For my country’s cross-border e-commerce industry, how to complete the logistics and distribution links more efficiently and quickly, so as to bring consumers the ultimate shopping experience, is a key issue that cross-border e-commerce practitioners need to solve. Specifically, the pain points faced by the cross-border e-commerce logistics industry at this stage mainly include the following:
Pain point 1: Long delivery time
On May 7, 2013, the AliExpress platform announced that the longest promised arrival time for parcels sent to Russia was adjusted from 60 days to 90 days, which means that the longest delivery cycle for Russian market users shopping on the AliExpress platform will reach 3 months. In the Internet era where products, especially electronic products, are updated so quickly, 3 months is enough for some brands to complete the upgrading of their products.
According to the data provided by cross-border e-commerce sellers, the average delivery cycle for sending parcels to Russia, Brazil and other places using China Post Small Parcels or Hong Kong Small Parcels is 40 to 90 days. Even if using slightly faster dedicated logistics, the average delivery time is 16 to 35 days. The long delivery cycle not only affects the shopping experience of overseas consumers, but also poses a huge obstacle to the development of my country’s cross-border e-commerce industry.
Pain point 2: The package cannot be tracked throughout the process
If it is in the domestic area, consumers can use professional package query websites or APP applications to understand the delivery status of the package anytime and anywhere. However, cross-border e-commerce logistics also involves overseas delivery links. After many packages are sent overseas, sellers basically lose the ability to track them. This problem is particularly serious in countries that use small languages and have underdeveloped logistics.
To achieve full tracking of cross-border packages, in addition to improving the level of informatization of overseas logistics and distribution links, it is also necessary to achieve seamless docking between domestic logistics and distribution networks and synchronize logistics information in real time, so as to achieve full tracking of cross-border packages. However, in terms of the current level of logistics development, I am afraid there is still a long way to go.
Pain point 3: Damage or even loss of packages
In the current cross-border logistics model dominated by postal parcels, package damage or even loss often occurs. Cross-border parcel delivery using the postal system often requires 4 to 5 turnovers before it finally reaches the hands of consumers. The complex and cumbersome delivery process can easily lead to problems with the package. This not only has a negative impact on consumers’ shopping experience, but also significantly increases the seller’s investment costs.
In addition, the overseas warehouses that have begun to emerge in the past two years have also provided important support for solving the pain points of cross-border logistics and distribution. Cross-border e-commerce platforms and logistics service providers have successively established storage centers that integrate warehousing, distribution, and after-sales services in overseas markets. In the European and American markets where the logistics system is very developed, establishing overseas warehouses has become the mainstream development trend of large cross-border e-commerce platforms and sellers.
It is foreseeable that in the future there will be more abundant and diverse cross-border e-commerce logistics formats to provide cross-border e-commerce sellers and overseas consumers with better logistics services. At that time, the domestic cross-border e-commerce industry will usher in explosive growth.