Alibaba Group Holding is carrying out a major revamp of the webpage of its flagship e-commerce platform Taobao ahead of China’s second-largest online shopping festival, as the internet retail giant bets on an improved shopping experience to regain business momentum, reports the South China Morning Post. The overhaul, which includes the launch of new features and changes in existing functions, will be the “biggest update in seven years” of Taobao’s web version, according to a press release on Monday by Taobao and Tmall Group, Alibaba’s domestic e-commerce unit.
The group says it aims to improve the experiences of both consumers and merchants by simplifying the website’s layout and providing a smoother search and buying process.
The upgrade forms part of Alibaba’s efforts since earlier this year to attract new users and regain its top position in China’s e-commerce sector, as the Hangzhou-based company grapples with rising market competition and a difficult business restructuring that has seen two initial public offering plans scrapped.