Swiss food and beverage conglomerate Nestlé has opened its first smart direct-to-consumer (DTC) fulfillment center in China in collaboration with Alibaba Group’s logistics arm Cainiao Network.

Cainiao said its logistics and automated systems would maximize productivity and reduce manual labor at Nestlé’s automated DTC fulfillment center in east China’s Suzhou city.

“Together with Cainiao, we believe we can establish an efficient, responsive, and resilient supply chain with a human touch,” said Tony Domingo, Senior Vice President of Nestlé Zone Greater China Supply Chain and Procurement, at the launch of the fulfillment center on Nov. 21.