1. Online delivery and offline delivery
Online delivery is a logistics service system created by a cross-border e-commerce platform in conjunction with a number of high-quality third-party logistics providers. Sellers can directly select logistics solutions online in the cross-border e-commerce backend using online delivery. Logistics providers will pick up the goods at their doorsteps (or sellers can send the goods to logistics providers’ warehouses) and deliver the goods abroad. Online delivery has the advantages of enjoying seller protection policies, lower freight, convenient payment, stable channels, and faster timeliness. Offline delivery is relative to online delivery. In addition to online logistics channels, sellers using any non-online logistics methods to ship orders are called offline delivery. Offline delivery is the traditional delivery method of cross-border e-commerce. It can be delivered through the five major international express delivery companies mentioned above, but more people still choose to cooperate with freight forwarding companies. Generally, small and medium-sized sellers do not have a large daily order volume, which is not enough to negotiate a suitable discount with the five major international express delivery companies. Therefore, they need to rely on freight forwarding companies to get a favorable discount price. The seller directly connects with the logistics company, and the operation of the goods must meet the requirements of the logistics company. In this way, the relevant processing when abnormal problems occur with the goods will be simpler. For example, the seller does not need to reprint the address label and customs declaration form, etc., and can directly take back the goods and send them out, and the seller directly settles the bill with the logistics company. Logistics companies are very enthusiastic about offline delivery, and logistics companies will also provide a variety of logistics channels for sellers to choose.
2. Selection of cross-border logistics methods
When cross-border e-commerce sellers choose logistics service providers, the key is to see which logistics method is more convenient for buyers and compare the transportation method that suits them. Sellers should consider transportation time, predictability, cost and non-economic factors. Cross-border e-commerce sellers must choose the right transportation method, understand their actual needs, understand the characteristics of various logistics methods and the services they can provide, and make multiple comparisons in order to select the most suitable logistics method for themselves, so as to achieve safety, strong traceability, strong timeliness and controllability, good service and high cost performance.