The most prominent feature of the shopping guide platform model is light operation. Specifically, the platform adopting this model will focus on two aspects: platform traffic and commodity transactions.
In terms of traffic, in order to accumulate more users, the platform will gain attention through consultation promotion, price comparison, user rebates, overseas shopping exchange forums, etc.; in terms of commodity transactions, users can click on the link on the platform interface to communicate their demand information with overseas B2C e-commerce or professional purchasing agents to purchase overseas commodities. Many platforms will combine overseas C2C purchasing agents to provide consumers with more commodity choices and ensure commodity supply.
Therefore, based on the transaction level analysis, the shopping guide or rebate platform model is similar to combining the overseas shopping B2C model with the purchasing agent C2C model. During the operation process, the platform adopting this model links the product marketing information of overseas B2C e-commerce to the platform interface. After the transaction is completed, the platform will receive a certain percentage of compensation from the B2C e-commerce (generally 5 to 10 percentage points). Then, the platform will return part of the profit to the consumer.
Advantages: The model is light, with information resources as the main focus, and the operation is relatively easy. Platform traffic can quickly accumulate user base, and analyze and grasp market demand based on this.
Disadvantages: Based on the perspective of long-term development, there will be many complex situations in the process of expanding business, and it is necessary to pay attention to the integration of other resources. The management ability of the supply chain is relatively low; the requirements for the operating entity are relatively loose, and the competition is fierce. If the user base cannot be accumulated in a short period of time, it is likely to be eliminated by the market.
Typical representatives: 55 Haitao.com, Haitaoju, Yitao.com affiliated to Alibaba, American Cheap Goods, Extrabux, Geek Haitao.com, etc.
In 2011, 55 Haitao was established. The platform integrates shopping guides, Haitao forums and consumer rebates to provide domestic consumers with consulting services on overseas shopping. By 2015, the user scale of the website was close to 200,000.
Yitao.com also launched a special Haitao purchasing service in the third quarter of 2014. After users have chosen the products, they can either shop online by themselves or use a purchasing agent service and hand over this task to Yitao.com. Then, overseas B2C operators will send the products to consumers.
From a macro perspective, most platforms that adopt this model can maintain their own operations, but it is still very difficult for them to exceed 1 million daily active users. In order to achieve this effect, they need to cooperate with other platforms or adopt mergers and acquisitions.