The looming war between Alibaba and Amazon

Alibaba has been one of the best-performing mega-cap stocks of the year, surging 100%. Most recently, they had a blockbuster quarterly earnings report, and hedge fund manager David Tepper took a large stake in the company. It's now closing the gap on Amazon, another rapidly-growing tech giant. Business Insider executive editor Sara Silverstein compares the two companies, then discusses just how high Alibaba's stock price can go as it attempts to expand more into international markets — which is when it'll start to compete more directly with Amazon.

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When I hear the idiotic comments about Alibaba being a Chinese knockoff, I really don't understand why they think that everything is all copied from Amazon. It's a legitimate business that took off on its own. No one would ever question if Burger King was a knockoff of McDonald, because they obviously didn't copy McDonald, yet when it comes to something from China, everyone immediately starts slandering it. Because? Stereotyping and biased thinking from the 1970's.

[Username-ornr]

I don't care which one as long as I get my delivery...

[将軍九八.彁]

I'm sure Yahoo's happy about Alibaba's success.

[mustafagenius]

How can you make comperison, when one of these companies rely on the other? Amazon they can't sell anything unless alibaba supply to them, those companies are not same style business, I can compere Amazon to JD

[iMadrid]

Who audits Alibaba? Chinese businesses are notorious for cooking their books. I'm not saying Alibaba is doing it but it's a possibility to drive their stock price up.

[masonw]

I've never even herd of alibaba until now

[vovasoft]

"When they will go international". Isn't Amazon already operating internationally​

[ggarzagarcia]

Jack Ma is getting the big bucks lately.

[InfernoBlade]

Surprising how Walmart isn't Amazon's biggest rival

[TheForresterOD]

The profit margins tell the story. Should something tectonic happen, Alibaba has the cash to weather the storm, whereas Amazon would sink into (further?) debt

[Boristien]

Amazon actually cares about people. They are reliable and are safe and look how they are fixing whole foods. Hope they continue to strive

[frosty]

People buy stuff off Alibaba to turn around and sell it on Amazon for a 1000% mark-up

[bonusman]

Different business baba you have to buy huge quantity usually, not for consumers as much.

[amanpanda]

Okay, correct me if i am wrong, one thing that strikes me here is Alibaba has been successful because of Chinese policies defining how MNCs invest in China while Amazon is more free in its approach and bold to compete in new markets thus their low margin and growth rate. Also, countries like India which only in the recent past have seen e commerce sites mushrooming haven't been exploited because of the low internet penetration in rural and semi rural areas. Given the fact Alibaba's is mostly pandering and catering to China whose economy has shown a transiston towards more stable hub and lower spendings isn't totally plausible that Alibaba's business model may not help it grow as much as it would desire.

[Deconomiks]

It's good for us the consumers. 😀😀😀

[stantonmick]

Alibaba is the parent company of Taobao, which is the retail solution to everything in China. It's so pervasive that retail stores resemble the way consumers treated CD stores in the late 90s, as experience centres for the most part, especially because Chinese retail has absurd markup in physical locations. On top of that, the government has given it full blessings and is likely a major shareholder, or has officials who are A class shareholders.

[daffamih]

There's no war, amazon brings in 6 times more revenue than Alibaba

[shasha]

Bought many items from both, while cheaper, alibaba still have that am-i-gonna-get-scam-this-time issue.

[lusuolan]

So many amazon fanboys trying to defend amazon.

[rolo]

Jajajajajajaja amazon vs alibaba. Nigga the basicly work together. Lots of people private label and/or wholesale in amazon but they get there products from alibaba