(Yicai Global) March 1 -- Chinese retail giant Suning and state-backed Brilliance Auto Group, a major partner of German luxury carmaker BMW, unveiled an alliance yesterday that included auto sales, brand promotion, as well as technology research and development.

The firms will combine resources such as Suning Plaza to build flagship experience stores for brand cars, adding to Brilliance Auto's dealer channels, Beijing News reported today. Suning will also use its e-commerce platform's Big Data and on-the-spot resources of its more than 10,000 physical stores to provide Brilliance with digital marketing tools and accurate targeted promotion services.

The two will also hold in-depth talks on auto circulation, electrification of urban logistics systems, travel services and equity cooperation, in the search for opportunities to deepen their cooperation, according to Brilliance Auto Chairman Qi Yumin.

The alliance will promote integration of the consumer and travel experiences, with the partners sharing data and users as well as technology, logistics and finance, said Suning Chairman Zhang Jindong.

Suning has increased its investment in the auto industry in recent years. It set up a unit in 2017 that covers car sales, parallel-import cars, second-hand vehicles, auto finance and after-sales service. Suning Auto announced the launch of its online to offline service in November. It had 43,000 service outlets at the end of last year.