1. Visit Alibaba’s website (www.alibaba.com) and search for exporters of a B2B product; describe your experience.
  2. If you are an importer, what are the advantages and disadvantages involved in using Alibaba?
  3. Visit Amazon’s website (www.amazon.com); what is the difference between Amazon’s and Alibaba’s websites?
  4. In a Forbes article: “Alibaba and the 40,000 thieves” it was alleged that Alibaba sells an unprecedented torrent of sham and counterfeit goods,” and that neither the big brands manufacturers, nor the Chinese or American government pressure can do much about it. Forbes stressed that only Jack Ma, the man who oversees the world’s largest online retailer can; however, closing down the fakes would undermine his empire (Schuman & Ho, 2015, p. 100). Provide your take on that, and explain your rationale. What steps should Alibaba take, if it intends to dominate the global retail market?

Reference

Schuman, M., & Ho, J. (2015). Alibaba and the 40,000 thieves. (cover
story). Forbes, 196(7), 100-101.