Which company operates the Chinese online retail platform Tmall?

Alibaba Group operates Tmall, the Chinese online retail platform for brands and merchants.

Tmall began in 2008 as Taobao Mall, a business-to-consumer extension of Alibaba’s Taobao marketplace. It was designed for established Chinese and international brands, distinguishing it from Taobao’s broader consumer-to-consumer marketplace. The name later changed to Tmall, reflecting the Chinese name Tianmao, meaning “sky cat.”

A common mix-up is treating Tmall as a separate rival company. It is a platform within Alibaba’s wider ecosystem, alongside Taobao, Alibaba.com, AliExpress, and other services. Tmall also differs from Alibaba.com: Alibaba.com primarily connects businesses for wholesale trade, while Tmall focuses on retail sales to consumers. The platform supports branded storefronts, marketing tools, and payments through Alibaba-owned Alipay.