Alibaba (HKG:9988) has offered $1.5 billion to acquire Chinese online grocery platform Pupu, Bloomberg News reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.
The reported offer exceeds an earlier $600 million bid from Sun Art Retail (HKG:6808), a former Alibaba affiliate now backed by private equity firm DCP Capital, the report said.
Fujian-based Pupu is one of the few remaining independent online grocery platforms in China and has attracted interest as major internet companies seek to expand their presence in fresh food retailing, according to the report.
An Alibaba representative did not respond to a comment request from Bloomberg, while DCP and a Pupu representative refused to comment, the news agency said.
(Market Chatter news is derived from conversations with market professionals globally. This information is believed to be from reliable sources but may include rumor and speculation. Accuracy is not guaranteed.)
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