E. & J. Gallo Winery to Launch Tmall Flagship Store

1 min readUpdated May 24, 2025Jul 13, 201810:07 AM

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E. & J. Gallo Winery, the world’s largest family-owned winery has signed a three-year strategic partnership with Alibaba Group.

As part of the partnership, Gallo will open a flagship store this September on Alibaba’s Tmall, China’s largest B2C platform for both international and Chinese brands and retailers. Gallo and Tmall have partnered together in the past for some of Gallo’s entry-level wine brands, but the new flagship store will feature more than 20 of Gallo’s premium wine brands in order to meet the growing demand from China’s increasingly sophisticated consumers for high-quality wine.

According to a new report from Vinexpo, China was the world’s third largest importer by value at $16.41 billion in 2017. By 2021, the wine market in China is expected to grow 40% to $22.97 billion which would make it the second most valuable wine market in the world.

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What this means

Gallo’s escalated commitment to Tmall is a shrewd play, using a proven platform to access China’s rapidly growing premium wine market, projected to become the world's second most valuable. This move directly challenges competitors by consolidating a wider range of high-margin products in a single, high-traffic digital storefront. Alo Yoga's successful entry via Tmall demonstrates the platform's efficacy for international brands. While Louis Vuitton selectively pares its physical footprint, this digital expansion is a lower-risk strategy to capture demand. The primary risk lies in effectively differentiating Gallo's premium offerings amidst intense competition. Executives should watch for specific sales figures of Gallo's premium portfolio after the September launch.

Rajiv Menon · Retail News Asia newsroom

Questions & Answers

What is the primary purpose of E. & J. Gallo Winery's new flagship store on Tmall?

The new Tmall flagship store aims to feature over 20 of Gallo's premium wine brands. This is intended to meet the rising demand from China's increasingly sophisticated consumers for high-quality wine products.

Has E. & J. Gallo Winery previously worked with Tmall?

Yes, Gallo and Tmall have collaborated before. Their previous partnerships focused on some of Gallo's entry-level wine brands, indicating an existing relationship between the two entities.

How significant is the Chinese wine market expected to become by 2021?

The Chinese wine market is projected to grow by 40% to reach $22.97 billion by 2021. This would position China as the second most valuable wine market globally, according to a Vinexpo report.

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