Five department stores enter the threshold of e-commerce

Although the development of more than more than 10 years, but the traditional retailer's E-commerce and the main business, still difficult to escape the "soy sauce" positioning. The Ministry of Commerce recently released the "Twelve-Five" period to promote the development of the Retail Industry Guidance (hereinafter referred to as "opinion"), said, "to encourage large-scale retail enterprises to open online shopping malls", large department stores to enter the pace of the electrical business will be further accelerated.

News background

Department stores need to force

This month, the Ministry of Commerce said in its comments that "encourage large retail companies to run online shopping malls" in order to steadily promote no shop sales. The promulgation of the national macro-policy is bound to cause a series of changes in the industry.

The reporter learned that at present, most department stores E-commerce platform is just as an extension of the physical store, difficult to compare with the contribution of the store. Reporter learned yesterday, Beijing commercial leading wangfujing (600859, shares bar) department stores, the group to enter the electrical business plan will be significant progress at the end of the year; Xidan Mall "Igo5" online line more than 10 years, although already small well-known, but sales accounted for a limited share of corporate performance, in about 1%.

The situation of these mainstream stores shows that the E-commerce platform is just a new distribution channel for department stores.

For this view, many well-known network operators expressed the need for change. "In fact, this is the physical retail to do online marketing of the general idea, but this idea is not good e-commerce." "Happy People online pharmacy managing director Swanloo said."

Despite the difficulties, it is still difficult to stop the traditional retailer to the electric dealers.

Analysts believe that the department stores to enter the online shopping although there are many difficulties, but its advantages, especially the channel advantage is very obvious.

"Large traditional retailers have a large number of" big "resources, some of these strong brands are not with any of the domestic company to cooperate, this is the electrical business can not exceed the resource advantage. "An industry insider who has been a brand agent has said. In addition, he thinks, not only is the brand resources, the traditional enterprise also has the electric dealer unattainable brand popularity and the influence.

Five sticking points in the development of department stores

In the development process, the department store network purchase distance "Blue sea" arrival, still need to walk over five hurdle.

Positioning

The tradeoff between channel expansion and investment layout

What role does the electric trader play in the future development of the enterprise? This is the issue that every traditional retailer should consider before entering the field of E-commerce.

At present, most traditional retailers will be online positioning in a new channel to control investment and risk. However, due to institutional constraints, there is insufficient online autonomy and flexibility, and the return on investment is relatively low.

And if the enterprise will be positioned as a new market, it is necessary to give the online team enough freedom and input in the aspects of Fund, company structure and independence right. Including independent companies, independent teams, independent budgeting, independent inventory, independent pricing strategy.

For the traditional enterprises, this is not only the balance of the electric business positioning, but also the enterprise conservative and radical Trade-offs, Unity and division of the tradeoff.

Concept

Can't afford to change

The traditional department store's management idea and the electric business enterprise are different, this also doomed the two in the idea contradiction and the entanglement.

In order to expand the impact of E-commerce in the early stage will do a lot of marketing, commonly known as "burning money." It seems to be "of little value" in the eyes of traditional department stores, which have always been "frugal". Traditional enterprises value products, prices and experience-type services, "wine is not afraid of alley deep" is their creed, this and E-commerce "burning money for traffic" way is very different.

Experience

It's a double-edged sword.

Shopping malls such as battlefield, experience like a razor, this "blade" is a double-edged sword. In the process of the physical retailer entering the online business, because of the difference between the traditional department store and the electronic commerce in the concept and the mode, the experienced traditional retailer is easy to believe "empiricism" and to view the electronic commerce from the viewpoint of entity management.

In addition, due to e-commerce in China is still a new industry, most e-commerce industry elite, although unique insights, but "age" on the small. For experienced traditional retailers, as "juniors" they should do "draw on" rather than make suggestions.

Mode

The logistics link is criticized

E-commerce advocated "three flows", that is, logistics, cash flow, information flow, in addition to traditional retail sales of cash flow is more familiar, the other almost no advantage to speak. One of the most intuitive point in logistics.

Whether it is the first of the Xidan shopping mall "Igo5" net, or the end of last year just on the line "Dorset Spring", online mall attached to the Entity department store is the most important way is "store delivery."

A company executive, who declined to be named, believes that relying too much on physical stores at the sales level is not beneficial to the business. "This way in the daily order volume of more than 10 or dozens of single time can also be used, and once the number of orders to increase, store delivery efficiency is too low, supply quantity can not be guaranteed." ”

Retail brand observation commentator Lin Yifan that, compared with the warehouse delivery, more than the store delivery of "next store" and "store commodity screening" two processes, seriously affecting the user experience.

System

VC, traditional retail not "call"

Industry insiders said that the department stores a major bottleneck in the electrical business is the acquisition of external capital.

On the one hand, many large department stores, such as Xidan shopping malls, Wangfujing has a national background, in order to prevent the loss of state-owned assets, little contact with venture capital, is generally the group investment. The latter is relatively conservative e-commerce, it is not possible to put a large amount of money to burn funds to do early marketing and brand promotion.

Investors, on the other hand, are reluctant to touch large traditional retailers. "The more common reason is that the" department "of E-commerce in the traditional department stores are in the" two-bit "position, the attraction of PE institutions is weaker. The industry said.

Shang Xiao Meng/Wentian/Drawing