Looking ahead, Alibaba's growth strategy includes appealing to consumers—outside China—and familiarizing the globe with its brand, and site offerings. A virtual bazaar of stuff, Alibaba's platforms allow consumers and businesses to buy and sell virtually anything from luxury leather jackets to prefabricated container homes. "Alibaba has a better business model than Amazon, because Alibaba doesn't have anything invested in inventory," said Bert Dohmen, president of Dohmen Capital Research on "Closing Bell." "So in a recession they can withstand it much better than a company like Amazon."