Geely set up a flagship store on the populair e-commerce website Taobao. Taobao is eBay and Amazon together, its 300 million registred users can buy basically everything, brandnew and secondhand, from simple pencils to computers and now cars. Second-hand cars were already available trough Taobao but it is for the first time that a manufacturer sets up its own shop.

First up is the Geely-GLEagle Panda but more cars will follow if sales are good. Prices are exactly the same as prices at the dealer. Geely thinks buyers will feel more comfortable if they can spec the car up at home, instead of going to find a dealer in a windy suburb. Customers can buy directly but can also make an appointment with for a test-drive. After-sales and service will remain with local dealers.