Alibaba Sells 11 Main as Merchants Criticize Lackluster Sales

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. will sell its U.S. website 11 Main to rival online marketplace OpenSky, with merchants saying they grew disenchanted with the Chinese company’s first experiment in American e-commerce. Alibaba will hold a stake in the combined entity, according to an emailed statement Tuesday. The boutique website sought to replicate a Main Street niche store shopping experience. China’s biggest e-commerce operator started 11 Main last year, envisioning a shop window for small-time U.S. merchants that could present an alternative to the mass-consumer facing Amazon.com and eBay.