Taobao is very useful for transactions between private parties. Any individual can open a shop as long as he\she meets certain requirements.  Online shopping giant has its own escrow-based payment system Alipay, special department for tracking down and preventing suspicious activity and in provides instant messaging between buyers and sellers, for better user experience.

Taobao Mall (or Tmall) is a little bit different. It’s worth mentioning that Taobao and Tmall are not competitors, they offer solutions to different shopping needs. Tmall, as previously mentioned, is a B2C trading website, which means that the seller must be a legal entity to open a shop. The legal entity must provide all appropriate documentations to confirm genuineness and the real fact of existence of the organization, company, manufacturer or brand. These procedures are designed to eliminate dubious sellers and prevent buyers from interacting with them, making Tmall a much safer place for consumers.

There is much more to say about starting your business on Taobao or Tmall, and a series of our blog posts will deliver necessary information for foreign individuals or legal entities to help navigate the world of Chinese E-Commerce.