Alibaba recruits elderly "product experiencers"

HANGZHOU, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Alibaba plans to pay two elderly employees an annual salary between 350,000 yuan (54,000 U.S. dollars) and 400,000 to work for its e-commerce platform Taobao.

According to a job ad released on its official website Tuesday, Taobao wants to hire two "product experiencers" over the age of 60 to help the company collect user experiences on its new customized shopping platform.

Alibaba said applicants should have an easy rapport with children, have stable groups of friends and have good communication skills.

Apart from that, they must have at least one year of online shopping experience. Being a "group influencer," such as the leader of a square dancing team or a member of a neighborhood committee, is also a plus, according to the company.

Alibaba said the company has seen a massive response and is now short-listing candidates for interviews.

Analysts said Alibaba's move reflects the growing role of the elderly in China's burgeoning online shopping market.

Alibaba's Tmall online marketplace has 30 million registered elderly users, who prefer electronic products and home appliances over other product categories.

According to a survey of nearly 10,000 people aged 50 and older, about 90 percent said they were willing to learn new things, such as online shopping and how to use mobile payment.

At the end of 2016, China had 230 million people aged 60 and older. Enditem