China's e-commerce giant rolls out its first U.S. shop

China's e-commerce giant rolls out its first U.S. shop
(Image credit: 11 Main/Provided)

Alibaba, the Chinese e-commerce giant that's bigger than Amazon and eBay combined, is quietly entering the U.S. market today. Called 11 Main, the company's U.S. website is starting off as an invite-only storefront featuring roughly 2,000 upscale items from American specialty shops and boutiques.

Analysts see the store as a small, but significant step in Alibaba's attempt to gain a foothold in the lucrative American marketplace. "U.S. e-commerce is crowded and relies on high marketing expenses to rise above the clutter," Forrester analyst Sucharita Mulpuru told AP. "We'll see if they live up to expectations."

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Jordan Valinsky is the lead writer for Speed Reads. Before joining The Week, he wrote for New York Observer's tech blog, Betabeat, and tracked the intersection between popular culture and the internet for The Daily Dot. He graduated with a degree in online journalism from Ohio University.