1688 going to sea： launching cross-border e-commerce and launching ＂cross-border YEATION＂
If you don’t go to sea, you are out.In recent years, e-commerce "going out to sea" has been frequent., major e-commerce platforms are also there.Constantly update the "gameplay" to meet the needs of merchants and cope with market changes.according toGeneral Administration of CustomsThe latest statistics released show that in the first half of the year, the import and export volume of cross-border e-commerce in China reached 1.22 trillion yuan, up 10.5% year-on-year, which was 4.4 percentage points higher than the overall growth rate of China’s foreign trade in the same period.
As a "happy hometown" for countless cross-border e-commerce sellers,1688 is also making efforts in cross-border e-commerce. On September 11th, 2024, at the press conference of "1688 Selection Center and 1688 Businessmen’s Festival" held in Taizhou, the person in charge of the 1688 Selection Center revealed that 1688 should rely on the offline selection center to make heavy investment in the industrial belt. At the same time, 1688 is aiming at the new outlet of cross-border e-commerce and laying out the whole link ecology of cross-border e-commerce.
Create the shortest link matching supply and demand
Nowadays, the supply of industrial belts is the focus of major platforms, and 1688 is no exception. At the press conference, the person in charge of the 1688 product selection center believes that the most advanced and shortest path to realize the digitalization of the industrial belt is to establish an online and offline integrated operation and service model. Therefore, the 1688 product selection center is jointly built by the government, chain owners, 1688 and the source manufacturers of industrial belts. Through the "four-in-one" online and offline operation mode, a business ecosystem of industrial belts with digital supply chains is jointly built, not just an offline entity.
The offline product selection center is set up, endorsed and guided by the government. The chain owner of the local supply chain is responsible for the daily operation, and the industrial belt factory is stationed to jointly aggregate the high-quality goods of the industrial belt, create a "front office and back warehouse" model, and provide comprehensive services integrating enterprise services and warehousing and logistics. Online, 1688 has also built a digital store in the product selection center, providing technical and digital capabilities, and relying on the advantages of 1688′ s entire network source, it has achieved omni-channel sales and efficient matching between supply and demand.
Image source: 1688
As of September 2024, 1688 has signed a cooperation agreement to build 12 product selection centers, of which 4 have been opened, and 6 are expected to open in September this year, mainly in Taizhou, Yiwu, Yongkang and Jiaxing in Zhejiang, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Shantou and Jieyang in Guangdong, and Zhengzhou in Henan. In the next three years, 1688 will continue to deeply cultivate 177 key industrial belts in 40 cities based on the core production areas and sales areas.
"In fact, what we hope to bring to the source factory of the industrial belt is the most efficient and shortest path business model. The core positioning of the product selection center is’ visiting the industrial belt in one day’. Whether you are visiting the industrial belt or purchasing it, whether you are an online digital shopping center or an offline shopping center, you can see the ability and panorama of the industrial belt, making it easy to purchase in one stop. " The person in charge of 1688 selection said.
1688 has been deeply ploughing and reinvesting in the industrial belt. Now, in 1688, it is necessary to increase investment and put the core strategic projects into the industrial belt one after another. The 1688 member store will rely on the offline product selection center as the springboard and bridgehead, go out from 1688, and open stores from online to offline at the same time, and establish white-label supply chain supermarkets for Sam member supermarkets and costco (opening customers) under the marking line.
It is reported that the goal of developing member stores in 1688 is to build a "global member store driven by white brand supply chain", and to provide services to members online and offline. At present, the number of paid members of 1688 has reached nearly 10 million, exceeding the scale of paid members of Sam in China, and the number of members in the past year has increased by more than 400% year-on-year.
The supply of 1688 offline member stores will be relatively vertical, and different sources will be supplied according to different industrial belts. Next, 1688 will gradually combine the characteristic trend products of various industrial belts with offline product selection centers, so that every member of 1688 can buy the national characteristic white-brand products locally.
At the same time, 1688 YEATION will also rely on some product selection centers, unite with China’s major brand foundries and factories with strong R&D and manufacturing capabilities, and launch 1688 YEATION’s branded products, further giving play to the advantages of large-scale supply chain, so that 1688 members can enjoy more differentiated quality products.
Output "supply chain solutions" that can be integrated.
Product selection is the primary link of cross-border e-commerce. The person in charge of the 1688 product selection center revealed that the "Domestic YEATION" was launched in 1688. Now, in order to better help cross-border e-commerce sellers to select products, the "Cross-border YEATION" will be launched. According to the latest consumption trends of overseas consumers, products that meet the needs of cross-border e-commerce sellers will be screened out to provide guarantee for product quality and back-end services.
Image source: 1688
At present, 1688 focuses on just-needed categories of consumption, which, in summary, are eating, drinking, having fun, daily use and beauty trends. For example, Zhengzhou’s food, Shantou’s toys, Taizhou’s storage, Yiwu’s Ribai, Guangzhou’s beauty cosmetics, Shenzhen’s digital products, Jieyang’s household appliances, etc. are all core categories of the industrial belt and just-needed categories.
The person in charge of the 1688 product selection center said: "1688′ s cross-border e-commerce business does not do overseas 2C, but serves overseas small B buyers. 1688 is to help cross-border e-commerce buyers and sellers achieve more efficient supply and demand matching in an ecological way. For example, in cooperation with overseas independent stations, the products are directly laid on the independent stations by means of source-seeking communication. In addition, many large and medium-sized overseas buyers now have their own ERP systems, which will involve product inventory and supplier management. 1688 will be embedded in ERP based on their demands, and one-click distribution of goods will be carried out."
Specifically, 1688 is to turn China’s digital supply chain into a digital "chip"-like solution and capability that can be integrated, and then do cross-border cooperation, which is neither Apple mode nor Android mode, but more like Intel mode.
In the early days of cross-border e-commerce, cross-border e-commerceThe links are deep and long, and many links are impassable. Buyers find it hard to use, so they need to hire a Chinese agent or set up an office in China to find someone to choose goods on 1688. Now these links are open, and the interface is more friendly, turning into a digital "chip", plug and play.
When overseas buyers get the digital "chip", it is equivalent to getting the capacity of the whole China industrial belt, which is the largest digital assembly and digital supply chain supplied by the source. Buyers can also customize their needs. For example, if they choose Vietnam, 1688 will help them choose those supplies that meet the needs of Vietnam, recommend pallets that Vietnamese young people like, and provide supporting services for localized performance.
In the cross-border supply chain, 1688 is ready to export an integrated "supply chain solution", that is, a digital "chip" that integrates the white-label supply of China industries and can be "plug and play". Overseas buyers can only make inquiries on 1688 before, but now they can use AI to handle customs clearance, foreign exchange settlement, local distribution, and even the return and exchange of some key countries are done by 1688 and ecological partners. The core of "1688" is to help pallets go out to sea, with emphasis on the waist-high competitive and dynamic supply of China industries.
Cover/Figure Worm Creativity
(Source: Hugo Express)