The gusts of wind behind the black Sheep

2012, is the impetuous electric business industry began to return to rational years, but also the traditional enterprises to further deepen e-commerce strategy of the year.

This year, the noise of E-commerce industry will continue, price war is still the mainstream, but at the same time will gradually turn to brand warfare, logistics warfare and service warfare. The survival of the fittest is the eternal market law, a part of the poorly run electric business enterprises will fade out of public view. And can survive, must be able to go out of the cycle of burning money to make a yell, both offensive and defensive electric business enterprises.

So who's going to grab the Ark ticket? We wait and see.

The gusts of wind behind the black Sheep

"If the annual growth rate is not two hundred or three hundred, you are embarrassed to talk to investors." "This is a description of the development speed of the 2011 market for the Bowser CEO Zhiquan. This kind of surface prosperity of the electronic commerce industry, more intuitively manifests in each big electric business enterprise the overwhelming advertisement as well as the scene after scene's promotion feast.

Taobao Mall as an example, only last year, "Singles Day" one day, its turnover amounted to 3.36 billion yuan. Crazy not only Taobao, Jingdong Mall, where the customer prudential products, Dangdang and other electric dealers have also launched a variety of promotional battles. This kind of price wrestling is getting worse, there are electric business enterprises even play "to be the Black Sheep" slogan, spare no effort to discount promotional gathering popularity.

However, the overwhelming advertising, the full swing of the promotional battle and bright sales behind, but is the wind bursts: the industry costs become high, electric business enterprise "blood loss" increasingly serious, and some face the dilemma of capital chain rupture.

Macaulay CEO Beichun introduced, 2011 Internet advertising price is doubled growth. The same Web site navigation ads, only 80,000 yuan two years ago, 2011 has soared to 2 million yuan. Amoy CEO Bi Sheng in public complaining about the high investment in E-commerce, low margin and profit hopeless, said "E-commerce is a scam." Once in group buying industry star Enterprise Group Treasure Network, in the early period of brutal growth after the capital of cold and "blood loss", brink of death.

Dangdang's revenue rose 73% in the fourth quarter of 2011, but net profit changed from 14.8 million to $20.6 million in the same period in 2010. Its gross margin also dropped from 13.8% in the three quarter to 10.5%, a full 8.6% less than a year earlier. This has nothing to do with its involvement in the price reduction and promotional activities that have been unfolding since this year. The vicious competition between electric dealers and cannibalism, so that Jingdong Mall, where the customer prudential products, handle nets, only the goods will be such as electricity, no one does not fall into the "only make a yell does not make money" of the circle.

Can't play "Snowball" game

To gather popularity at a low price, accelerate the expansion of the scale to compete with rivals to open distance, attract capital to enter, use sufficient "ammunition" continue to play advertising, build warehouses, engage in logistics, drag down the opponent and then raise the industry gross profit margin, to meet the profit inflection point, this is the logic of the

Some people describe this type of electric business development model as "snowball" mode, the electric business can only keep rolling, a will not stop, or will be opponents "kill". Who can get the support of the capital, who can first reach the market share number one, leave everyone behind, who can get pricing power. In this snowball process, the capital has undoubtedly played a huge supporting and promoting role. In the early stage, the main financial support of the home appliance business enterprise originates from the wind investment institution, and the injection of large amount of capital makes the electric business enterprise become impetuous and quick success.

For this development, Beichun said this is a common strategy, but only if the market has 10 companies, of which only one or two of them get the money, in this way the other companies down, the capital game can continue to play. But now the situation is that the 10 companies have to get the money, no one can crush who, the result is a loss, no one can take advantage of. Before the profit is still not clear, we can only fall into a monotonous, endless price war.

The electric dealers "lose money to make a yell" also aroused the dissatisfaction of the venture investment world. SoftBank's chief partner, Yan, joked in Weibo that "the main business is not making money, but to make different rounds of venture capital and private equity investment mainly", he worries that the electric business industry will repeat the fate of the Dutch tulip.

The capital encounters the cold already is the problem which the electric business enterprise faces together. Early last year, E-commerce was the investment community's sweet cakes, but after July, there was little financing news exposure. Once the loss of capital support, the huge losses in the electricity business enterprise pressure imaginable.

Beichun pointed out that the impact of the 2012 industry crisis may be growing, and even trigger a domino effect. When the electric dealer's capital chain is tense, they will be the first to default on The advertiser's money; when the money gets tighter, the electricity trader defaults to the supplier, which means the business is in danger.

Losing money and making a yell is no longer the theme

Last year, Bi Sheng openly urged peers to calm down and return to the essence of business to make money. He said that electronics and business should be taken apart, both sides of the business is very large, Ma Yun money, because he only makes electrons; Nike, who sells shoes in Amoy, makes money because he only does business, but if "electronic" and "business" Together "E-commerce", do not make money, everyone in a loss to make a yell, so it may be a "scam."

In this respect, gathers the net Vice President Yi Zongyuan pointed out, 2011 years is the electronic commerce real "year One", before the electric business more is concerns "the electron", expands the scale through the internet means, does not pay attention to the profit or not; From 2011 onwards, everyone began to return to the essence of E-commerce "business", refocus on In the next few years, the profit-making yell is no longer the main theme of the operation of E-business bosses.

In fact, many large-scale business-to-consumer began to try to get rid of the dilemma of loss, began to slow down the growth rate, timely adjustment strategy to improve gross margin.

At the beginning of the new Year, a Amoy network released data that last year four quarter, the whole network of enterprises (E-commerce) to show the overall trend of price increases, the average increase in 3% to 4%. In TOP4 business, Jingdong Mall price increases of 5% to 15%, higher than when, Amazon and the cat net. Jingdong Mall immediately with a Amoy network due to price problems began this year, the first battle between the electricity quotient, although the one is not yet inconclusive, but has exposed the fact that the electric business enterprises quietly rising prices.

has been adhering to the free shipping policy of the product of the Amazon China also announced in February this year to adjust the product distribution standards for less than 29 yuan of products to add 5 yuan distribution fee, which is also seen as one of its measures to improve gross profit margin. Including Jingdong, when, and so on, once to "free shipping" as a "selling point" as one of the large-scale integrated class of consumer platform has also been compromised to the gross margin, set a free shipping threshold. Analysys International analyst Shou sent that the electricity is no longer free shipping is a disguised price increase, this can control the number of Low-cost orders, so as to improve customer unit price, so that each order spread, operating cost reduction, through this method to improve the gross margin.

In the face of the decline in gross margin, many enterprises began to brake in time, the strategic focus on improving gross margin. such as the Lok Amoy network to cut advertising spending, but also the large coupons to stop all. Chen, Vice president of Lok Tao Network, said in an interview with the media le Amoy operation strategy changes reflected in every link, from the market operation, the choice of goods are more attention to the control of Maori, the most obvious difference is that the previous operation and the company to policy: are the pursuit of sales, the demand for gross margin is not to lower. But now the sales volume is wider, the margin control is stricter, the brand choice also emphasizes the high margin product.

Good Tesco CEO Li Shubin has revealed that the 2012 forecast will be lowered, 2012-year advertising budget to control within 10% of the expenditure, personnel will also control, because they do not want to become a victim of competition.

Beichun also said that in the current Internet environment, the use of burning money advertising, is not an effective way to expand the market, providing quality services and affordable products, in order to win customers. Macaulay reduced coupons, instead focusing on improving service levels and product design, and increasing investment in brand promotion and marketing. Beichun stressed that Mai Lin made such a decision, short-term market share is likely to decline, but in the long run, will be the basis for the victory of Macaulay.

Another signal is that the electrical business industry has been leaving executives out of the news. Some insiders pointed out that Zhiquan left Bowser, Hui empty to leave the cost, Gu Jianching leave new eggs, Du Jiane leave the Flying Tiger Tesco, Lingguosheng leave Suning easy to buy, these once famous CEO's sadly away from the field, Herald Capital Party's attention is shifting, from "to burn money for the rules" roulette to "profit-oriented" pragmatic war.

Industry experts pointed out that the electrical business enterprises to continue to develop must be timely transformation and upgrading, training good internal strength is the key. Enterprises should devote time and energy to internal operation management, improve product quality, customer service and marketing means, make full effort in customer experience and service quality, and change the target from scale to profit.

Yi Zongyuan also pointed out that E-commerce is a host of suppliers and customers between the platform, good customer experience is the fundamental survival of enterprises. How to do a good customer experience, and constantly improve customer repeat purchase rate for the company is particularly important, which can reduce operating costs and marketing costs. In the Internet in the winter, enterprises need intensive cultivation, return to the nature of business, to provide customers with good products and services.

The expansion of net in traditional enterprises

On the other side, traditional manufacturers, brands and retailers for E-commerce, has long been not in doing and do not hesitate between, and resolutely expand the touch of "net" face.

The traditional enterprise net the way has many kinds of, to the manufacturer, for the new E-commerce website Foundry production, can actually taste the sweetness. Shanghai, an obscure private shoe-making enterprise on the Hong Shoes Industry Co., Ltd. in the past years of foreign trade orders, own brand, domestic foundry and other arduous attempts, the last two years began to choose to the production of fan shoes, the results of a big surprise: 2011 site orders up to 2.3 million pairs, Enterprise annual output value exceeded 140 million yuan.

On the Acer shoe industry "next to the net rebirth" is only in recent years E-commerce led to the development of domestic traditional manufacturing a microcosm. Brand Marketing planning company Goutain Technology founder Expressway said, through cooperation with E-commerce platform, the traditional manufacturing industry in the reduction of procurement costs, reduce labor costs, expand supply channels, improve operational efficiency, and more directly to the consumer and other aspects of a significant increase, and thus realized for the enterprise "burden", so that enterprises "lighter."

For some lack of operation, talent scarce, technology behind the traditional brand, the outsourcing of E-commerce is still a good choice. In the mature European and American market, the traditional enterprise has been the leading role of the electric business industry. Data show that in the U.S. online retail 500 list, more than 80% of the companies are traditional brand network business. And the top ten E-commerce sites in the United States, most of the traditional retailers are actively upgraded from, and more than 60% of e-commerce outsourcing companies to help operate.

If it has its own operational strength and talent, the cat, Jing-dong, when the platform is still a brand commercial test water E-commerce main channel.

Hefei Sanyo (600983, share bar) 2011 E-commerce Sales of more than 100 million yuan, the year-on-year increase of more than 100%, accounting for the company's overall operating income of 3.89 billion yuan 2.5%. Sales from E-commerce are not high, but growth is very fast. In 2008, Grant established a dedicated E-commerce department, from the initial less than 10 people, developed to now include the business branch, marketing branch, Sales support Division and other groups of mutual assistance team, sales also from the initial number of orders per day, up to the current monthly sales of more than tens of millions of dollars.

Industry insiders pointed out that for this part of the traditional enterprises, the 2012 to face the electric business platform more and more monopoly and centralized psychological preparation, a step to focus on several major power platform, while focusing on and appropriately stationed in the emerging vertical platform, while doing a good job of risk control and internal management upgrade, Increase the input and construction of the internal IT system, and actively do the research and layout of the company, and gradually after the brand through the electricity quotient and the network amplification, transfer the user to the independent enterprise built on the mall, further cultivate the user's brand loyalty, while taking the opportunity to exert the network brand construction.

As the person said, some of the stronger brand enterprises to choose one side in the days of the cat shop sales, on the other side since the establishment of the company, such as the United States and the state-owned shopping network, Li Ning's online mall, Haier's Haier Mall and hundred Li's excellent purchase network and so on.

But the traditional retailer to the electronic commerce Migration's sprint period also has arrived. Suning Appliance (002024, Stock bar) Chairman Jindong recently said that Suning to do China's "Wal-Mart + Amazon", whether the network or physical stores, will move towards the whole field of sales, desalination consumer suning in household appliances, 3C traditional concepts. Jindong said, Su Ning is ready to store, books, daily necessities, virtual products, and even financial products, all into the sales list, add five major procurement centers, support on the line suning easy to buy, Suning Super flagship store, Tesco stores and other new sales channels.

Gome also entered a new round of "The whole network chain" as the characteristics of the expansion period, in the recent implementation of a new organizational structure, to strengthen the investment in E-commerce in order to achieve by 2014 to achieve the group E-commerce accounted for China's net market size 15% of the target.

Wal-Mart, Metro, Carrefour, Wangfujing (600859, shares), Yintai department stores, Guang Bai goods, Tianhong shopping Malls (002419, shares bar) and other traditional retail enterprises have dabbled in e-commerce.

Insiders pointed out that the current traditional retail enterprises net There are several ways: the first is the direct investment of enterprises, such as Gome, Suning; second, capital investment, such as Wal-Mart holding No. 1th store, Metro United Sunshine store; The third is cooperation model, such as the use of Taobao Mall to open flagship store, Tesco and Metro, for example, are opening flagship stores on Taobao Mall.

Some people in the industry point out that several larger retailers are sprinting, and other slow-moving companies may be embarrassed by the difficulties.

Competition in the electric business industry will intensify

There are still unavoidable obstacles in the traditional enterprises ' involvement in e-commerce, and these obstacles also lead to many traditional enterprises in the process of reforming the water, even if there is a strong foundation of offline resources support, still seem powerless, and even suffered Waterloo.

First of all, online and offline contradictions are brands must face the problem. For traditional retailers, these suppliers ' control of the price system becomes a big problem for them to enter the electronic commerce. Online platform for Low-cost goods rely on a greater number of brand suppliers in order to avoid online conflict, is not willing to cooperate with the online platform Low-cost strategy.

Second, the boss does not know enough about e-commerce, lack of patience, lack of understanding and awareness of e-commerce, organizational bureaucracy, outdated membership, internal conflicts of interest, other departments are unwilling to support the e-commerce sector, too strong offline channel managers and other issues, will make the traditional enterprises to do the burden of the enterprise is too heavy. Heavy to not be able to play an advantage, to the internal constraints more than external competition pressure.

For example, the traditional department store business philosophy and electric business enterprise is very different, this doomed the two in the concept of contradictions and entanglements. Pure electric business enterprises in the early days will burn money to do a lot of marketing, this is used to budget the traditional enterprise seems to be difficult to understand. Insiders, retailers cling to their own strategies, and the result is often a wasted effort.

However, the traditional enterprises involved in e-commerce also let pure electric business enterprises feel great pressure, they not only let the cost of marketing promotion doubled, but also let the entire industry's human resources costs, capital, brand, supply chain management, focus on consumer experience has become a key factor in the competition, and these are precisely the scarcity of pure electricity business. And under the influence of traditional retail thinking, traditional enterprises are less impetuous and more steady than the pure electric business enterprises.

Deepen differentiated operation and Rob "Ticket"

2012, the electric Business enterprise to Rob "Noah's Ark Ticket" must have "the hematopoiesis" ability, this obtains the general approval.

Some insiders believe that, with the development of E-commerce Market, homogenization of competition, electric business enterprises to survive, it is necessary to tamp the customer base, pay attention to the refinement of operations, improve operational efficiency, and further focus on the model and strategic positioning.

At present, Beijing-east, Taobao and so do is the platform, and Macaulay, where customers do is the brand, the two models have advantages and disadvantages, do the advantages of the platform is the scale can be done very large, such as Jingdong, its category constantly expand, you can do all-inclusive. But the disadvantage is the homogeneity of serious, do the platform for a short period of time it is difficult to profit.

The advantage of doing the brand is more flexible, for a segmented market, do their own brand, profitability is stronger, and the profit cycle will be relatively short. But it also has limitations, can only do a segment of the market.

No matter which mode, the electric business enterprise wants to have a bright future, must consider the difference management.

Well-known it commentators Jia Jinghua that, specifically, e-commerce differentiation has 3 aspects:

One is the differentiation of products. Must have its own products. Only in this way, E-commerce can have a stable user. E-commerce and traditional stores are selling the same products, after the sale and logistics experience has not improved, there is no exclusive products difficult to compete with the traditional stores.

The second is the difference of management. At present, China's e-commerce business model is to open the market with low-cost, and then seize the market, and traditional channels to compete. This homogeneous business model, in the increasingly fierce operation of e-commerce in the field can only let it deep in the mire of losses. In order to be profitable and compete with traditional stores, we must take the route of differentiated operation.

The third is the differentiation of service. There are more and more problems in the After-sale and logistics service of e-commerce, and the traditional stores need not face these problems. Objectively speaking, in the service aspect, the electronic commerce loses to the traditional store, this is its essential decision. For E-commerce, services related to user experience and market share. Therefore, E-commerce to win a number of loyal users, services will also be differentiated.

The Foreign fashion shopping website of a kind is a living example. The site is Claire Mazur and Erica Cerulo was founded in New York in November 2010, different from the way to hit the scale of the price station, rather than the site selling clothes, rather than selling stories.

Claire, who had worked as an editor in fashion magazines, found that the stories the editors had written could make clothes sell more. For example, when an editor writes an article about the history of skirts, it receives a lot of readers asking where the skirt can be bought, and after seeing the direct influence of the story on sales, Erica thought maybe these stories could be made to make money.

Unlike the General Electric business site, of a kind text occupies almost every 50% of the space, a large paragraph of text description makes the product page become more like a page magazine. To make story marketing work, it's important to establish a relationship between the customer and the product and the story.

A good story, the first element to be included is the resonance between the customer and the designer. A kind wants to impress customers with any detail of the story. By emphasizing the designer's personal background and life attitude, we try to establish an emotional and life-value relationship with our clients.

In addition, ordinary consumers are really concerned about the price, logistics, quality integrated services. The final decision power of e-commerce development lies in network consumers.

Industry insiders pointed out that at present, the competition of the electric quotient is still in the stage of the logistics competition in the industrial chain, and the competition of each point in the industrial chain, once the competition of each point is small, will transfer from the competition of the logistics to the After-sale service competition, then the competition will be the management competition of the whole industrial chain After all, the focus of the electric business competition, from the product user scale logistics After the snowball once rolled up, the impact is the rolling development of the industrial chain, who in the industrial chain competition point-type competition is the fastest, who will be able to laugh to the last.