□ 文/ 湯普森·張

“亞馬遜”對(duì)進(jìn)駐東南亞電商市場(chǎng)，舉棋不定

□ 文/ 湯普森·張

此前，亞馬遜計(jì)劃進(jìn)駐東南亞市場(chǎng)，這讓新加坡的網(wǎng)購(gòu)消費(fèi)們躍躍欲試；但亞馬遜似乎已決定推遲在東南亞設(shè)立分公司的計(jì)劃，這又讓他們大失所望。

亞馬遜是全球最早經(jīng)營(yíng)電子商務(wù)的公司之一。此前，該公司計(jì)劃于2017年第一季度在東南亞設(shè)立分公司——這被認(rèn)為是亞馬遜開(kāi)拓廣闊的東南亞電商市場(chǎng)的前奏。

據(jù)業(yè)內(nèi)人士透露，亞馬遜在東南亞設(shè)立分公司的計(jì)劃已被推遲，具體日期待定，有可能推遲至2017年年底。如此一來(lái)，人們不免會(huì)猜想：亞馬遜在東南亞遭遇了勁敵嗎？

東南亞是世界上最具發(fā)展?jié)摿Φ男屡d電商市場(chǎng)之一，擁有6億多消費(fèi)者，大約是美國(guó)的兩倍。雖然目前東南亞在全球電商市場(chǎng)中的所占比例還不到5%, 但分析人士認(rèn)為，未來(lái)10年，東南亞電商市場(chǎng)將風(fēng)生水起、日新月異。

2016年，美國(guó)谷歌公司和新加坡淡馬錫公司聯(lián)合發(fā)布了一份電商調(diào)查報(bào)告。該報(bào)告指出，東南亞地區(qū)的互聯(lián)網(wǎng)使用人數(shù)，呈上升趨勢(shì)，且平均每天新注冊(cè)用戶人數(shù)達(dá)12.4萬(wàn)人，成為世界上互聯(lián)網(wǎng)發(fā)展速度最快的地區(qū)。東南亞國(guó)家的人口年齡結(jié)構(gòu)相對(duì)年輕，中產(chǎn)階級(jí)快速崛起。因此，該報(bào)告預(yù)測(cè)：2025年，東南亞電商市場(chǎng)年增長(zhǎng)率預(yù)計(jì)將達(dá)到32%左右，電商市場(chǎng)總額約為880億美元。

從目前來(lái)看，新加坡可以說(shuō)是亞馬遜進(jìn)駐東南亞市場(chǎng)的理想跳板。那么，問(wèn)題來(lái)了：如果亞馬遜真要在新加坡設(shè)立分公司的話，是不是已經(jīng)錯(cuò)失先機(jī)？

事實(shí)上，素有“東南亞亞馬遜”之稱的電商平臺(tái)——來(lái)贊達(dá)（Lazada），早在幾年以前就開(kāi)始在東南亞地區(qū)運(yùn)作、發(fā)展，如今已發(fā)展成為東盟國(guó)家的第一大電商。

來(lái)贊達(dá)的發(fā)展壯大，贏得了中國(guó)電商巨頭阿里巴巴的青睞。2016年，阿里巴巴集團(tuán)以10億美元收購(gòu)了來(lái)贊達(dá)的控股股權(quán)。這也是阿里巴巴迄今為止最大的一次海外收購(gòu)。

面對(duì)亞馬遜等新進(jìn)電商平臺(tái)的來(lái)襲，來(lái)贊達(dá)的先發(fā)優(yōu)勢(shì)有可能成為其維護(hù)自身發(fā)展的“保護(hù)傘”。來(lái)贊達(dá)在東南亞地區(qū)既擁有一定的客戶信譽(yù)度和行業(yè)發(fā)展經(jīng)驗(yàn)，又熟悉當(dāng)?shù)氐奈锪飨到y(tǒng)和行業(yè)管理辦法，還能在很多東盟國(guó)家市場(chǎng)實(shí)現(xiàn)適銷對(duì)路。此外，為了更好地將商品送到網(wǎng)購(gòu)消費(fèi)者們的手中，來(lái)贊達(dá)已致力于打造安全可靠的物流配送網(wǎng)絡(luò)，在東南亞各個(gè)國(guó)家精準(zhǔn)發(fā)力、步步為營(yíng)。企業(yè)在開(kāi)拓海外市場(chǎng)時(shí)，一定要了解當(dāng)?shù)厍闆r，這一點(diǎn)至關(guān)重要；即使是電商企業(yè)，也不例外。

來(lái)贊達(dá)在東南亞地區(qū)的發(fā)展已占盡先機(jī)，但并非高枕無(wú)憂。雖然來(lái)贊達(dá)的銷售額快速增長(zhǎng)，但有消息稱，來(lái)贊達(dá)此前一直難破盈利困局；而阿里巴巴的10億美元注資，好比一場(chǎng)“及時(shí)雨”，為來(lái)贊達(dá)的發(fā)展解了圍。

為什么會(huì)出現(xiàn)這種情況呢？這是因?yàn)椋m然從數(shù)據(jù)上看，來(lái)贊達(dá)的發(fā)展前景似乎一片大好，但實(shí)際上，整個(gè)東南亞電商市場(chǎng)仍相當(dāng)分散。

東南亞各國(guó)語(yǔ)言不同、管理規(guī)定各異，且貧富差距明顯等等，這些因素明顯限制了來(lái)贊達(dá)的未來(lái)發(fā)展；此外，要想在東南亞發(fā)展電商企業(yè)，需要借助各式各樣的交通工具和千差萬(wàn)別的支付方式。

對(duì)亞馬遜來(lái)說(shuō)，要想在新加坡實(shí)現(xiàn)良好開(kāi)局，不費(fèi)吹灰之力。這是因?yàn)椋盒录悠戮W(wǎng)購(gòu)消費(fèi)者們的消費(fèi)能力、與商業(yè)運(yùn)作相適應(yīng)的法律體系、強(qiáng)大的基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施以及健全的電商文化，與亞馬遜在西方各國(guó)所占據(jù)的市場(chǎng)有著相當(dāng)高的匹配度。

不過(guò)，亞馬遜想要將業(yè)務(wù)覆蓋整個(gè)東南亞，將面臨更多挑戰(zhàn)。雖然亞馬遜在東南亞地區(qū)已經(jīng)享有一定的品牌知名度，但未來(lái)還需要贏得東南亞網(wǎng)購(gòu)消費(fèi)者的信賴、保障好消費(fèi)者網(wǎng)絡(luò)購(gòu)物體驗(yàn)。商品類目齊全、購(gòu)物便捷和可靠性高，將成為影響東南亞網(wǎng)購(gòu)消費(fèi)者消費(fèi)需求的三大重要因素；而服務(wù)水平超出網(wǎng)購(gòu)消費(fèi)者們的心理預(yù)期，有利于贏得市場(chǎng)份額。

采用哪種支付方式，將成為影響亞馬遜在東南亞發(fā)展的一個(gè)重要議題。所以，亞馬遜除了繼續(xù)采用以往較為常用的“信用卡預(yù)付”以外，還需要為東南亞網(wǎng)購(gòu)消費(fèi)者們提供多種支付選擇，如“貨到付現(xiàn)”等。

從供應(yīng)商的角度來(lái)說(shuō)，亞馬遜應(yīng)當(dāng)與熟悉東南亞當(dāng)?shù)厍闆r的商業(yè)伙伴合作，制定激勵(lì)機(jī)制，以吸引他們?nèi)腭v亞馬遜；同時(shí)，通過(guò)加大投資來(lái)獲得東南亞電商市場(chǎng)份額。其中，亞馬遜可以借助自身在西方國(guó)家強(qiáng)大的競(jìng)爭(zhēng)優(yōu)勢(shì)、完善的基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施，為亞洲供應(yīng)商提供進(jìn)駐西方國(guó)家市場(chǎng)的便利渠道，從而贏得他們的青睞。

當(dāng)然，亞馬遜未來(lái)將與日漸強(qiáng)大的阿里巴巴展開(kāi)角逐，這是在所難免的。阿里巴巴的業(yè)務(wù)范圍，已經(jīng)滲透到中國(guó)國(guó)內(nèi)市場(chǎng)的每一個(gè)角落；因此，阿里巴巴集團(tuán)把東南亞視為其戰(zhàn)略發(fā)展的又一高地。事實(shí)上，除了收購(gòu)來(lái)贊達(dá)的控股股權(quán)以外，阿里巴巴集團(tuán)不斷加大對(duì)東南亞國(guó)家的投資力度，其中包括收購(gòu)了泰國(guó)正大集團(tuán)旗下的支付公司Ascend Money的股份，以及收購(gòu)新加坡郵政的股份。

在搶占東南亞電商市場(chǎng)的棋局上，亞馬遜和阿里巴巴這兩大電商巨頭形成了正面交鋒之勢(shì)，那么，最終鹿死誰(shuí)手？阿里巴巴集團(tuán)財(cái)大氣粗，且意欲開(kāi)拓國(guó)際電商市場(chǎng)。來(lái)贊達(dá)有望從阿里巴巴針對(duì)東南亞的戰(zhàn)略布局中大受裨益；當(dāng)然，阿里巴巴在東南亞的大動(dòng)作，也會(huì)吸引世界其他電商企業(yè)的眼球，帶動(dòng)他們對(duì)東南亞市場(chǎng)的投入。例如，阿里巴巴在中國(guó)國(guó)內(nèi)的一大勁敵——京東商城，已經(jīng)在印度尼西亞建立分公司。同時(shí)，一旦亞馬遜在東南亞成立分公司，自然會(huì)與阿里巴巴展開(kāi)一場(chǎng)曠日持久的激烈角逐。

從網(wǎng)購(gòu)消費(fèi)者們的角度來(lái)說(shuō)，東南亞現(xiàn)有的電商企業(yè)和新進(jìn)電商企業(yè)在業(yè)務(wù)發(fā)展上你爭(zhēng)我?jiàn)Z，有利于當(dāng)?shù)鼐W(wǎng)購(gòu)消費(fèi)者們從中獲得更好的消費(fèi)體驗(yàn)、享受更多的競(jìng)爭(zhēng)性商品價(jià)格，以及參與更多的優(yōu)惠活動(dòng)。目前，東南亞地區(qū)的一些傳統(tǒng)實(shí)體零售企業(yè)陷入發(fā)展困境，而面對(duì)各大電商企業(yè)帶來(lái)的沖擊，這些實(shí)體零售企業(yè)的發(fā)展處境也會(huì)越來(lái)越糟；因此，他們必須未雨綢繆。

需要指出的是，雖然新加坡深得亞馬遜的青睞，但成立亞馬遜新加坡分公司，僅僅是亞馬遜在東南亞走的第一步棋而已。一旦亞馬遜大舉進(jìn)軍東南亞市場(chǎng)，將開(kāi)始書寫自己的商業(yè)神話；同時(shí)，一場(chǎng)電商大戰(zhàn)，將隨之打響。

·許志亮 編譯

·來(lái)源：新加坡《海峽時(shí)報(bào)》

·本文所持立場(chǎng)不代表本刊觀點(diǎn)

To the disappointment of Singapore’s eager online shoppers, it seems Amazon has put off its local launch date.

The big daddy of E-commerce frms had been expected to set up shop in the frst quarter of this year, the prelude to a push into the broader Southeast Asian market.

But industry insiders have told tech news site TechCrunch that the launch has been pushed back to an unspecifed date, possibly later in the year. The delay has raised speculation that Amazon is fnding this part of the world a tougher nut to crack than it frst thought.

With more than 600 million consumers — about twice that of the United States — South-east Asia is one of the most promising new frontiers for online retailers. E-commerce accounts for less than 5 per cent of all commerce now, but analysts believe that will change dramatically over the next decade.

According to a report published last year by Google andTemasek, Internet use in South-east Asia is growing at an average rate of 124,000 new users a day, the fastest pace anywhere in the world. With a relatively young population and a rapidly expanding middle class, the report forecast that the Southeast Asian E-commerce market will grow at around 32 per cent a year to be worth US$ 88 billion by 2025.

For Amazon then, Singapore should offer an ideal springboard to enter this market. But if Amazon does indeed have its sights set here, is it coming rather late to the party?

After all, Lazada — once known as “the Amazon of Southeast Asia” — has been operating and growing in the region for several years, and it is No. 1 in Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines.

Lazada’s growth has drawn the attention of Chinese E-commerce giant Alibaba, which last year pumped US$ 1 billion into acquiring a controlling stake in the firm — its largest overseas purchase.

Facing up against a new entrant like Amazon, Lazada would seem to enjoy some frst-mover advantage. It has reputation and experience on its side, it understands how logistics and regulations vary across the region, and it gets what sells well in various markets. In addition, Lazada has invested time building up reliable delivery partners to get the products to its customers, and it has feet on the ground in each territory. Local knowledge remains important, even in E-commerce.

But Lazada has not had it easy. Despite rapid increases in sales, Alibaba’s US$ 1 billion investment reportedly came just in time to shore up a company that is still struggling to achieve proftability.

That’s because, although the headline figures may make it seem lucrative, the South-east Asian market is also highly fragmented.

Different languages, regulations and wealth disparities present obvious challenges, but E-commerce firms must also work with widely varying transportation and payment infrastructure.

For Amazon, entering Singapore would be an easy frst step. Its spending power, business-friendly legal framework, strong infrastructure and established E-commerce culture are closely matched to Western markets where it is well established.

However, taking its operation regionwide will be more of a challenge. While it may enjoy some name recognition, winning consumer trust and managing customer experience will be critical. Selection, convenience and reliability will be key demands and exceeding customer expectations will matter when it comes to winning market share.

Payment systems will be one major issue and Amazon will need to offer options such as cash on delivery, on top of the more traditional credit card prepayment it is used to.

On the supplier side, meanwhile, Amazon will need to find partners with local knowledge, offer incentives to persuade them to join its platforms and invest in capturing market share. One way it may be able to lure Asian vendors is by offering them easier access to Western markets where it has a strong footing and established infrastructure.

But it will have to contend with the growing competitive presence of Alibaba. With its home market in China saturated, Alibaba sees South-east Asia as the next logical step for expansion. Indeed, aside from its control of Lazada, Alibaba has been stepping up its interests in the region, acquiring stakes in other operations such as Thai e-payments firm Ascend Money and delivery frm Singapore Post.

So, with two E-commerce giants shaping up to go head to head in South-east Asia, how might this play out? Alibaba has deep pockets and is eager to grow beyond China. That’s likely to work well for Lazada, but will also lure other E-commerce players into investing in the region. JD.com, for example, Alibaba’s main rival in China, has already set up an operation in Indonesia. Amazon, too, if and when it does launch, will be ready to stick it out for the long term.

For consumers, this will likely mean more choice, competitive pricing and promotions as existing and new players join the fray. For some already struggling traditional bricks-andmortar retailers, it means that the already existing E-commerce challenge will step up a gear. They should be prepared.

But Amazon’s much-anticipated Singapore debut would be just the frst stage. The real story, and the real battle, will start once it ventures into the wider region.

· Source: www.straitstimes.com

Amazon Delay Shows Challenges of E-commerce in S-E Asia

By Thompson Teo