Share this article
Chinese shopping platform Taobao is becoming increasingly popular among homeowners. Whether talking about furniture or home finishes, both options are available to purchase via the online e-commerce website, and then shipped over to Singapore (at cost-effective prices).
China’s largest shopping marketplace has been around for more than two decades, founded back in 2003. It is owned by Alibaba. It’s reported that Taobao now has over 800 million monthly active users. When it first entered the market, a big selling point was that it was designed as a consumer-to-consumer (C2C) platform. This meant that consumers were selling their affordable products directly to consumers at great prices. Not shops to consumers.
Today, they have three business models:
- Supply Chain Partner
- Merchant Network
- Taobao Shops
Fast forward to 2013, and Taobao launched in Southeast Asia, the same year international shipping became available to Singaporeans.
Is Taobao the same as Shopee, Lazada or Amazon?
Yes, and no. In terms of safety, it is as safe as ordering from Shopee or Lazada. Sometimes, you take a gamble. For example, consumers have ordered off Shopee and the item is not exactly as described, or has been damaged in the delivery process. It’s the risk you take.
All are e-commerce shopping platforms that allow consumers to sell directly to consumers. Amazon, Shopee and Lazada have now linked with businesses that operate their official store via the website. If you hop onto Jo Malone’s official Singapore website, the only way to do your shopping is by clicking on their direct link to Lazada, where they sell their products. Other major brands like Smeg or Philips’ official stores are accessible via Lazada and Shopee.
SMEG Official store on Lazada.
Shopee and Lazada offer faster delivery times, as the majority of suppliers are local Singaporean.
How to use Taobao in English?
Up until 2024, Taobao was only available in Chinese. Due to its popularity, it launched an official English-language interface when downloading the Taobao app (changeable in account settings). Or you can now swap the language settings to English via a drop-down menu when accessing the website through a web browser.
Taobao Singapore Website
When shopping on Taobao from Singapore, there is now a Singapore domain.
Notice that many consumer reviews are still in Chinese. Luckily, that can be easily resolved with a translator.
Create an Account
The next important step is to create a user account. You will not be able to browse products until you set up a user account.
Shipping costs are free for Singaporeans for all orders over $35. Alipay is the preferred payment method, though you can easily link a Singaporean credit card too.
Pros and Cons of using Taobao
Considering using Taobao to give your home a makeover or for your next home renovation? Long-standing Taobao veteran, Mrs Kwee, shared some insightful tips with us.
Taobao Advantages
1. Find inspiration via Taobao reels
Taobao has an official Instagram page for its China and Singapore platforms. Find inspiration via actual consumer reels, officially uploaded to the Taobao Instagram page. For TikTok, use the TikTok Discover feed: Buying from Taobao.
“Even the snack cabinet is inspired by some reels I came across when I was looking for stuff on Taobao,” says Mrs Kwee, who used the snack cabinet as a design reference at a later stage in their home renovation.
2. Product image scanning
Are your Pinterest boards overflowing with ideas and inspirations for your next home renovation? If there’s a particular item you’d love for your home, take advantage of Taobao’s product image search feature, accessed via the camera icon on the homepage’s search bar. Using AI functions, once you upload your image, it scans the image and provides similar product options.
3. Affordable Pricing and Flash Sales
One of Taobao’s biggest USPs is product prices. Discover hundreds of household items, furniture and home finishings for a fraction of the price compared to major brand names.
Flash sales and coupon offers are extremely common. Taobao Singapore’s biggest sale dates are June 1-18 and November 1-11.
Taobao Disadvantages
1. Interior Designer Hesitation
“It’s hard to find an interior designer who will use Taobao fixtures in their carpentry work,” explains homeowner Mrs Kwee. “In Singapore, not all IDs are open to helping clients using Taobao finishes. So, either they charge a very high installation fee, or carpenters are quite resistant to doing the work.”
Mrs Kwee further explains that many Taobao products, finishes and furniture boast a modern design. For example, one part of her kitchen backsplash, which she bought from Taobao, is completely magnetic. Not all carpenters are familiar with some of the more modernised designs, which causes further reservations.
Mr and Mrs Kwee paired with E Modern Interior Design for their home renovation, and the interior designer was willing to work with their Taobao-bought finishings.
2. Misleading Quality
Similar to platforms like Shein and Temu, you cannot be 100% sure of product quality until it arrives. This includes delivery quality and after-sales service. It’s a chance you have to be willing to take.
3. Scams
Watch out for scams. Product pages can be loaded with fake reviews, or photos can be AI-generated.