Chinese e-commerce giant Taobao’s first brick-and-mortar furniture store in Hong Kong, a collaboration with local home improvement platform Papabo, opened its doors on February 22, 2025, at China Hong Kong City. The 25,000-square-foot “PapaHome Partnered with Taobao” store, stocked with over 10,000 items, has drawn curious crowds—but not without growing pains.
Shoppers Embrace “Touch Before You Buy”
For first-time visitor Pauline Lau, who recently purchased a home on Lamma Island, the store offered relief from the risks of online shopping. “I’m not really an online shopper, but I’ve bought things on Taobao before,” said Lau, “it’s very interesting to see whether this store has alternatives from IKEA.”
While browsing sectional sofas and dining sets with her neighbour Caroline Cannac, Lau emphasised the value of physical interaction. “Trying out, seeing, and feeling textures, fabrics, and materials of those pieces of furniture are better. You can’t have these experiences when shopping online,” said Lau, recalling past disappointments with online purchases, “we’ve made the mistake of buying things on Taobao, and it was nothing like the picture.”
Cannac, a self-described Taobao addict, praised the store’s curated room displays. “It’s the first time I’ve seen kitchen and bedroom designs assembled together, not just a bed or a stove in online pictures,” said Cannac, “it gives you ideas about what you can do to your home.”
Price and Waiting Time Concerns
Despite the enthusiasm, shoppers also questioned the store’s value. Lau noted that in-store prices seemed higher than online. “The things here are more expensive than what I’ve seen on Taobao so far,” said Lau. “Next time, if I know early that I need to queue up, I won’t do it. I’ll change my destination to IKEA,” said Cannac, criticizing the 40-minute queue to enter.
The store’s part-time sales associate, Tim Huen, acknowledged the complaints. “Customers have told me if they continue to queue this long, they won’t return,” said Huen, restocking a display table.
Staff Navigate OMO Challenges
The store’s Online-Merge-Offline (OMO) model, which lets customers scan QR codes to purchase items online after testing them in-store, has faced logistical hurdles.
Huen explained that staff are trained via WhatsApp updates. “The manager posts product info in our group so that we can answer customer questions,” said Huen. Still, Huen admitted inventory gaps, saying, “Some goods here are out of stock—you can only buy them on Taobao’s website. I think this can be improved so customers can get items immediately after trying them.”
Huen also observed trends in customer preferences. “Gaming chairs, sofa beds, and rocking chairs on the ‘entertaining’ side of the shop are more appealing,” said Huen.
A New Competitor in Hong Kong’s Furniture Market
The store’s launch taps into a gap in Hong Kong’s crowded homeware market, dominated by IKEA and local chains like Pricerite.
Except IKEA, where can we go to buy furniture?”
-Caroline Cannac
Taobao’s partnership with Papabo merges the e-commerce giant’s vast inventory with Papabo’s localized design expertise. Yet, the store’s success may hinge on addressing early critiques—particularly wait times and pricing transparency.
What’s Next
The store, located on the second floor of China Hong Kong City, operates daily from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Whether it becomes a staple for Hong Kong’s homeowners—or a lesson in the challenges of hybrid retail—remains to be seen.
For more details, visit Taobao’s Hong Kong official website or follow @PapaHome.hk on social media.