
Alibaba, the operator of China’s largest online sales platform, is reportedly building its own mall as it seeks to enrich the real-world shopping experience with technology and convenience. The five-story shopping center — which the company is calling “More Mall” — is located at Alibaba’s headquarters in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou. The mall was built on a 40,000-square-meter plot of land and is scheduled to open in April, according to linkshop.com. Currently, construction crews are finishing up work on the building’s interior.
Total Retail's Take: Much like the dominant e-commerce player in the U.S., Amazon.com, Alibaba is extending its reach into the offline world with its own stores (or in the case, an entire mall). E-commerce accounts for roughly 15 percent of total retail sales in China, a higher percentage than in the U.S., but Alibaba is intent on capturing more of the other 85 percent. Its plan for doing so involves integrating technology into into the in-store shopping experience, including virtual fitting rooms, mobile payment solutions, and high-tech makeup-testing mirrors. While serving a different consumer population (at least its primary customers), Alibaba and Amazon are in agreement on one thing: the future of retail involves brick-and-mortar.
- Companies:
- Amazon.com
- Places:
- China

Joe Keenan is the executive editor of Total Retail. Joe has more than 10 years experience covering the retail industry, and enjoys profiling innovative companies and people in the space.