Alibaba launches Tmall in Russia

Chinese ecommerce giant Alibaba will launch its online b2c marketplace Tmall in Russia, sources say. Currently, the service is in test mode, but it should become fully operational somewhere next month. It will be launched within the AliExpress platform.

This is written by Russian news channel RT, which based its information on sources cited by press agency TASS. One of these sources says that the Russian edition of Tmall will be launched within the AliExpress platform and that in fact, it will mark Tmall’s debut outside of China.

Operating as a seperate online store

In Russia, AliExpress is one of the most popular online shops. The ecommerce website attracts about 15 million customers every month. Although Tmall will be launched within the AliExpress platform, it will operate as a separate online store and marketplace in Russia. Also, goods will be delivered from the warehouses of Alibaba’s partners in Russia.

Tmall Russia, said to launch in mid-October, will offer all kinds of goods from Russian, Chinese and international brands. “We started localizing AliExpress in Russia two years ago, launching the marketplace ‘Mall’ within the platform”, says Mark Zavadsky, Director of Development of AliExpress in Russia and CIS. “The upgrade to Tmall means a better quality of services due to a more careful selection of goods, a single warehouse, and logistics based on courier delivery, along with delivery to special points of issue.”

In October last year, Russian Railways and Russian Post have signed an agreement for the rail transport of mail and small parcels between China and Europe.