Cainiao Warehouse Distribution: Content and Channels
Cainiao Warehouse Distribution: Content and Channels
The core of Cainiao Warehouse Distribution lies in leveraging its own warehousing network and digital capabilities to provide merchants with services such as “unified inventory” sharing, enabling efficient fulfillment across multiple channels. The distribution content revolves around supply models and supporting services for different scenarios, while the channels cover various domestic online and offline as well as cross-border scenarios. The detailed introduction is as follows:
I. Distribution Content
1. Domestic Multi-Industry Shared Inventory Distribution
Targeting multiple industries including home appliances, FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods), and cosmetics, merchants only need to store their goods in Cainiao Warehouses without preparing separate inventories for different channels, thus realizing shared inventory distribution across multiple channels. In the home appliance industry, for example, goods stored in Cainiao’s large-item warehouses can simultaneously support offline store replenishment and e-commerce platform retail orders. After the candies of Perfetti Van Melle were stored in Cainiao’s smart warehouse in Xi’an, they could quickly replenish more than 80 distributors in the five provinces of Northwest China, building an efficient warehouse distribution time-sensitive circle. Meanwhile, value-added services such as door-to-door delivery, integrated delivery and installation of home appliances, and return and recycling are also provided to enhance the distribution fulfillment experience.
2. Cross-Border Bulk Procurement and Consignment Distribution
Distribution is carried out through the “Shared Vegetable Garden” cross-border B2B supply chain platform, which includes two core models. The first is the bulk procurement model: suppliers and distributors create online B2B logistics transfer distribution orders, and Cainiao is responsible for logistics and distribution after confirmation. The second is the consignment model, which realizes drop shipping. After distributors receive platform orders, they can directly call the suppliers’ inventory in Cainiao Warehouses for delivery. Additionally, the platform provides distributors with free drop shipping capabilities covering more than 70 cross-border e-commerce channels, and supports compliant declaration to ensure the efficient circulation of goods.
3. Refined Batch Management Distribution
Cainiao’s import central warehouse has launched batch cargo handling services to meet the compliance and quality requirements in distribution. When goods enter the warehouse, their factory batch numbers are collected. In scenarios such as B2B distribution or bonded warehouse transfer, designated batches can be shipped out, satisfying the special requirements of different channels for goods batches. When delivering goods to consumers, batch numbers can also be recorded to realize the full-link traceability of commodity sources, reducing the risks of parallel goods and goods replacement.
II. Distribution Channels
1. Domestic Online E-Commerce Channels
Cainiao’s import central warehouses have covered more than 20 platforms including Taobao Distribution, Koala, Xiaohongshu, Youzan, and Yamibuy, and plan to cover 90% of domestic e-commerce platforms. At the same time, domestic warehouses can realize unified inventory fulfillment across all channels, covering mainstream e-commerce platforms such as Tmall, Taobao, JD.com, and Vip.com. Merchants only need to store their goods in one Cainiao Warehouse to undertake orders from multiple platforms and directly deliver the goods.
2. Domestic Offline Physical Channels
These channels include offline stores and distribution warehouses. In the home appliance field, goods in Cainiao Warehouses can be directly delivered to merchants’ offline stores and distribution warehouses, solving the problem of stock preparation for offline channels. In the FMCG field, for instance, Cainiao’s smart warehouse in Xi’an can provide replenishment services for distributors in the Northwest region, significantly shortening the replenishment cycle and improving the response speed of the terminal market.
3. Cross-Border and Overseas Multi-Scenario Channels
On one hand, Cainiao operates more than 40 overseas warehouses in 18 countries and regions in Europe, North America, Asia-Pacific, etc. More than 20 overseas warehouses in the Asia-Pacific region can support B2C e-commerce drop shipping and B2B store bulk replenishment. For example, after trendy play brands settle in, they can not only undertake orders from overseas e-commerce platforms but also provide high-frequency replenishment for overseas offline stores. On the other hand, overseas warehouses also support multi-platform warehouse delivery and reverse logistics, helping merchants going overseas to realize “one warehouse serving multiple countries” and cover overseas online and offline distribution scenarios.