China's Wanda Group, Tencent team up for 'smart retail'

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Chinese real estate conglomerate Dalian Wanda Group will join hands with technology giant Tencent Holdings and Groupon Inc’s former local unit to integrate online and offline businesses, as the companies move towards "smart retail".

Wanda Group’s Wanda Commercial Management Group and Tencent will take 51 percent and 42.48 percent, respectively, in the new company, Wanda said in a statement on Wednesday.

Gaopeng, US daily deals company Groupon Inc’s former affiliate in China which is now backed by Tencent, will hold the remaining stake, Wanda said.

Wanda’s existing Internet business will be merged into the new company, while Tencent will provide online traffic, Wanda said. Gaopeng’s electronics invoicing business will also be integrated into the venture.

The partnership will aim to transform Wanda’s offline presence into smart shopping malls, and drive online traffic through Tencent’s platforms including WeChat, Wanda said. The deal will also speed the implementation of Tencent’s smart retail strategy, it said.

Tencent and Alibaba Group Holding Ltd have already been on an aggressive drive to boost their reach online and in brick-and-mortar stores, dividing the country’s retail market into two camps.

The two tech behemoths, worth a combined one trillion US dollars, have spent more than 10 billion US dollars on retail-focused deals since the start of last year.

In January, a group led by Tencent made a 34-billion-yuan (5.29 billion US dollars) investment in Wanda’s commercial property arm, easing Wanda’s financial stress.

Source(s): Reuters