If you live in China there is a big chance that you buy a lot of things in Taobao.com. In my family we buy at least 3 times a week items on the site because it’s so convenient and service is generally very good. Taobao started off as the Ebay of China, but it has evolved as something much more advanced and is now the biggest online market place in the country.
Everybody can set up a shop there and almost everything you can imagine is for sale on the site. Also goods that you can’t buy in regular shops in China. For example, I ordered my first pair of Vibram Fivefingers there before the running shoe brand started selling in China. And when new Apple gadgets come out that are not for sale in China yet I normally order them on Taobao.
One of the very few things that I miss in China is a Dutch chocolate milk brand called Chocomel. It’s hard to find outside Holland, and it’s certainly not for sale in China. But guess what, on Taobao you can now buy the hot chocolate version! You will need a Senseo coffee machine for this and instead of coffee pads you can put the chocomel pads in. You get the original Dutch packaging and it’s delivered right away. We tried it out this weekend and the taste is quite good. One more reason to love Taobao!