“亞馬遜”對進駐東南亞電商市場，舉棋不定

□ 文/ 湯普森·張

“亞馬遜”對進駐東南亞電商市場，舉棋不定

□ 文/ 湯普森·張

此前，亞馬遜計劃進駐東南亞市場，這讓新加坡的網購消費們躍躍欲試；但亞馬遜似乎已決定推遲在東南亞設立分公司的計劃，這又讓他們大失所望。

亞馬遜是全球最早經營電子商務的公司之一。此前，該公司計劃于2017年第一季度在東南亞設立分公司——這被認為是亞馬遜開拓廣闊的東南亞電商市場的前奏。

據業內人士透露，亞馬遜在東南亞設立分公司的計劃已被推遲，具體日期待定，有可能推遲至2017年年底。如此一來，人們不免會猜想：亞馬遜在東南亞遭遇了勁敵嗎？

東南亞是世界上最具發展潛力的新興電商市場之一，擁有6億多消費者，大約是美國的兩倍。雖然目前東南亞在全球電商市場中的所占比例還不到5%, 但分析人士認為，未來10年，東南亞電商市場將風生水起、日新月異。

2016年，美國谷歌公司和新加坡淡馬錫公司聯合發布了一份電商調查報告。該報告指出，東南亞地區的互聯網使用人數，呈上升趨勢，且平均每天新注冊用戶人數達12.4萬人，成為世界上互聯網發展速度最快的地區。東南亞國家的人口年齡結構相對年輕，中產階級快速崛起。因此，該報告預測：2025年，東南亞電商市場年增長率預計將達到32%左右，電商市場總額約為880億美元。

從目前來看，新加坡可以說是亞馬遜進駐東南亞市場的理想跳板。那么，問題來了：如果亞馬遜真要在新加坡設立分公司的話，是不是已經錯失先機？

事實上，素有“東南亞亞馬遜”之稱的電商平臺——來贊達（Lazada），早在幾年以前就開始在東南亞地區運作、發展，如今已發展成為東盟國家的第一大電商。

來贊達的發展壯大，贏得了中國電商巨頭阿里巴巴的青睞。2016年，阿里巴巴集團以10億美元收購了來贊達的控股股權。這也是阿里巴巴迄今為止最大的一次海外收購。

面對亞馬遜等新進電商平臺的來襲，來贊達的先發優勢有可能成為其維護自身發展的“保護傘”。來贊達在東南亞地區既擁有一定的客戶信譽度和行業發展經驗，又熟悉當地的物流系統和行業管理辦法，還能在很多東盟國家市場實現適銷對路。此外，為了更好地將商品送到網購消費者們的手中，來贊達已致力于打造安全可靠的物流配送網絡，在東南亞各個國家精準發力、步步為營。企業在開拓海外市場時，一定要了解當地情況，這一點至關重要；即使是電商企業，也不例外。

來贊達在東南亞地區的發展已占盡先機，但并非高枕無憂。雖然來贊達的銷售額快速增長，但有消息稱，來贊達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“及時雨”，為來贊達的發展解了圍。

為什么會出現這種情況呢？這是因為，雖然從數據上看，來贊達的發展前景似乎一片大好，但實際上，整個東南亞電商市場仍相當分散。

東南亞各國語言不同、管理規定各異，且貧富差距明顯等等，這些因素明顯限制了來贊達的未來發展；此外，要想在東南亞發展電商企業，需要借助各式各樣的交通工具和千差萬別的支付方式。

對亞馬遜來說，要想在新加坡實現良好開局，不費吹灰之力。這是因為：新加坡網購消費者們的消費能力、與商業運作相適應的法律體系、強大的基礎設施以及健全的電商文化，與亞馬遜在西方各國所占據的市場有著相當高的匹配度。

不過，亞馬遜想要將業務覆蓋整個東南亞，將面臨更多挑戰。雖然亞馬遜在東南亞地區已經享有一定的品牌知名度，但未來還需要贏得東南亞網購消費者的信賴、保障好消費者網絡購物體驗。商品類目齊全、購物便捷和可靠性高，將成為影響東南亞網購消費者消費需求的三大重要因素；而服務水平超出網購消費者們的心理預期，有利于贏得市場份額。

采用哪種支付方式，將成為影響亞馬遜在東南亞發展的一個重要議題。所以，亞馬遜除了繼續采用以往較為常用的“信用卡預付”以外，還需要為東南亞網購消費者們提供多種支付選擇，如“貨到付現”等。

從供應商的角度來說，亞馬遜應當與熟悉東南亞當地情況的商業伙伴合作，制定激勵機制，以吸引他們入駐亞馬遜；同時，通過加大投資來獲得東南亞電商市場份額。其中，亞馬遜可以借助自身在西方國家強大的競爭優勢、完善的基礎設施，為亞洲供應商提供進駐西方國家市場的便利渠道，從而贏得他們的青睞。

當然，亞馬遜未來將與日漸強大的阿里巴巴展開角逐，這是在所難免的。阿里巴巴的業務范圍，已經滲透到中國國內市場的每一個角落；因此，阿里巴巴集團把東南亞視為其戰略發展的又一高地。事實上，除了收購來贊達的控股股權以外，阿里巴巴集團不斷加大對東南亞國家的投資力度，其中包括收購了泰國正大集團旗下的支付公司Ascend Money的股份，以及收購新加坡郵政的股份。

在搶占東南亞電商市場的棋局上，亞馬遜和阿里巴巴這兩大電商巨頭形成了正面交鋒之勢，那么，最終鹿死誰手？阿里巴巴集團財大氣粗，且意欲開拓國際電商市場。來贊達有望從阿里巴巴針對東南亞的戰略布局中大受裨益；當然，阿里巴巴在東南亞的大動作，也會吸引世界其他電商企業的眼球，帶動他們對東南亞市場的投入。例如，阿里巴巴在中國國內的一大勁敵——京東商城，已經在印度尼西亞建立分公司。同時，一旦亞馬遜在東南亞成立分公司，自然會與阿里巴巴展開一場曠日持久的激烈角逐。

從網購消費者們的角度來說，東南亞現有的電商企業和新進電商企業在業務發展上你爭我奪，有利于當地網購消費者們從中獲得更好的消費體驗、享受更多的競爭性商品價格，以及參與更多的優惠活動。目前，東南亞地區的一些傳統實體零售企業陷入發展困境，而面對各大電商企業帶來的沖擊，這些實體零售企業的發展處境也會越來越糟；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。一旦亞馬遜大舉進軍東南亞市場，將開始書寫自己的商業神話；同時，一場電商大戰，將隨之打響。

·許志亮 編譯

·來源：新加坡《海峽時報》

·本文所持立場不代表本刊觀點

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