Trade can be divided according to the flow of goods: export, import, transit, re-export, re-export and re-import. However, the concept of the commonly discussed cross-border e-commerce operation model is quite confusing, because the model can be divided from different dimensions such as sales entities, customs clearance channels, supply chains, and logistics methods.
To be precise, cross-border e-commerce officials have identified four new customs clearance supervision models to promote the onlineization of traditional foreign trade. In fact, under the traditional three types of supervision forms that already exist, some small-scale trade and mail packages and commercial express items entering and leaving the country in the form of small items are also widely regulated as long as they are cross-border online transactions or serve foreign trade retail. It is considered to be the operational component of cross-border e-commerce.
Before the emergence of cross-border e-commerce, there were three methods of entry and exit of goods that were not deeply tied to online transactions. The current so-called cross-border model mainly consists of four new supervision methods. B2C generally exports, and the transaction subjects are domestic merchant B and overseas consumer C. Most exports are in the form of personal items, postal parcels, express delivery, etc., which have certain trade policy risks and also face challenges in cross-border dispute settlement, localized payment and logistics. With the standardization of cross-border e-commerce customs clearance, issues such as export tax rebates and foreign exchange settlement for this type of e-commerce have been solved.
For exports in special areas, export sellers adopt a domestic and overseas stocking model. They first transport the goods in batches to the customs supervision area to obtain tax refunds in a timely manner. After receiving the order, they then ship and deliver. If this stock is sent directly to the warehouse in the destination country, this is an overseas warehouse. In the front-end cross-border B2B customs clearance process, it can be either a trade situation or a new cross-border regulatory channel. Online B2B exports involve merchants at both domestic and foreign ends. Most transactions are still completed offline and delivered by themselves. Compared with consumption, the delivery link between merchants is more complicated and the chain is longer. After the two parties sign a contract, it involves banks, For services such as taxation, customs, and commodity inspection, you must arrange settlement and logistics by yourself, and are usually not considered cross-border e-commerce.
In terms of imports, each pilot city has given full play to the functions and advantages of special customs supervision areas and expanded two new supervision channels for online shopping bonded imports and direct purchase imports. Bonded stocking means that overseas merchants transport goods to bonded zone warehouses in domestic pilot cities, then realize transactions with consumers through the import platform, and then ship them out of the bonded zone. For direct purchase and direct mail, the goods are directly imported from abroad in the form of packages, but this is different from the past mail or express mail, and the supervision conditions are completely different.
Overseas shopping transshipment, including purchasing on behalf of others, can be seen as a C2C model, and is a traditional personal logistics “side ball” customs clearance that cannot be delivered to domestic consumers through personal mail or carry. Overcome the dilemma of scale. In the early days of cross-border import development, there was strong flexibility, and there were many gray areas in the cross-operation of different regulatory channels. Now the model is becoming increasingly standardized.
The essence of retail profit is to exchange the added value created for the price difference. Cross-border e-commerce is also a retail channel. Channels are just appearances and means. Only by continuously creating added value for customers, such as product selection, order fulfillment, and after-sales, can we continue to earn profits. The core of omni-channel is that retailers can provide an undifferentiated shopping experience on all sales platforms to maximize profits: in order to meet the needs of consumers to purchase at any time, anywhere and in any way, physical stores, online stores, mobile applications and Sell goods or services through integration with third-party platforms and other channels.
What the retail, e-commerce and logistics industries have in common is the pursuit of economies of scale. Bezos’s flywheel theory repeatedly emphasizes the pursuit of user experience, but what is the essential core of the pursuit of the ultimate user experience and these three positive feedback models of the flywheel? It is GMV transaction volume. The use of low-price operation strategies has significantly increased business growth. The ultimate logistics experience has increased user traffic, and the number of customers has attracted sellers to settle in, thus increasing advertising revenue and service charges. The huge revenue ensures its continued low-price sales and category expansion. Alibaba does not sell physical goods, it sells traffic. Different ways lead to the same goal.
Some inspirations for the omni-channel commercial retail transformation of cross-border e-commerce are: paying attention to the new generation of consumer groups, occupying the commanding heights of categories and scenarios, multi-channel integration and expansion, customer acquisition and interaction, omni-channel category planning, Rapid introduction of new products, supplier cooperation management, lean supply chain operations, logistics and distribution services, etc.