Alibaba.com Launches AliExpress to Bring Industry Leading Security, Choice, Flexibility, Convenience and Profitability to Small Wholesalers and Retailers

Alibaba.com Limited (HKSE:1688) (1688.HK), the world's leading small business e-commerce company, today formally launched AliExpress (www.aliexpress.com), an e-commerce platform offering smaller-quantity orders, instant online transactions, and an escrow service to protect buyers and sellers.

Alibaba.com has launched AliExpress as an additional tool to serve its small business customer base. While Alibaba.com focuses on larger quantity orders including prototype and custom manufacturing, AliExpress directly addresses the needs of businesses that need smaller quantities available for immediate shipment. Alibaba.com will invest more than US$100 million in the development of AliExpress to ensure it delivers the features and services that will help small businesses succeed.

"AliExpress is designed to help even the smallest businesses to be more competitive because they can offer customers more unique products, at better prices through the benefits to global trade,” said David Wei, CEO of Alibaba.com. "As we previously announced, we believe that small businesses are the key drivers to economic growth and stability as well as job growth. AliExpress is one of many offerings planned to help small businesses grow and create jobs in their communities all over the world.”

An important asset for customers on AliExpress is the escrow service. Escrow payment protects all users who transact online at AliExpress by holding the buyer’s payment in a separate account and alerting the supplier that payment has been made so they can safely ship the goods. Once the buyer has received the goods, the payment is released to the supplier. This allows the supplier to ship their valuable goods with confidence, and the buyer to place their order knowing their payment is protected until their merchandise has been received.

"AliExpress provides a trusted payment system that makes transactions easy,” said Anthony Daniel, owner of Factory Direct Technology in Wilmington, N.C. "In addition, there are consistently great deals available on the site and this has helped Factory Direct Technology quickly achieve success in a short amount of time.”

Many of the suppliers who sell on AliExpress are long-time members of Alibaba.com and have been working with overseas buyers for years through the site. The initial supplier base includes suppliers from China, but the platform will eventually be open to international suppliers as well. Through offerings like AliExpress, we have shortened the supply chain and made it more efficient so that both suppliers and buyers can increase profitability. This efficiency also ensures that buyers have a strong base of suppliers to choose from and can better manage and grow their business by saving money on products and customized promotional materials and supplies to help attract and retain customers.

To continue the celebration of the site launch, Alibaba.com will offer a number of special promotions for customers on AliExpress throughout the next month. Launching today, the first promotion, GaGa Deals, which include drastic discounts on select products in a limited timeframe. Other promotions will be announced on the site and emailed to Alibaba.com members. For more information, please visit www.aliexpress.com.

Alibaba.com launched a beta test of AliExpress in September 2009. Currently, there are more than three million listed products from more than 40 consumer products categories.

About Alibaba.com

Alibaba.com (HKSE:1688) (HK.1688) is the global leader in e-commerce for small businesses and the flagship company of Alibaba Group. Founded in 1999, Alibaba.com makes it easy for millions of buyers and suppliers around the world to do business online through three marketplaces: a global trade marketplace (www.alibaba.com) for importers and exporters, a Chinese marketplace (www.1688.com) for domestic trade in China, and, through an associated company, a Japanese marketplace (www.alibaba.co.jp) facilitating trade to and from Japan. Together, its marketplaces form a community of more than 47 million registered users from more than 240 countries and regions. Alibaba.com also offers business management software and Internet infrastructure services targeting small businesses across China and, through Ali-Institute, incubates e-commerce talent for Chinese small businesses. Founded in Hangzhou, China, Alibaba.com has offices in more than 60 cities across Greater China, Japan, Korea, Europe and the United States.

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