The competition has been tough but not detrimental as most shops manage to retain some 80 percent of their customers. As the Taipei market is gradually nearing saturation, shops are fanning out into less urbanized places like Chiayi, Nantou and Tainan to cater to the country gentry. Very few of them have gone out of business, as Lu, at Second Hand Brand Goods, observed. Hsiao Chiao does not worry about competition.
"In the long run, some shops may be driven out of competition, but in the near future, the market only grows bigger, because there will be more and new brands and everyone is starting to use designer brands," she said.
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