Alibaba or the Alibaba Group is one of the most important e-commerce companies worldwide. Originally based in China, the Alibaba Group and its marketplaces have established themselves as an important e-commerce player around the globe.
Alibaba has several marketplaces, including Alibaba.com for B2B trading, AliExpress for B2C trading and Tmall.com with the affiliated marketplace Alibaba Tmall Global as an online department store. Tmall Global serves as a platform for many international traders to enter the Chinese market. On the cross-border marketplace, international brands and retailers can sell their products directly to Chinese end customers.
Alibaba offers additional services through its Alipay payment system and the Cainiao logistics network, but also positions itself as a exclusive platform, with no dropshipping for international dealers.
In the recent past, Alibaba was primarily in the news with its expansion plans for Europe and the “Singles Day”. Singles Day is held on the 11th of November and is increasingly evolving into a global e-commerce event. It is already the day with the highest turnover in the world – exceeding Thanksgiving sales.
