Taobao, the Mainland Chinese e-commerce giant, has launched an interface for English-speaking users of its app in Hong Kong. The move, which comes just before Chinese New Year, will allow customers to read product descriptions, find out about discounts, and get local currency conversions in English — features that were earlier only accessible to users proficient in Chinese. It now takes only a few taps to switch to the English interface.
How to get Taobao in English in Hong Kong
Until recently, the only way to shop on Taobao in English was by using tools like Google Translate on the platform’s website or app. Now, non-Chinese speakers who want to use Taobao in English first need to download the app, create an account, open the homepage, and follow these five steps:
- Select the ‘我的淘宝’ (My Taobao) icon on the bottom right of the screen
- Tap on the gearbox icon (‘设置’/Settings) on the top right of the ‘我的淘宝’ page
- Select ‘国家/地区、语言、货币’ (Country, language, currency), which is the fifth option from the top
- Tap on ‘语言’ (language), which is the second option from the top
- Select ‘English’ and confirm
Once this is done, users should be able to scroll through products in a variety of categories in English, use the photo or screenshot search option, and view account settings in English. However, customers who previously used the Chinese-only version of the app may now find that some saved products may not be available in the English version.
Other Taobao English versions
Last year, Taobao launched an English interface for Singapore users that has a vast selection of categories that are reported to be similar to the platform’s offerings in Mainland China. This came after they opened a physical store at the Lion City’s Funan Mall in 2019 along with an authorised local partner.
Taobao launched their official Hong Kong website in 2013 and, nearly 10 years later, introduced a Hong Kong Furniture Channel to give SAR-based customers the option of personalising furniture and getting large-size purchases installed. Last year, they started free shipping to the city for orders over ¥99 and purchased a 40,000 square feet space in Tsim Sha Tsui to open the first Taobao store in Hong Kong.
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