The companies may team up to create applications through which Alibaba customers can shop online and complete those transactions through their phones, or do product price comparisons, she said.

If you wanted to know which products to display in your shop window this Christmas, why not compare the volume of search interest in each product and discover the winner?

Whether you sell at trade shows, own a bricks-and-mortar shop on the high street or sell goods online, it's invaluable to know where and when there is demand for your product.