In the past week, there have been several important developments in the field of cross-border e-commerce, especially the news related to TikTok which has attracted much attention. This article will focus on TikTok's recent strategic adjustments and their impact on the cross-border e-commerce market.

“New Adjustments and Expansion of TikTok Shop”

1  Opening New Categories

TikTok Shop's cross-border e-commerce US region recently announced the opening of new sellable categories, including mother and baby products, beauty and personal care products, packaged food and beverages, pet food, kitchenware, media products, books and printed materials, dash cams, and drones. This move aims to enrich the variety of products on the platform and provide more sales opportunities for merchants. Merchants are required to have local warehousing and logistics capabilities in the United States to ensure fast delivery of goods to consumers.

2  Adjustment of New Store Inspection Period Rules

To optimize platform merchant management, TikTok Shop has adjusted the inspection period rules for new cross-border stores in the US region. The new regulations shorten the inspection period to at least 30 days and lower the order requirement to 500 orders. In addition, the store's merchant responsibility negative review rate standard has been raised to below 0.4%. The new rules also cancel the early graduation channel and add a 60-day observation period. During the observation period, if indicators such as the merchant responsibility negative review rate, delayed fulfillment rate, or merchant responsibility cancellation rate deteriorate to a certain threshold, the merchant will re-enter the inspection period.

3  Launch of the “Million Pound Club”

TikTok Shop has launched the “Million Pound Club” incentive program for UK merchants, which includes multiple benefits such as commission-free, logistics fulfillment support, and brand promotion. Through this series of special incentive policies and strong support from the platform, the program aims to attract more new merchants to enter the UK market and help them achieve the sales goal of one million pounds. This not only creates new opportunities for UK merchants but also enhances TikTok Shop's competitiveness in the European market.

“TikTok's Global Market Strategy”

Expanding Influence in the Global Market

TikTok's strategic adjustments in the US and UK demonstrate its determination to expand in the global market. Not only are there adjustments to product categories and merchant management policies, but TikTok is also constantly seeking new partners and market opportunities. For example, TikTok plans to re-enter other major markets such as India and, with the support of Reliance Retail Ventures, cover both online and offline stores. This strategy helps TikTok quickly expand its influence and user base in the global market.

SHEIN's Strategy in Europe and India

Similar to TikTok, SHEIN is also actively expanding in the global market. SHEIN has committed to investing 250 million euros in the UK and Europe, including a 200 million euro circular fund to invest in startups engaged in renewable material innovation. In addition, SHEIN plans to re-enter the Indian market through Reliance Retail Ventures. This global expansion strategy demonstrates the continuous innovation and development momentum of cross-border e-commerce platforms in the global market competition.

“Related Developments of Other Platforms”

Amazon and Alibaba's Expansion

In addition to TikTok, Amazon and Alibaba are also continuously expanding their cross-border e-commerce businesses. Amazon has launched the “Sponsored Display” feature to help non-Amazon sellers collect potential customer leads by displaying ads through its network. At the same time, Amazon has partnered with Sun Country Airlines to expand its air cargo network and further improve logistics efficiency. Alibaba's Trendyol achieved sales of 335 million items in the first half of 2024, showing strong market demand and growth potential.

New Policies from Lazada and Coupang

Lazada has implemented new return and refund policies in Malaysia to provide consumers with a better shopping experience. Coupang has launched the Rocket Growth seller website, offering one-stop services to support small and medium-sized sellers with comprehensive fulfillment services after warehousing.

TikTok's strategic adjustments and market expansion demonstrate its ambition in the global cross-border e-commerce market. By opening new categories, adjusting merchant management policies, and launching incentive programs, TikTok Shop has not only enhanced the diversity and competitiveness of the platform but also provided more opportunities and support for global merchants. The cooperation and expansion of other platforms such as SHEIN further prove the vitality and potential of the global cross-border e-commerce market. In the future, with more innovations and collaborations emerging, the cross-border e-commerce market will continue to show a thriving development trend.

For more B2B overseas marketing strategies, follow the WeChat official account: Tuke Going Overseas