Tmall
China's premier marketplace for official brands and B2C retail.
Tmall at a glance
Tmall is an e-commerce website and one of the most visited sites in China, currently ranked #3 in the country. It was founded in 2008 by Spun off from Taobao by the Alibaba founding team and is headquartered in Hangzhou, China. Today Tmall is owned by Alibaba Group Holding Limited. Our estimates put its audience at ≈ 700 million visits per month. The business earns money mainly through commissions on branded merchandise sales, annual and technical service fees charged to flagship stores, alimama advertising and sponsored placements. Its closest rivals include JD.com, Taobao (sister platform), Pinduoduo, Douyin e-commerce.
Traffic statistics
Traffic history
| Period | Visits | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 | ≈ 670 million / month | — |
| Q2 | ≈ 690 million / month | +3% |
| Q3 | ≈ 710 million / month | +3% |
| Q4 (Singles' Day) | ≈ 950 million / month | +34% |
Traffic sources
- Direct / app65%
- Organic search18%
- Referral9%
- Social6%
- Paid & other2%
Audience & demographics
- Women60%
- Men40%
- Age 18-2420%
- Age 25-3434%
- Age 35-5433%
- Age 55+13%
Tmall shoppers skew female and toward higher spending on branded goods, beauty, fashion and electronics compared with the broader Taobao audience.
Geographic reach
- China95%
- Hong Kong2%
- Other3%
SEO profile
- Organic keywords
- Millions of branded product and category terms
- Estimated organic traffic
- ≈ 130 million visits / month
- Strongest clusters
- Brand name plus product category queries
Top organic keywords
| Keyword | Position | Volume | Traffic share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 天猫 | 1 | Very high | — |
| 天猫超市 | 1 | High | — |
| 天猫国际 | 1 | High | — |
Backlink profile
- Referring domains
- Millions
- Link profile
- Strong brand and media coverage links
Top referral sources
- Alibaba ecosystem apps45%
- Search engines25%
- Social and short-video platforms20%
- Other10%
Technology stack
Website technologies
Advertising & analytics technologies
Tmall shares much of its technology stack with Taobao but layers on stricter brand verification and quality-control systems for official retailers.
Mobile app statistics
- Share of GMV via mobile
- Majority of total transactions
- Singles' Day app traffic spike
- Multiple times normal daily volume
Company information
- Website
- tmall.com
- Sector
- E-commerce
- Owner
- Alibaba Group Holding Limited
- Owner type
- Public company subsidiary (NYSE: BABA; HKEX: 9988)
- Founders
- Spun off from Taobao by the Alibaba founding team
- Founded
- 2008
- Headquarters
- Hangzhou, China
- Employees
- ≈ 15,000 (Taobao/Tmall Group, shared with Taobao)
- Ownership
- Wholly owned subsidiary of Alibaba Group, a publicly traded company
- Valuation
- Alibaba Group market capitalisation approximately USD 200 billion
- Revenue
- Contributes to Taobao and Tmall Group revenue estimated above RMB 200 billion annually
- Languages
- Chinese (Simplified), English (Tmall Global)
- Top traffic sources
- Direct, app, organic search
Ownership, investors & funding history
| Date | Round | Amount | Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Alibaba Group IPO | USD 25 billion | Public markets |
Financials
- Revenue trend
- Steady growth in commissions and service fees
- Profitability
- High-margin contributor to Alibaba's core commerce segment
- Cost base
- Logistics, brand support and marketing
Business model & revenue
Tmall is a B2C marketplace where verified brands and retailers operate official flagship stores, generating revenue through commissions, service fees and advertising rather than serving individual C2C sellers like Taobao.
- Commissions on branded merchandise sales
- Annual and technical service fees charged to flagship stores
- Alimama advertising and sponsored placements
- Tmall Global cross-border import commissions
- Logistics fees via Cainiao and Tmall Supermarket operations
Products & services
Official B2C storefronts for verified brands and retailers.
Cross-border platform for importing international brands into China.
Grocery and daily-goods delivery service.
Related deals on Amazon
As an Amazon Associate, Global Site Index earns from qualifying purchases.
Seller ecosystem
- Flagship stores
- Hundreds of thousands of verified brands
- Monetisation
- Commission and annual service fees
- Cross-border brands
- Tens of thousands via Tmall Global
International presence
- Tmall Global
- Brings international brands to Chinese consumers
- Primary market
- Mainland China
Employee statistics
Customer statistics
Website rankings
- Country rank (China)
- #3 most visited site
- Sector rank
- #1 B2C e-commerce platform
Main competitors
Website comparisons
| Website | Monthly visits | Rank | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| tmall.com | ≈ 700M / month | #1 B2C marketplace | — |
| jd.com | ≈ 600M / month | #2 B2C marketplace | First-party retail focus |
| pinduoduo.com | ≈ 900M / month | Group-buying leader | — |
Overview
Tmall is Alibaba's business-to-consumer marketplace, hosting official flagship stores for verified brands and retailers. Spun off from Taobao in 2008, it has become China's leading destination for authentic branded goods.
Traffic Statistics
Tmall draws an estimated 700 million monthly visits, surging to nearly a billion during the Singles' Day shopping festival. Average sessions last roughly six and a half minutes across eight pages.
Traffic Sources
Most visits arrive directly through the app, supplemented by organic search and referral traffic from other Alibaba ecosystem apps and social platforms.
Audience & Demographics
Tmall's audience skews female and toward higher discretionary spending on beauty, fashion and electronics, reflecting its brand-focused positioning.
Geographic Reach
Traffic is concentrated in mainland China, with Tmall Global extending reach to buyers interested in imported international brands.
SEO Profile
Tmall ranks strongly for branded product searches, with an estimated 130 million monthly visits arriving via organic search.
Technology Stack
Tmall shares Alibaba Cloud infrastructure, recommendation technology and Cainiao logistics with Taobao, layered with stricter brand verification systems.
Social Media Statistics
Tmall maintains a strong presence on Weibo and Douyin, reaching millions of followers who engage with brand campaigns and promotional events.
Mobile App Statistics
The Tmall app has surpassed 500 million downloads, with the majority of gross merchandise value flowing through mobile, especially during Singles' Day.
Company Information
Tmall is headquartered in Hangzhou and was launched in 2008 as Taobao Mall before rebranding in 2011, sharing much of its workforce with Taobao's roughly 15,000-20,000 combined employees.
Ownership & Investors
Tmall is wholly owned by Alibaba Group Holding Limited, listed on the NYSE and Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
Financials
Tmall contributes significantly to Alibaba's core commerce revenue, generating income through commissions, annual service fees and advertising from its flagship brand partners.
Business Model
Unlike Taobao's C2C model, Tmall charges verified brands and retailers commissions and service fees for operating official B2C storefronts, supplemented by advertising revenue.
Products & Services
Core offerings include the Tmall marketplace for domestic brands, Tmall Global for cross-border imports, and Tmall Supermarket for grocery delivery.
Competitors
Tmall competes primarily with JD.com in the B2C segment, alongside Pinduoduo and Douyin's growing e-commerce business.
Company History & Milestones
Tmall launched in 2008 as Taobao Mall, rebranded independently in 2011, and expanded internationally with Tmall Global in the same year Alibaba completed its landmark 2014 IPO.
Latest News
Tmall continues expanding cross-border brand partnerships through Tmall Global and recently reported record Singles' Day gross merchandise value.
User Reviews & Ratings
Shoppers trust Tmall for authentic branded products and reliable delivery, though prices tend to run higher than on C2C alternatives like Taobao.
Pros & Cons
Pros: verified brand authenticity, strong logistics and cross-border access. Cons: higher prices, limited access for small independent sellers and heavy reliance on promotional events.
Key Statistics
~700 million monthly visits, ~500 million active annual buyers, hundreds of thousands of flagship brand stores and the #3 most-visited site in China.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who owns Tmall? Alibaba Group. How is it different from Taobao? Tmall focuses on verified B2C brand stores, while Taobao is a broader C2C marketplace. Can international brands sell here? Yes, via Tmall Global.
Data Sources
Alibaba Group public filings, third-party traffic estimation providers and app store listings.
Last Updated
September 2026
Related Websites
Taobao, JD.com and Pinduoduo.
Website Rankings
#3 most visited website in China and the leading B2C e-commerce marketplace.
Revenue & Funding History
Tmall's expansion has been funded through Alibaba Group's cash flows following its landmark 2014 NYSE IPO.
Employee Statistics
Tmall shares roughly 15,000-20,000 employees with Taobao operations, concentrated in brand partnerships, engineering and logistics.
Customer Statistics
Tmall serves approximately 500 million active annual buyers seeking verified branded goods.
Backlink Profile
Tmall benefits from strong brand and media coverage links driven by its flagship-store partnerships with global companies.
Top Organic Keywords
Terms such as "天猫", "天猫超市" and "天猫国际" drive the bulk of organic search traffic.
Top Referral Sources
Alibaba ecosystem apps, search engines and social or short-video platforms are the leading referral sources.
Website Technologies
Alibaba Cloud, a shared recommendation engine with Taobao, Alipay payment integration and the Cainiao logistics network.
Advertising & Analytics Technologies
Alimama advertising platform and Alibaba Marketing Cloud.
API & Developer Information
Alibaba Open Platform provides brand and merchant APIs for inventory, logistics and marketing integration.
International Seller Opportunities
Tmall Global allows international brands to sell directly to Chinese consumers without establishing a local legal entity, making it a key channel for cross-border sellers.
Company history & milestones
- 2008
Launched as Taobao Mall, a B2C spin-off from Taobao.
- 2011
Rebranded to Tmall as an independent platform.
- 2014
Alibaba Group IPO on the NYSE.
- 2014
Tmall Global launches for cross-border brands.
Latest news
- Tmall Global expands cross-border brand partnershipsAlibaba press releases · 2026
- Tmall reports record Singles' Day gross merchandise valuePress coverage · 2025
User reviews & ratings
| Source | Score | Reviews | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| App store aggregate | ≈ 4.3 / 5 | Millions | — |
| Consumer sentiment | Positive | High volume | Trusted for brand authenticity |
Shoppers trust Tmall for authentic branded goods and reliable delivery, though prices are typically higher than on Taobao.
Pros & cons
Pros
- Verified brand authenticity and quality control
- Wide selection of official flagship stores
- Strong logistics and delivery reliability via Cainiao
- Cross-border access to international brands via Tmall Global
Cons
- Higher prices than C2C marketplaces like Taobao
- Limited access for individual small sellers
- Primarily accessible to buyers within China
- Heavy dependence on major promotional events for peak sales
Key statistics
Frequently asked questions
Who owns Tmall?
Tmall is a subsidiary of Alibaba Group Holding Limited, spun off from Taobao in 2008 to host official brand stores.
What is the difference between Tmall and Taobao?
Tmall hosts verified brands and retailers selling directly to consumers (B2C), while Taobao is a broader C2C marketplace for individual sellers.
Can international brands sell on Tmall?
Yes, through Tmall Global, which allows international brands to sell directly to Chinese consumers without a local entity.
Popular searches
Data sources & confidence
- Alibaba Group public filingsAlibaba Investor Relations
- Third-party traffic estimation providersSimilarweb-class estimates
- App store listingsApple App Store, Google Play
- Data confidence
- High for ownership and corporate milestones; traffic and GMV figures are third-party estimates.
- Last updated
- September 2026
Traffic and financial figures are rounded third-party estimates, reviewed quarterly.
Social media profiles & statistics