In the last year or so I’ve scoured Taobao inside out and upside down, and it still amazes me how many vendors appear to be doing no business whatsoever. You can view detailed information on each vendors activity and feedback, all vital when trying to source legit product. A large number of Taobao stores are operated by vendors who also have a physical store, even if it’s a clothing vendor operating out of a hole in the wall. These are the stores that tend to do very little business, if any at all.
The most successful stores are either selling a unique/niche product (denim stores for example), are brand based, or have a wide selection of products within a specific market (kitchenware for example).
Stores like THIS do big business on Taobao. It’s a low priced accessory product that doesn’t require long decision making to purchase, & lends itself perfectly to the ‘browsing to buy’ demographic. It’s also easy to operate logistically thanks to the small product size.