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Alibaba Group has unveiled a sweeping restructuring of its consumer-facing operations, merging Taobao, Tmall, Ele.me, and Fliggy into a single entity called the Alibaba China eCommerce Group. The move aims to streamline supply chains, unify user bases, and enhance loyalty programs, while sharpening the company’s focus on artificial intelligence (AI) as a driver of growth. 

Financial Snapshot 

For the quarter ending June 30, Alibaba reported revenue of RMB247.65 billion (US$34.57 billion), up 2% year over year. Excluding divested businesses like Sun Art and Intime, revenue climbed a healthier 10%, reflecting gains in both domestic and international eCommerce operations.

  • Net income surged 76% to RMB42.38 billion (US$5.92 billion), fueled by investment gains and the sale of its Trendyol unit.
  • Operating profit fell 3% to RMB34.99 billion (US$4.88 billion), pressured by higher spending on logistics, user acquisition, and technology upgrades. 

“This quarter, we delivered solid growth. Customer management revenue from our China eCommerce business rose 10% year over year. Cloud Intelligence Group revenue growth accelerated to 26%, with AI-related product revenue maintaining triple-digit growth for the eighth consecutive quarter,” said CEO Yongming Wu during the earnings call.

Strategic Consolidation 

Taobao and Tmall, the world’s largest and second-largest online marketplaces by gross merchandise value, now sit under the new Alibaba China eCommerce Group alongside food delivery platform Ele.me and travel booking service Fliggy.

The consolidation extends beyond structure. Alibaba has also launched a tiered loyalty program linking Ele.me, Fliggy, and Amap, signaling a push to create a seamless consumer ecosystem across shopping, dining, and travel. 

“This is not simply an organizational change; it’s a major strategic investment aimed at redefining the consumer experience and unlocking long-term value across our ecosystem,” said Hong Xu, Alibaba’s head of strategy. 

The AI Imperative 

Alibaba is betting big on AI to underpin its next phase of growth. Wu noted that AI-related revenue now makes up over 20% of external customer revenue, while AI applications are boosting traditional businesses like computing and storage.

Key initiatives include:

  • Upgrading Qwen3, its foundation AI model, with advanced reasoning and coding capabilities.
  • Open-sourcing select models to encourage customer-led AI development.
  • Rolling out AI-driven consumer features such as AI-powered search and advertising on Taobao.
  • Major product updates like Amap 2025, billed as the world’s first AI-native location-based app, and an AI-driven workflow upgrade for DingTalk. 

Growth in Quick Commerce 

Alibaba is doubling down on Taobao Instant Commerce, its quick-delivery service. Monthly active users in the segment neared 300 million in August, driving a 25% increase in overall monthly active users on the Taobao app. 

Looking Ahead 

Wu emphasized that Alibaba’s roadmap centers on two pillars: consumption and AI + Cloud. 

“Over the next three years, we will focus on strategic investments in consumption and AI + Cloud to sharpen our competitive edge and fuel long-term growth,” he said. 

With its core platforms unified and AI integrated across services, Alibaba is signaling a long-term bet: that the future of eCommerce lies not just in scale, but in intelligent, ecosystem-driven consumer experiences.

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