The Wait is Over: Taobao's First-Ever English Interface Launches in Singapore, Unlocking Endless Shopping Possibilities

The platform unlocks a new level of convenience and accessibility, bringing a world of diverse offerings right to the fingertips of users in Singapore

SINGAPORE, Sept. 10, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The popular Taobao shopping platform is launching a much-anticipated English-language interface of its app in Singapore. Starting today, on the same beloved Taobao app that many local consumers are familiar with, users who are more accustomed to communicating in English can toggle into the English interface to shop in their preferred language.

This major update highlights Taobao's dedication to serving its Singapore users, who have shown a strong desire for an English-language interface, reflecting their diverse language fluency. With the introduction of the English interface, the platform enhances accessibility for non-Chinese speakers, eliminating their need for manual translations that previously made shopping less convenient for them.

Singapore is the first market where Taobao will be introducing this new offering to, alongside neighbouring Malaysia. The Taobao English interface will offer a myriad of features for English speakers' convenience including Singapore Dollar (SGD) price conversion, product descriptions in English powered by artificial intelligence (AI), as well as a more straightforward user interface compared with the Chinese version to cater to local users' habits and offer a seamless product selection to checkout journey.

To start, the English interface will feature a curated selection of trending products. Eventually, it will feature a much wider selection of categories to ensure it gives users the variety and affordability parallel to those offered in the Chinese interface.

"We are thrilled to unveil an English interface of our app to introduce Taobao to a broader audience in Singapore. The launch is a direct response to the market demand, reflecting our commitment to improving convenience and accessibility for our users," said Jean Zhao, Country Head of Taobao Singapore. "As this is our first major initiative to serve English-speaking users, we are diligently monitoring user feedback and continuously refining the app interface to enhance the user experience based on customer insights."

"At Tmall Taobao World, our goal is to create an inclusive shopping platform that breaks geographical boundaries and provides an exceptional user experience. The Taobao English interface is a testament to our dedication to serving the diverse needs of our global customer base. We believe this launch will open up new opportunities for Singapore shoppers to discover and enjoy the great diversity of products available on Taobao," added Jianqiu Ye, General Manager of Tmall Taobao World.

In celebration of the launch of the English app interface today, Singapore consumers can enjoy the following benefits while shopping on Taobao, for a limited time only:

• New user exclusive: Up to RMB100 (approximately S$18) worth of vouchers, on either the English or the Chinese interface, on your first order on the Taobao app
• Free shipping to Singapore: Free international shipping to Singapore from China, for eligible products over RMB199 (approximately S$37)
• Free return on first order: Item(s) purchased with the 'Local Returns' label can be returned to our local warehouse within 15 days from the date of receipt. Return shipping is free for users' first return. For subsequent return requests, the return shipping fee with doorstep pick-up service is RMB20.

The Taobao app that comes with an English interface can be downloaded from the Apple App Store for iOS devices and the Google Play Store for Android devices. Users with an existing Taobao account can log in to the English interface with their existing Taobao account credentials. Users will need to update or download the latest app version on the App store to use this feature. Users' account details, including order history* and saved addresses, will be available in the English version.

For more updates, users can visit Taobao Singapore's Facebook, Instagram and TikTok social media channels or visit the Taobao app.

*Orders made prior to the English interface's launch will be displayed in Chinese.

About Taobao Singapore

Taobao Singapore aims to facilitate convenient shopping on Taobao and Tmall for consumers in Singapore. Through the Taobao app, Singapore shoppers can access billions of products, complete with logistics, payment and other services and offers tailored to their individual market needs. Taobao Singapore is part of Alibaba International Digital Commerce Group.