iClick Makes Controlling Investment in Changyi to Accelerate Smart Retail Transformation

Strategic Move Develops Business Intelligence Portfolio with Enterprise Solution

iClick Interactive Asia Group Limited, an independent online marketing and data technology platform in China, announced a controlling investment in Changyi (Shanghai) Information Technology Co., Ltd. The investment is part of an inorganic growth strategy pursued by the Company as it seeks to extend its client solutions beyond the core digital marketing business, addressing enterprise needs in China. In particular providing products in the emerging area of “New Retail” – an expanding and innovative market involving the combination of online and offline solutions. The Chinese retail market is set to become the largest in the world in 2019, surpassing the US by more than US$100bn¹. New Retail is a key driver of this growth.

“Our clients are continually looking for ways to increase operational and marketing efficiency, as well as resolving the challenges of doing business in China. Changyi’s capabilities will enhance our Enterprise SaaS Solutions and allow us to address the demand that we are seeing.”

Changyi is a leading independent software vendor (ISV) in China. The Shanghai-based company provides intelligent retail and CRM solutions for clients, allowing them to consolidate customers’ online and offline information to provide connections within the organization and with stakeholders. These solutions support detailed profiling of customers, which facilitates data-driven strategies and enhances business process at various levels. Changyi’s clients include a number of tier-1 luxury brands as well as renowned brands in retail and other sectors from China and worldwide.

Marketing Technology News: Viacom Announces Completion of Pluto TV Acquisition

“Adding Changyi to our suite of solutions for global brands is an important next step in our evolution. This investment will accelerate the transformation of iClick by enhancing our BI Solutions that complement our core digital marketing business,” said Sammy Hsieh, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of iClick. “Our clients are continually looking for ways to increase operational and marketing efficiency, as well as resolving the challenges of doing business in China. Changyi’s capabilities will enhance our Enterprise SaaS Solutions and allow us to address the demand that we are seeing.”

Ramboo Zhao, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Changyi, said, “We are excited about the potential synergies created by joining iClick, a company with strong data management and analytics capabilities, and an established and positive reputation in the Marketing Technology industry. Together with iClick’s strong salesforce and deep understanding of top-tier global brands and retailers, we are better able to serve our clients with a wide range of solutions to help them make their business in China more accessible, efficient and profitable.”

Marketing Technology News: Bloomreach Brings Connected Experiences to over 60 New Brands Worldwide

The newly enhanced BI Solutions will support iClick’s strategy to further align itself with the long-term business objectives of clients by going beyond its core digital marketing business to sustain its growth. In particular, the Company will be able to offer New Retail solutions – an expanding and innovative market involving combining online and offline solutions. While the total retail sales in China are forecast to grow 7.5% to reach US$5.636 trillion in 2019, retail ecommerce is set to expand at an even faster rate of 30.3% to US$1.989 trillion, making up 35.3% of the overall retail volume in the country. This strategic shift will grow the top line and improve margin for the Company as it moves into its next development phase.

Marketing Technology News: Qubit Announces New Product Portfolio Designed to Accelerate Personalization for Retail Brands