Ant Group and Nike China focus on sustainability as they ink MOU building on partnership established in 2022

Ant Group and Nike China have signed an MOU that will see the latter use Ant Cloud Customer Service Solution to enhance its e-commerce operations in China, improve customer service efficiency, and enhance sustainability performance.

As part of an expanded partnership, Nike E-commerce will integrate Ant Cloud Customer Service Solution to address staffing needs during major promotional events.

With features like smart scheduling, AI powered staff training, and AI driven quality assurance, the solution aims to meet the growing demand for online customer service, and also creates flexible job opportunities for groups such as freelancers, stay-at-home parents, young people in small towns, and individuals with physical challenges.

Additionally, by enabling remote work, this model helps reduce carbon emissions compared to traditional customer service centres.

"Nike firmly believes that protecting the planet is protecting the future of sport,” says Stanley Chang, Vice President, Supply Chain for Nike Greater China. ”We have been investing in localised innovations and seeking solutions that integrate sustainability into every aspect of our business. With the expanded partnership, we look forward to driving more innovations for a sustainable future."

“One key insight from our sustainability journey is that long-term business success requires the creation of both commercial value and social value,” says Sabrina Peng, Chief Sustainability Officer of Ant Group. “With this shared belief, we look forward to working with Nike to create more sustainable outcomes for communities.”

This collaboration builds on a partnership established in 2022, when Nike launched a Recycle-A-Shoe mini-programmes in the Alipay app.

Chinese consumers can send worn out Nike shoes for recycling. These shoes are then dismantled and repurposed into sustainable sports courts using Nike's Grind technology. Participants in the programme also receive virtual green energy points in Alipay Ant Forest, a non-profit environmental initiative.

These points can be used to support tree planting, ecological restoration, or biodiversity conservation efforts. As of this month, Nike has recycled 180,000 pairs of shoes.

2024 RTIH INNOVATION AWARDS

Green retail was a key focus area for the sixth edition of the RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards, sponsored by Vista Technology Support, Scala, CADS, 3D Cloud, Brightpearl by Sage’s Lightning 50, Business France, and Retail Technology Show 2025, celebrate global tech innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Our 2024 hall of fame entrants were revealed during an event which took place at RIBA’s 66 Portland Place HQ in Central London on 21st November, and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by comedian Lucy Porter.

In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “The event is now into its sixth year and what a journey it has been. The awards started life as an online only affair during the Covid outbreak, before launching as a small scale in real life event and growing year on year to the point where we’re now selling out this fine, historic venue.”

He added: “Congratulations to all of our finalists. Many submissions did not make it through to the final stage, and getting to this point is no mean feat. Checkout-free stores, automated supply chains, immersive experiences, on-demand delivery, next generation loyalty offerings, inclusive retail, green technology. We’ve got all the cool stuff covered this evening.”

“But just importantly we’ve got lots of great examples of companies taking innovative tech and making it usable in everyday operations - resulting in more efficiency and profitability in all areas.”

Congratulations to our 2024 winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Lucy Porter, and all those who attended last week’s gathering.