Alibaba plots U.S. invasion with plan to help American businesses sell in China

Now that Alibaba dominates e-commerce in China, observers have been watching closely to see how it might wade into the U.S. market. Apparently, Alibaba is ready to take its shot, and early details of plans are just beginning to emerge.

According to a report by Reuters, Alibaba will offer U.S. retailers a platform to sell their products to China’s exploding middle class.

Under this plan, sources told Reuters, U.S. businesses would use Alipay, an electronics payment service that is closely affiliated with Alibaba. Alibaba and Alipay would handle payment, shipping, and marketing in China. Alibaba will soon begin publicizing the plan to U.S. retailers as it hunts for partners.

It’s a small step, to be sure, rather than a full-scale assault into the home territory of Amazon, the company that is probably Alibaba’s biggest long-term e-commerce rival. But it appears Alibaba is looking toward the long-term here, and starting off cautiously.

[VentureBeat recently covered Alibaba’s strategy in a larger story on how Western companies can target the Chinese cross-border shopping market.]

Source: Reuters