KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 12 — Malaysian shoppers using Taobao no longer need to rely on translation tools to navigate the popular Chinese e-commerce site, as the app is now available in English.

Powered by advanced artificial intelligence (AI) technology, all translations on the platform are now automated and customer support in both English and Chinese is available in the app to ensure efficient communication between users and the platform.

Country manager for Tmall Taobao World, Jess Lew said the new interface is developed in response to the increasing customer demand for an English language option as the app’s exclusive Chinese interface made navigation difficult for users who are not fluent in the language.

"With the launch of the Taobao beta English interface, we are thrilled to provide a platform that caters to the diverse needs of our Malaysian customers.

"This initiative is driven by the strong demand we have observed from local users and we believe it will enhance their shopping experience by minimising language barriers.

"We are committed to continuously refining the beta English interface based on customer feedback to ensure it meets the evolving needs of our users,” she said during the beta English interface launch at Elephant Resort Cafe, 1 Utama Shopping Centre here.

While the English interface is still in beta, it already offers an accessible shopping experience for new and existing users as well as detailed descriptions of items in English, estimated price conversion in Malaysian Ringgit (RM).

For Malaysian shoppers, the platform supports various payment methods such as debit and credit cards, e-wallets, online banking and even credit card instalment options.

Lew told Malay Mail that the English interface was mooted since the app made its inception into the Malaysian e-commerce market back in 2018.

However, optimal shopping experience was impeded by the persisting language barrier.

"We have had a lot of demands from Malaysian users ever since we came in.

"So this beta English interface has been in development for the past six years,” she said, adding that this signified an important milestone for both the app and Malaysian users.

Asked how this beta English interface launch would change the landscape of Malaysia’s e-commerce industry, Lew said Taobao Malaysia is committed to providing their utmost focus in having a seamless shopping experience for their users.

She also said users of the beta English interface are encouraged to submit their feedback through the app to help Taobao continuously improve its services.

The Taobao app is now available to download for free on both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.