U.K. retailer Marks and Spencer Group plc plans to close its store on Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.'s Tmall e-commerce platform, which will end its presence in the mainland China market.

"Following a strategic review of our international business, we are closing our M&S Tmall store soon," the company said in a notice posted on the e-commerce portal, which is offering a clearance sale.

M&S announced in November 2016 that it would exit China along with several other international markets due to ongoing losses, and closed its 10 brick-and-mortar locations in the country in 2017. The company first entered China in 2008 with a store in Shanghai.

It also recently sold the M&S retail business in Hong Kong and Macau to Dubai-based conglomerate Al-Futtaim, following talks that began in August 2017.

The retailer plans to reduce the number of wholly-owned stores while shifting its focus to more franchise and joint venture partnerships.