It is to help sellers meet buyers. More specifically, it provides
an Internet based business‐to‐business (B2B) platform where
sellers(suppliers / manufactures) can meet buyers
(outsourcers / wholesalers) on a global scale.
The company offers two platforms, one in Chinese for Chinese
businesses, and another in English for the other international
customers.
Customers are both the sellers and the buyers, who are able
to post “storefronts” to advertise their products or needs.
Alibaba offers several services. By June of 2007, Alibaba had
over 19.8 million registered users, with 16.6 within its Chinese
market place. 219,098 of these 19.8 users where paying
members.