What challenges do cross-border sellers face in shipping during the epidemic?

No one expected that 2020 would start off with such headwinds.

A lot of sad things have happened these days, and I feel distressed when I see the ever-increasing numbers every day .

Taking into account the capital turnover cost and the factory resumption cycle, most sellers generally do not stock up large amounts of inventory during the Spring Festival in previous years, and the inventory is about enough for 1-2 months.

However, due to the impact of the epidemic this year, many factories will resume work later than in previous years, which will lead to a decline in overall production and supply capacity.

The subsequent problem of out-of-stock shipment is stock shortage , which has an impact on the seller’s account and listing ranking that cannot be underestimated.

If the product is out of stock and cannot be shipped, it is recommended that the seller take the following measures.

First of all, you need to evaluate your own inventory , prepare for inventory emergencies, and keep in close contact with the factory or supplier, sort out the factory start time and the workers' return time, prepare for the fastest replenishment, and minimize the risk of out-of-stock .

Secondly , you can increase prices in stages, ranging from 10%-50%; this method requires testing and observation, and is risky, such as losing rankings and shopping carts.

You can also consider lowering the product promotion amount, or stopping the promotion , depending on the inventory situation.

Finally, you can also try to follow the sales by yourself . You can follow the sales of your own FBA out-of-stock products by yourself to maintain the ranking, and the FBM price can be kept consistent with the FBA price.

For those who are out of stock through FBM, you can first establish an early warning mechanism. For example, turn on the "holiday mode" to avoid bad reviews and AZ disputes caused by logistics or affecting store performance indicators, which would make it not worthwhile to close the store.

In addition to not having any goods to ship, sellers also face the embarrassment of having goods but not being able to ship them.

In the early morning of January 31 , Beijing time , the World Health Organization ( WHO ) announced that the new coronavirus epidemic was classified as a "Public Health Emergency of International Concern" ( PHEIC ) .

Although WHO does not recommend any travel or trade restrictions, it urges countries to refrain from actions that could fuel stigma or discrimination."

But as everyone has seen, airlines from many countries have suspended flights to and from China.

You should know that logistics timeliness directly affects the performance indicators of the seller’s store and is related to the security of the account.

For goods that cannot be shipped due to logistics reasons, the following suggestions are given to sellers:

It is necessary to adjust the delivery time, sort out the inventory, make preparations for delivery in advance, and send out the goods as soon as the logistics channels are restored.

Pay close attention to the delivery time and policies of each logistics channel, select the appropriate logistics channel based on the delivery and collection time of each logistics channel, and work closely with business to complete related work; follow up on the postal routes before the festival.

For FBM SKUs shipped domestically, the processing time can be extended ; for those that can be shipped across multiple accounts and channels, the selling price can be increased.

FBA replaces FBM for shipping between accounts.

Pay attention to effective tracking indicators in a timely manner , and proactively contact buyers in a timely manner to inform them of the logistics status for tracking numbers that have been delivered for more than 15 days.

In addition to shipping issues, sellers should also pay attention to order losses.

Recently, sellers have been reporting that customers have begun to refuse to accept their products shipped from China and request returns due to concerns about the pneumonia virus.

In this regard, sellers need to handle daily customer service emails and provide answering services to overseas buyers.

It is important to emphasize that there is no need for too much explanation. Do not pass on fear to customers and cause them to panic unnecessary. What we need to do is to retain customers, not scare them away.

Therefore, it is necessary to truthfully inform customers of the current status and latest developments of the epidemic, and explain that all products have been inspected and quarantined and there is no need to worry.

It is worth noting that although this epidemic has become a global problem, the World Health Organization has said that it does not constitute a trade restriction.

In addition, the global customs system has long established a methodology for dealing with inspection and quarantine of various types of goods. The sale of goods in the destination country is safe. Even on the current commercial trading platforms, there are no special restrictions on Chinese products.

Finally, I have to emphasize that customs inspection efforts will definitely increase, so all kinds of qualifications, especially product qualifications involving inspection and quarantine, must be possessed. All kinds of compliant import documents must be kept well, because you may have to seek justice someday!