October 2014
61
T
here’s a retail revolution
taking place on a computer
screen somewhere near
you – a shoppers’ paradise
where every conceivable item can
be bought at knock-down prices and
shipped straight to your door, often
within a day or two. Often described
as “the Amazon of China”, internet
shopping giant Taobao has changed
the way that the PRC shops for ever.
But, for many of Hong Kong’s non-
Chinese speakers, this monolithic
website can seem totally impenetrable
from the outside. With the help of
some seasoned Taobao-ers, we’re
picking apart China’s most talked-
about website and watching the
bargains roll in.
The basics
First up: the facts. According to
web traffic experts Alexa, Taobao
Marketplace is now one of the top
ten most visited websites in the world,
a fact made even more remarkable
when you consider that the majority
of the products are targeted at just
three countries – China, Hong Kong
and Taiwan. As of March 2013,
Taobao offered around 760 million
individual product listings across just
about every imaginable category,
including clothing, electronics, home
furnishings, cosmetics, baby goods…
the list goes on, almost indefinitely.
So, how does it work? Operating
somewhere between Amazon and
eBay, Taobao sellers list products
online, for sale either at a fixed price
or by auction. Buyers can view a
seller’s previous feedback via a points
rating that is similar to eBay, and
communicate directly with them
via the site’s own instant messaging
service. Once the details of a purchase
are agreed upon, payment is made
online using Alipay, Taobao’s own
third-party payment service that
operates in a similar way to PayPal,
giving an added layer of security
to the transaction. The buyer then
awaits delivery, and, as the majority
of sellers are based in mainland
China, shipping may be via China
Post or courier, with fees calculated
accordingly. Sister website Tmall
operates under the Taobao umbrella,
offering big brand names such as Nike,
Samsung, Nine West and Procter
& Gamble a storefront to sell their
goods alongside the individual sellers,
making for a one-stop online shopping
experience for the buyer.
However, although there are
now translated listings available for
certain South East Asian countries,
English is conspicuous by its absence,
and so English speakers wanting a
piece of the action need to be creative
when it comes to navigating this
internet behemoth.
Ask the experts
One way to do this is to employ the
services of a Taobao agent – usually,
native Chinese speakers who navigate
the complexities of the vast website in
return for a small fee. Hong Kong-
based Jenny Jiang runs a Taobao
sourcing service via Facebook (www.
facebook.com/groups/taobaobuyer),
and helps Hong Kong shoppers
with an ever-increasing volume of
purchases. “Kids’ stuff, bedding and
outdoor furniture are all great Taobao
buys, with far better prices and quality
than in Hong Kong,” she explains.
“You can often get at least a 30 per
cent discount on items that originate
