French flock to Chinese e-commerce bargains, hunt for ‘agent Taobao’ to deliver | South China Morning Post


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French Consumers Embrace Taobao

French shoppers, particularly younger generations, are discovering the affordability of Chinese e-commerce platform Taobao, largely through the influence of TikTok.

TikTok's Impact

TikTok videos showcasing low-priced, high-quality goods from Taobao are driving increased interest and purchases among French consumers.

A Case Study: Sara Leghtas

A French student, Sara Leghtas, highlights the appeal of Taobao, purchasing a handbag for €10 (plus €25 shipping) that arrived quickly and met her expectations.

Avoidance of Tariffs

The article also notes the broader trend of consumers seeking to buy directly from Chinese factories on platforms like Taobao to avoid Western mark-ups and tariffs.

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French student Sara Leghtas was pleasantly surprised with her first purchase on Taobao, a household e-commerce name in China that she just discovered late last month.

“Like many others, I found out about Taobao on TikTok,” the 19-year-old said. “There are tonnes of videos where people show off luxury-lookalike handbags they bought at very low prices.”

The price was indeed very low for her: €35 (US$40) in total – the bag itself was just €10, while shipping and handling cost €25.

It arrived from China to her doorstep near the French city of Dijon in less than a week.

“Given the quality of the bag and how quickly it got delivered, I think it’s absolutely worth it,” Leghtas said.

Amid heightened trade tensions between Beijing and Washington, many accounts on TikTok have been showing users how to purchase cheap goods directly from Chinese factories to avoid pricing mark-ups and tariffs.

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