Alibaba puts frozen food on the menu

The delivery of frozen food will be a new focus for Alibaba Group Holding Ltd as it seeks to consolidate its position as China's e-commerce leader.

Fruit, seafood and other frozen food will be sent to 26 cities, including Shanghai and Beijing, via Alibaba's business-to-customer unit, Tmall, according to a company statement.

Buyers will be able to receive US cherries within 36 hours after ordering online.

Leading freezer manufacturers in China, including Yantai-based Moon Group and Bingshan Group in Dalian, expect renewed market buoyancy.

A research note from Essence Securities predicts the freezer market will be worth 6 billion yuan ($979 million) over the next few years.