Tesla has made a big move to launch on Alibaba’s TMall. They are offering test-drives at a local dealership near you, and accessories for their different models (though I didn't see this part live when I looked). Again this is another thing you would never see on Amazon in the US.

I also think Western audiences always compare Alibaba to only Amazon. Here, I think Alibaba's functionality shows a super-interesting roadmap not for Amazon but for someone I believe could be more brand-friendly:

Google

Google has traditionally segmented their experiences -ads, website builder, cloud, blog software, and many are not maintained well. Alibaba integrates all those things into an expansive vision. I always admire how much flexibility Alibaba gives brands to build their experience online. Unless you are even looking closely, you can sometimes not also tell you are on TMall - the brand gets so much control over what's going on.

Alibaba because they are so brand-friendly, they are a place that every brand wants to be. Particularly in these times. How to get in front of all the Chinese consumers when many of them are not going out as much as they were before?