Shopaholics Unite!: 5 Websites You Can Use to Shop That Aren't Taobao

Tracy Wang, Senior Editor | Aug 3, 2017 1:00 pm | Add a comment | 4518 reads

Most of us are constantly battling the desire to shop online more. Check your office's front desk, and tell us: is there a single day when no parcel is delivered? It isn't just on 11.11 or Black Friday, Taobao and other shopping websites are really becoming an intrinsic part of our daily shopping habits. We know that Taobao and Tmall can be a tad difficult if you don't have your Alipay set up (click here to see how to set it up easily), and if you're too embarrassed to beg your friends to order for you, here’s a roundup of some alternative retail portals.

Or, if you've already seen everything on Taobao, there's always more shopping to be done on these platforms!

JD 京东
For: Everything

Maybe this is a bit of a controversial statement, but JD sometimes surpasses Taobao as our go-to online shopping website, thanks to its on-time delivery (sometimes too fast), trustworthy and high-quality products, and good value. You can get most of your daily necessities here – mineral water, snacks, soap, toilet paper, electronics (a new fridge, a new TV, phones, an Xbox; you name it, JD has it), and books. JD also has some pretty amazing deals. Normally, if you put your order in by 3pm, you can get the delivery on the same day, and there's a cash-on-delivery option.

READ: How to JD.com: Create an Account, Order a Fan (etc.), and Pay Cash On Delivery

Amazon 亚马逊
For: Everything

Founded in 2000, Joyo was one of the earliest online shopping websites in China before it was bought by Amazon. It has a huge selection of books, software, food, clothing, cosmetics, and gifts, and is still your best bet for getting official ebooks for your Kindle. When some goods are out of stock on JD, Amazon is a good alternative at the same price. Since 2014, it has also offered the option of delivering goods from foreign Amazon websites directly to your doorstep in China. And as is the case in America, there's a Prime delivery service (RMB 188 per year) for unlimited free delivery and other privileges. Foreign credit cards are accepted, and you can also pay cash on delivery.

YHD 1号店
For: Groceries

If you consider Amazon your go-to source for all things entertainment, then YHD, or Yihaodian, is your online grocery store. Based in Shanghai, YHD has been around since 2008 when it was bought by Walmart, and has since 2016 it has belonged to JD. The things they sell are similar to the selection at Walmart, Carrefour, or your local neighborhood Jingkelong, and there’s no delivery fee if your purchase is over RMB 99. There are also cosmetics, clothing, and electronics, but the main reason we come here is for food.

Dangdang 当当
For: Books

Think of it as the alternative to Amazon for books. Before JD became popular, Dangdang was a head-to-head rival of Amazon when it came to online book shopping. Dangdang, which has been around since 1999, focuses on books and was the first B2C online shopping website to go public on the New York Stock Exchange in 2010, but due to poor sales after branching out to cover more categories, it was delisted in 2016.

Gome 国美/Suning 苏宁
For: Electronics

Started in 1981 (offline, of course) Gome was the first shop to sell domestic electronics in Beijing. It now has more than 1,600 stores operating in 256 of China's cities. Their online store opened in 2011, and mainly specializes in electronics such as phones, fridges, cameras, computers, TVs, and air conditioners.

Suning, somewhat similar to Gome, was first opened in Nanjing as a store selling air conditioning units. It now has over 1,600 stores in China. Both Suning and Gomes provide the order-online-and-pick-up service, as well as delivery with the option to pay upon receipt. These last two are really struggling under the successes of Taobao and JD, but they are alternatives for those who want to see and feel the product and then decide.