ChinaKnowledge reported McDonald's will launch a presence on Alibaba's TaoBao online auction site in China where it will sell such products as consumer electronics, mobile phones and cosmetics. McDonald's has a presence in China with over 1,000 restaurants and said last week it had plans to open another 500 stores in China over the next three years.

It's not the first time a fast-food chain has partnered with an online auction site. eBay entered into a multi-year agreement with Burger King Corporation in 2001, creating the first eBay-based loyalty program in the fast-food industry. Burger King customers earned points that they could deposit, track and spend on a co-branded website on items such as CDs, concert tickets and other entertainment experiences from AOL Time Warner. The companies used online and offline marketing programs to promote the loyalty program.

Note that U.S. consumers can currently purchase McDonald's-branded merchandise online through a link on the McDonald's website administered by Integrated Merchandising Systems