In the past two years, the overseas warehouse market has seen rapid growth, largely driven by the demand surge brought about by the promotion of the semi-managed model in cross-border e-commerce. Whether the semi-managed model is the optimal solution for the development of cross-border e-commerce, or more specifically, which businesses or participants are most suited for this model, is worth discussing.

As more people recognize the traffic and order benefits brought by the semi-managed model, the number of overseas warehouses continues to increase. However, the warehouse and distribution separation policy promoted by e-commerce platforms during this process has gradually squeezed industry profits.

Currently, this model is being further advanced, which is weakening the overall profit margins of overseas warehouses. In fact, the main source of profit for most overseas warehouses comes from last-mile delivery. With the continued promotion of the warehouse and distribution separation policy by e-commerce platforms, whether more players will enter the "overseas warehouse direct shipment" market in the future remains to be seen.

For sellers with Amazon experience, the semi-managed model of cross-border e-commerce is relatively easy to adapt to. This is because Amazon's FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) is essentially an overseas warehouse stocking model, with the only difference being that FBA warehouses are operated by Amazon, and Amazon handles the seller's overall overseas logistics fulfillment services. As a result, Amazon sellers are more likely to adapt to the semi-managed model of other e-commerce platforms, with some level of platform interoperability.

However, for factory-based enterprises lacking foreign trade or e-commerce experience, the semi-managed model may present significant challenges in the early stages. Once products experience slow sales or inventory backlog overseas, these businesses typically lack effective inventory clearance channels or capabilities. Therefore, for such groups, the fully-managed model may be more suitable in the initial stages for experimentation and exploration.

In contrast, the semi-managed model is better suited for mature sellers or traders who already have overseas sources of goods. These businesses usually have extensive overseas distribution channels, allowing them to lower the risk of slow-moving inventory by operating through a "single product, multiple channels, multiple platforms" approach.

Therefore, whether the semi-managed model is the optimal solution for the development of cross-border e-commerce, or which types of sellers are better suited for this model, still needs to be weighed based on the seller's experience and resources. For inexperienced sellers, the fully-managed model may be a more appropriate starting choice.

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Official Account: Cross-Border E-Commerce Logistics Baixiaosheng