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  • January 2009 (Revised July 2009)
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Alibaba's Taobao (A)

By: Felix Oberholzer-Gee and Julie M. Wulf
  • Format:Print
  • | Pages:15
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Abstract

Examines the decision of Alibaba Group to diversify from an international business-to-business (B2B) exchange (Alibaba.com) into a B2C and C2C exchange (Taobao.com) for Chinese retailers and consumers. In China, Taobao had managed to displace the once dominant eBay, the world's largest consumer marketplace. However, the company had little revenue because it offered services free of charge.

Keywords

Business Model; Demand and Consumers; Market Transactions; Service Operations; Diversification; Web; China

Citation

Oberholzer-Gee, Felix, and Julie M. Wulf. "Alibaba's Taobao (A)." Harvard Business School Case 709-456, January 2009. (Revised July 2009.)
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About The Author

Felix Oberholzer-Gee

Strategy
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Related Work

    • January 2009 (Revised July 2009)
    • Faculty Research

    Alibaba's Taobao (B)

    By: Felix Oberholzer-Gee and Julie M. Wulf
Related Work
  • Alibaba's Taobao (B) By: Felix Oberholzer-Gee and Julie M. Wulf
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