the biggest annual shopping event in China, the Alibaba Group achieved a turnover of over $14.3 billion USD in one day. Through TMall Global, Albaba offers Chinese customers original goods from the United States, Europe and other countries around the world. Presently, TMall Global carries 5,400 international brands from a total of 53 countries. Retailers from a variety of sectors are already using BorderGuru services and operate on the site.

Through the partnership with Cainiao, BorderGuru provides the IT-assisted management of the entire shipping process - from pickup at the retailer's domestic warehouse to "last mile" delivery in China. BorderGuru is supported by Hermes' extensive logistics network. International transport, including customs clearance, is processed through Hermes. Upon a package's arrival in China, Cainiao handles the import clearance and final delivery to the customer.

James Zhao, Director of Global Import at Cainiao, said, "We are delighted to have secured the services of the experienced logistics specialist Hermes with its proven track record in retailing. In conjunction with its strong e-commerce base, BorderGuru is a logical partner we can trust with our continued expansion in Europe."

"We are proud to partner with Alibaba — the top leader in web sales in not only China, but also the world. We truly appreciate the trust that the company has placed in us," said Martin Kreiter, Division Manager Group Marketing and E-Commerce Business Development at Hermes and Managing Director of BorderGuru. "With its integrated services, BorderGuru is really optimizing Hermes' existing portfolio in global e-commerce. The partnership between Alibaba, Cainiao and BorderGuru shows that we are on the right path with our e-commerce services and that we are helping to satisfy growing demand. In the future, our clients will have greater market-entry opportunities through potential e-commerce markets abroad."

For more information, please visit: www.borderguru.com.

About Hermes
Hermes provides international logistics services to the retail industry. Headquartered in Hamburg, Germany, it is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Otto Group. The company is a leading specialist in retail-related services and partners with numerous distance sellers of all sizes. The range of services provided by the twelve Hermes companies embraces the full length of the supply chain: sourcing, quality assurance, transport, fulfillment and home delivery. In 2014, the Hermes Group grew its consolidated revenue to 2.230 billion euros and increased the number of employees to 12,470. In 2014, Hermes made more than 530 million deliveries to end customers, establishing Hermes as one of the leading B2C delivery companies in Europe. Hermes operates worldwide and has established country companies in Germany, the United Kingdom, United States, China, Russia, Italy and Austria. For further information, please visit www.hermesworld.com/us.

About Alibaba Group
Alibaba Group's mission is to make it easy to do business anywhere. The company is the largest online and mobile commerce company in the world in terms of gross merchandise volume. Founded in 1999, the company provides the fundamental technology infrastructure and marketing reach to help businesses leverage the power of the Internet to establish an online presence and conduct commerce with hundreds of millions of consumers and other businesses. More information: http://www.alibabagroup.com/en/global/home.

About Cainiao
Cainiao Network(formerly known as China Smart Logistics), the logistics affiliate of Alibaba Group, is dedicated to meeting the current and future logistics demands of China's online and mobile commerce sector. It operates a logistics information platform which provides real-time access to information for both buyers and sellers, as well as information that allows delivery service providers to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their services.

More Info: http://www.borderguru.com/