Taobao Tmall Launches 'Lobster' Version of Business Manager on March 31: More Than Just a Tool, A 24/7 Digital Employee for Merchants

According to monitoring by 1M AI News, Taobao Tmall will gradually open the ‘Lobster’ version of its Business Manager to merchants starting March 31, establishing an Agent team for each merchant to autonomously operate their stores 24/7. Tmall President Jia Luo announced this plan at the Tmall TOPTALK Super Brand Private Meeting on March 26. Unlike the AI tools used by over 5 million merchants in the past year, the ‘Lobster’ version of the Business Manager is positioned as a ‘digital employee’ with autonomous execution capabilities, able to generate strategies, implement adjustments, monitor results, and optimize iteratively. Jiuding, General Manager of Merchant Brands at Taotian Group, provided an example: when the system detects a discrepancy between the pricing of a core hot-selling product and market trends, it will automatically formulate an adjustment plan, conduct tests, and provide feedback data, rather than merely issuing reminders. The operation aims for ‘one-click installation and activation’ to lower technical barriers. Initial features include three modules: Business Data Analysis (continuously scanning operational status, warning of risks, identifying opportunities), Material and Advertising Optimization (generating personalized display content, automatically testing ad combinations), and Intelligent Shopping Guidance (understanding users’ potential needs and making precise recommendations). The platform will subsequently work with merchants and service providers to enrich its skill set. Additionally, Tmall announced several operational initiatives for 2026: investing 10 billion yuan in ‘Store AI Red Envelopes’ to automatically issue time-limited discounts to high-potential new customers; launching ‘Intelligent Ad Follow-up’ to increase platform investment in well-performing merchant ads; and preparing 60 billion yuan in dedicated traffic support for new product launches. Jia Luo also revealed that the 88VIP membership has nearly reached 60 million, with half of the sales from top Tmall brands contributed by 88VIP members.