In South-east Asia, you can't win alone: Lazada

ALIBABA'S investment in Lazada has helped the online retailer understand business in South-east Asia: that success entails setting up partnerships that also build up a fledging infrastructure in this region, a top executive at Lazada said.

That has meant shifting from an "Amazon-focused" model of controlling all elements of the online shopping process, to focusing on strength in data analysis for the merchants that have listed products on the website, said Alexis Lanternier, chief executive officer of Lazada Singapore, in an interview.

"Initially, we started (being) Amazon-focused, by doing everything ourselves," said Mr Lanternier. That ranged from buying products to handling warehouse delivery, he added.