Taobao.com (淘寶), China’s largest online shopping Web site, has partnered with FamilyMart (全家) convenience store chain to launch a pick-up service in Taiwan, the chain announced yesterday.
FamilyMart said it is the first convenience store chain in Taiwan to offer a cross-border pick-up service, which is expected to boost the growth of its pick-up service by more than 10 percent.
Convenience store pick-up services have become increasingly popular among online buyers and sellers because there is no time constraint and they are less costly, FamilyMart president Chang Ren-dun (張仁敦) said.
Photo: Yang Ya-min, Taipei Times
The business opportunities provided by Taiwan’s online shopping stores are estimated to be worth NT$100 billion (US$3.39 billion) a year, he said.
Daphne Lee (李芃君), director of overseas business for Taobao.com, said that demand for the company’s products is growing in Taiwan, where Taobao.com has 800,000 members.
With nearly 2,900 stores across the nation, FamilyMart offers buyers a more convenient service for online shopping, Lee said.
Under the arrangement that took effect yesterday, customers in Taiwan can choose the pick-up service after they place their orders with Taobao.com, with an estimated delivery time of four to seven days, she said, adding that buyers will be able to track their orders and get delivery information.
In Taiwan, one out of every seven people has used a convenience store pick-up service at least once, according to freight logistics services.
The nation’s four major convenience store chains handle more than 1 million packages a month, and the market for online shopping pick-up services is estimated at NT$500 million a year, freight companies said.
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