By now, everyone has probably heard of Taobao– this holy grail is an online shopping platform which allows you to buy cheap items from China and delivers it to your doorstep. With clothes and makeup ranging from $2 - $5 and a whole 20cm x 50cm table costing only $5, this great deal appears as a steal. But, how did Taobao get this popular and why are people so addicted to it?
Taobao originated from a subgroup of Alibaba which launched in May of 2003. Initially, Taobao was created to compete with eBay with its consumer to consumer service, which allows small businesses and individuals to interact with consumers. In addition, sellers are able to price their products at a fixed price or hold auctions on exclusive merchandise/reselling. The range of what you can purchase is very vast, from unique birthday presents, to a house and car seats, it’s up to you to scroll though your preferences in order to find the thing you are looking for. Combining this feature with an endless scrolling platform similar to Tiktok, you have yourself a pretty good application where consumers like myself will browse for hours on end. This leads us to adding more and more unnecessary items to our cart which we impulsively buy.
Why is it so tempting to purchase items on Taobao? After some reflection, I was able to observe several different tactics that the app uses to keep you enticed.
Firstly, even though there is an English typeface, I found myself using the Chinese typeface more because there seems to be a wider range of products in the Chinese version. This aids in the fact that I’m more exposed to an extensive amount of products which’ll lead to me buying something. Another important factor is that the currency Taobao uses is the Chinese Yuan. With my quick math skills, 7CN¥ is roughly equivalent to $1. However, there are times where I disregard the price and by default, underestimate the cost of items.
Secondly, the algorithm knows what you want. Once you search up something specific, Taobao will remember and in the homepage, you’ll find more similar items relating to the searched item. The more you use Taobao, the more it’s catered to your needs and wants.
Thirdly, once the item you bought arrived a week or two later, the dopamine rush overwhelms your brain, convincing you to purchase more and more things. Maybe it could be different for you, but in my experience, I tend to end up buying and buying until my room is cluttered with trinkets and the closet is filled with clothes.
Lastly, I would like to mention the low-priced goods and how affordable pretty much everything is. This plays a major role in how so many people end up purchasing from the app because everything is cheaper when compared to the stores available in the area.
Overall, with all of these amazing strategies, it’s no wonder how we are all turning into Taobao-obsessed people. Slowly but surely, everything we own is from Taobao, as well as our ever depleting wallet. I am well aware of the low-priced equals with low quality, and there are potential scammers, so shop safely everyone. ٩( ᐛ )و
In my experience, I’ve had above-average satisfaction in regards to my review. One of the more notable aspects of Taobao is that, since I can communicate with the sellers; via Google Translate, I am able to obtain customizable items like stamps and photocards for my art business. Most of the sellers I’ve spoken to are fairly kind, although one or two are a bit rude and might ghost you. However, they reply relatively quickly.
I haven’t had any of my orders gone missing, with the average wait time of two weeks. Although some items do arrive 3-4 weeks later, which gets me worried. There is a way to track your order, however once it arrives in Cambodia, you can’t track it anymore. My older sister, Ravin, has had 3-4 of her items missing. She brushes it off saying that the items are fairly cheap, but money lost is money lost. It’s likely because she is more of a Taobao-holic than me.
Once there was a cockroach inside of a package. The overall hygiene maintenance rating is not great. I suspect the warehouse usually keeps the items in an area filled with rats due to the pungent smell. But due to the low cost, it is what it is.
I hope that you found this article insightful enough to rethink your impulsive decisions when ordering something off of Taobao. I will most likely never stop ordering from Taobao due to its affordability and convenience, yet I must shop smartly. If the price is too low, that’s too fishy. Whereas, the more expensive the item is, the higher the chance you get yourself a good product. It’s a gamble really.