Although Alibaba's commerce revenue is mostly domestic (92 per cent in 2016-17), it is notable for being a large e-commerce firm based in a developing economy with considerable scope to grow its cross-border activities. They also facilitate searches for products, help verifying quality and reputation, and help to match consumer preferences to products. New technologies can thereby reduce trade costs by reducing transportation and storage costs, but also by reducing time to transport, as well as the uncertainty of delivery times due to better logistics.