Hongkongers who’ve been wanting to get a real feel of what Taobao furniture actually looks and feels like before they place an order will soon be able to do just that. The Mainland online shopping platform is partnering with Hong Kong-based Papabo to open a Taobao experience centre in Tsim Sha Tsui at the end of this month called PapaHome Partnered with Taobao. Customers will get the chance to check out furniture and lifestyle homeware offerings in person — something they are currently not able to do with the online-only service.
Taobao Hong Kong store details
It was previously reported that Taobao was set to open its maiden Hong Kong retail centre in early 2025 in the bustling Tsim Sha Tsui area. Now, it’s confirmed that a 25,000 square feet furniture and lifestyle homewares super store will open on the second floor China Hong Kong City — a commercial complex in TST — on February 22 this year. The new outlet will launch in collaboration with Papabo, a Hong Kong-headquarted home repair, maintenance, and renovation platform.
The Hong Kong Taobao store will combine physical and digital retail with an Online-Merge-Offline model. This will allow shoppers to get a feel of the products and scan QR codes to get detailed product information and exclusive discounts online before making their final purchase on Taobao. They will also get access to AI and AR shopping tools for a more personalised shopping experience. Store assistants will be available to answer any questions buyers may have before they place their orders.
Customers can take their pick of more than 10,000 products from more than 100 Taobao merchants selling everything from living and dining room essentials to whole house custom furniture and interior décor — all handpicked specifically for Hong Kong. Sellers include customised kitchen cabinets specialists GoldenHome Living, ceramic tiles provider Guangdong Dongpeng Holdings, creative furniture brand Mona Lisa Group, and Nordic and Japanese furniture merchant SHUZHI Design.
Other Taobao options in Hong Kong
So far, Hong Kong Taobao users have only been able to access products online via the website or app — both of which were only in Chinese until recently. Then Taobao launched an English-language interface for Hong Kong, which allowed users in the city to view product descriptions, special offers, and local currency conversions in English. However, this version doesn’t give customers access to its entire product range. Hong Kong-based shoppers can also get free shipping for orders above ¥99 (about HK$105).
Image credits: PapaHome Partnered with Taobao
