Alibaba expands 88VIP into super membership covering food, travel, and retail

Alibaba is transforming its flagship 88VIP program into a cross-platform super membership. Starting this month, 88VIP will integrate services from Ele.me, Fliggy, Freshippo and more, offering users perks across shopping, dining, travel and daily life. Freshippo has already launched a promotion: From Aug. 4 to Sept. 10, 88VIP users can claim a free 90-day Freshippo X membership, which includes discounts and free delivery. Launched in 2018, 88VIP now has more than 50 million users. Annual fees range from 88 yuan (about $12) to 888 yuan (about $122), depending on user engagement levels. The expanded ecosystem reflects Alibaba’s strategy to unify its services under a broader consumer platform, especially after Ele.me and Fliggy were folded into its China e-commerce division. But as benefits grow, so do the challenges — managing costs, user tiers and seamless integration across platforms will be key. [36Kr, in Chinese]