Alibaba reported earnings last week highlighting a few points:
- $485 billion in Gross Merchandise Volume (GMV) making Alibaba larger than Walmart ($482 billion). Walmart got started in 1962, Alibaba got started in 1999.
- 423 million annual active buyers on platform with 410 mobile monthly active users
- 24% growth in GMV and 39% growth in revenue
- Fastest growing business is cloud computing albeit on a much small base
Alibaba's comprehensive service offering led by traditional ecommerce via Tmall to factory/SMBs ecommerce via Taobao fueled by financial services and cloud computing has created unmatched scale in today's rapidly changing retail environment. The internet, mobile and China's scale have led to Alibaba creating a behemoth in just 17 years vs. Walmart's 54 years.