The competition in cross-border e-commerce is essentially competition in logistics efficiency. Amazon, Shopee, and SHEIN respectively represent three distinctly different logistics philosophies, reflecting fundamental differences in their business models.
Amazon has built the world's largest self-operated fulfillment network centered around FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon). Sellers pre-stock goods in Amazon's hundreds of operational centers globally. Once an order is generated, Amazon handles picking, packaging, delivery, and even after-sales service. The advantage of this model lies in its high degree of standardization and stable delivery timeliness. Especially in North American and European markets, FBA items often receive platform search ranking advantages. However, FBA costs are high—storage fees and delivery fees are calculated based on volume and weight, posing extremely high requirements for sellers' capital turnover and supply chain management capabilities.
Shopee took the platform integration route. Leveraging the advantages of its Southeast Asian localization team, Shopee established a logistics system primarily based on Shopee Logistics Service (SLS). SLS does not build its own fleet but integrates local express resources to provide "last-mile" delivery services for sellers. Its characteristic is flexibility and controllable costs, suitable for small and medium sellers taking the asset-light route. Shopee has also launched proprietary channels such as Shopee Express in some markets, attempting to improve service quality in key areas, but overall still relies on third-party cooperation. The weakness of this model lies in limited logistics information transparency and uneven service quality across regions.
SHEIN's logistics strategy is the most aggressive. It employs a hybrid model of "small orders, fast response" combined with "centralized shipping"—goodships directly from super factories in Guangzhou and other locations, achieving rapid response through efficient supply chain collaboration. The core of SHEIN's logistics system is self-built warehouses and exclusive shipping routes, establishing regional distribution centers in places like the UAE to reduce cross-border transportation costs. Its logistics information system is highly self-developed, enabling high automation from order generation to outbound processing. Compared to the first two, SHEIN tends to control key nodes in the logistics chain rather than pursuing full-chain self-operation.
Timeliness is the most direct benchmark for measuring cross-border e-commerce logistics experience. Amazon has achieved next-day or even same-day delivery in some areas in Europe and America through its Prime membership system. FBA's scale effect gives it competitive cost per delivery, but Amazon's logistics coverage still has obvious gaps in emerging markets like Southeast Asia and the Middle East.
Shopee's delivery timeliness varies greatly in Southeast Asia. In countries with better infrastructure such as Singapore and Thailand, logistics timeliness can be controlled within 3 to 7 days, while in archipelagic markets like Indonesia and the Philippines, last-mile delivery remains a pain point. In recent years, Shopee has been trying to address gaps by deeply binding with local express companies and building self-pickup point networks in core cities.
SHEIN's delivery commitment is typically 7 to 15 days, and actual timeliness is already above average in the industry. Notably, SHEIN does not pursue extreme "speed" but seeks balance between cost and timeliness. Its core competitiveness lies in the rapid response capability of the front-end supply chain, not merely logistics speed.
The three logistics models correspond to distinctly different cost structures. Amazon FBA's fee structure is complex, including storage fees, delivery fees, removal fees, and return processing fees, with costs for large items being particularly considerable. For high-turnover standard products, FBA's scale benefits are obvious; but for long-tail products or seasonal goods, redundant storage costs may erode profits.
Shopee SLS's billing method is relatively simple—charged by weight and volume, with platform subsidies in some markets. This makes Shopee the first choice for small and medium sellers entering the Southeast Asian market. However, in a low-price competition environment, sellers' profit margins are limited, and the ability to control logistics costs directly determines their survival status.
SHEIN's logistics cost advantage comes from its unique business model—extremely large single-product sales volume and extremely fast inventory turnover, which greatly reduces the logistics cost per unit. However, this advantage is a moat that is difficult to replicate, and new entrants find it hard to establish equivalent levels of logistics efficiency in the short term.
The logistics strategies of the three major platforms are accelerating integration and differentiation. Amazon continues to invest in logistics infrastructure, with new technologies like drone delivery and autonomous trucks continuously being implemented; Shopee continues to deepen localization in the Southeast Asian market, rapidly expanding business boundaries from self-pickup lockers to instant delivery; SHEIN is replicating its mature supply chain and logistics model to more markets, including expansion to Europe and America.
For cross-border sellers, understanding the differences in the three platforms' logistics logic is a prerequisite for formulating multi-platform operation strategies. Choosing the right logistics model is equivalent to choosing the right competitive posture.
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配图：跨境电商物流中心，工人分拣，摄影
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