Bangkok--9 Sep--TQPR MEDIA
eBay identified three focus areas that Thai exporters must embrace to take advantage of the rapidly growing online cross border trade business at the recent "Thailand 4.0 & Partners: Cross Border Trade E-Commerce" Seminar, held by the Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP) as part of the launch of Thaitrade.com SOOK (Small Order OK) project.
As an expert in retail cross border trading, eBay was selected by the DITP to provide Thaitrade.com SOOK sellers with result-oriented recipes for success in the new era of global e-commerce, and preparation tips for the next phase of growth. The discussion was also joined by several partners in the ecosystem, including Thailand Post, DHL, BBL, and PayPal.
"eBay sees changes in the future of cross border trade happening in three-dimensions; greater consumers' expectations, limitless selection of merchandise and, technology-driven business optimization deployed by sellers" said Boonphan Boonprayoon, eBay's Thailand Country Manager.
"A growing number of online shoppers expect seamless integration, ease of use, and speed, from the beginning of their shopping journeys to the arrival of products, and post-transaction customer service. Retail exporters will need to be ready to accommodate these needs. Secondly, we are seeing a trend that items being sold online to international destinations are becoming larger and heavier, furniture sets for example, thanks to the fact that logistics enablers are now capable of handling inventory of all shapes and sizes. Lastly, for scalability and competitiveness, retail exporters will need to be equipped with technology that optimizes their end-to-end operations from product sourcing, sales and marketing, fulfilment, and inventory management," continued Boonphan.
For Thai entrepreneurs looking to expand their businesses online, eBay recommends ensuring efficiencies from end-to-end in four major areas; inventory, operation, logistics and, customer support.
eBay has seen significant growth among Thailand's retail exporters compared to other countries in this region, and Thailand is eBay's number one retail export nation in Southeast Asia. The top three categories for Thai retail exporters on eBay are; jewellery and gemstones, auto parts and accessories, and health & beauty products. Product categories that have potential to grow include; food, home & garden and, furniture. With a global marketplace platform accessed by 164 million active buyers from 190 countries around the world, eBay enables Thai businesses of all sizes to expand their opportunities beyond borders and drive them to success.
* Thaitrade.com SOOK is the platform for wholesale businesses to tap into the retail export market, essentially equipping them with the opportunity to cater for smaller orders worldwide.