Online auction site Taobao.com, a division of the Alibaba Group in China, released key metrics for the first half of 2007. Taobao's transaction volume, or gross merchandise volume (GMV), for the first half of year 2007 rose to over RMB15.7 billion (US$2.06 billion), almost double the amount for the first half of 2006.

By mid-year, there were approximately 75 million online product listings on Taobao per day, a 100 percent increase from the same period of 2006. Taobao's number of registered users reached 39.9 million by the end of June 2007, an 80 percent increase from that of the first half year 2006 and accounting for nearly all Internet shoppers in China, the company said.

An increasing number of large retailers, official dealers and famous brands are opening specialized shops on Taobao. In the first half of 2007, 7,827 manufacturers applied to open Taobao shops in "Taobao Mall," a special section of the site dedicated to large retailers and brands. Joining Taobao Mall are global brands such as P&G, Apple, Motorola and Logitech International, joining leading local brands such as Lining, which opened a shop on Taobao.com in 2006.

Taobao released the top selling products on its site for the first half year of 2007:

Mobile phone
Household commodities
Cosmetics
Notebook computer
Mobile phone recharge card
Computer hardware
Coat
Camera
Exercise equipment
Food