Core Viewpoint - The future of China's cross-border import e-commerce market presents significant opportunities, driven by consumer interest in overseas products, supportive policies, technological advancements, and logistics improvements [2][3]. Policy Support - The Chinese government is actively promoting cross-border import goods through tax rate benefits and optimized customs infrastructure, creating a favorable environment for the development of cross-border e-commerce [2]. Technological Advancements - The rapid development of AI is enhancing efficiency across various sectors, including technical creativity, code writing, content review, and social media material production. This allows employees to focus on more creative and valuable tasks, presenting a transformative opportunity for businesses in the fast-paced cross-border e-commerce industry [2]. Logistics Improvements - The global logistics system and international flights are gradually recovering from pandemic impacts, which presents structural opportunities. As cross-border e-commerce continues to grow, more companies may utilize commercial flights for cargo, improving the efficiency of the entire cross-border logistics chain [3]. Localization Initiatives - Amazon Overseas Purchase is actively investing in live streaming as a localization strategy. A mature live streaming system has been established on the WeChat mini-program, with attention to growth potential on other mainstream social media platforms. This dual integration trend between traditional e-commerce and content platforms creates greater development space for live streaming sales [3]. Live Streaming E-commerce - In China, live streaming as a sales conversion tool is leading globally, with significantly higher conversion rates compared to Southeast Asia and Western markets. Live streaming has become an indispensable part of the e-commerce chain, and it is expected to further proliferate globally as an efficient consumption model [3].

Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the decline and eventual shutdown of the Kaola Haigou app, highlighting its inability to innovate product offerings and compete effectively in the cross-border e-commerce market, particularly against Tmall International [2][6][16]. Group 1: Company History and Transition - Kaola Haigou, originally known as NetEase Kaola, was sold to Alibaba in 2019 and rebranded. The app was officially taken down on March 31, 2025, but signs of its decline were evident much earlier [3][4][6]. - The app's user base and operational team significantly shrank after a major downsizing in October 2021, where the team was reduced from over 400 to just a few dozen [6][7]. Group 2: Market Position and Competition - In Q3 2021, Tmall International surpassed Kaola Haigou with a market share of 37.4% compared to Kaola's 26.0%, indicating a shift in consumer preference [7][8]. - Monthly active users for Kaola Haigou dropped from 7.42 million in July 2020 to 6.44 million by September 2021, reflecting a downward trend in engagement [7][8]. Group 3: Product Offering and Consumer Behavior - The product mix of Kaola Haigou was heavily concentrated on a few categories such as milk powder, diapers, cosmetics, and health products, leading to stagnant growth due to a lack of new offerings [13][14]. - Employees noted that many consumers shifted to Tmall International for better prices, indicating a loss of competitive edge for Kaola Haigou [8][14]. Group 4: Strategic Misalignment - After its acquisition, Kaola Haigou faced strategic misalignment with Tmall International, leading to overlapping services and products, which diluted its unique value proposition [16][18]. - The marketing costs for Kaola Haigou were higher than those for Tmall International, making it difficult to attract and retain users effectively [18][19].

Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the quiet shutdown of the Kaola Haigou app, previously known as NetEase Kaola, highlighting its decline in the competitive cross-border e-commerce market, particularly against Tmall International [1][2][4]. Group 1: Company Background and History - NetEase Kaola was launched in January 2015, benefiting from favorable cross-border e-commerce policies and leveraging NetEase's ecosystem for customer acquisition [6][8]. - In 2019, NetEase sold Kaola to Alibaba, which rebranded it as Kaola Haigou, but the app has now been taken offline [2][4]. Group 2: Market Position and Competition - By Q3 2021, Tmall International held a market share of 37.4%, surpassing Kaola Haigou's 26.0%, indicating a significant shift in competitive dynamics [4]. - In 2021, Kaola Haigou's operational team was drastically reduced from over 400 to just a few, reflecting a lack of confidence in its future [4][11]. Group 3: User Engagement and Performance Metrics - Monthly active users for Kaola Haigou dropped from 7.42 million in July 2020 to 6.44 million by September 2021, with further declines expected [5]. - By late 2022, Kaola Haigou's app ranked 58th in the App Store's shopping category, trailing behind lesser-known competitors [5]. Group 4: Strategic Challenges - Kaola Haigou faced an identity crisis post-acquisition, as it competed directly with Tmall International, leading to overlapping products and services [10]. - The app's marketing costs were higher than Tmall International's, and its user retention was hindered by the need to redirect users from a high-frequency shopping environment (Taobao) to a low-frequency one (Kaola Haigou) [10][12]. Group 5: Future Outlook - The article suggests that the cross-border e-commerce segment may struggle to sustain independent platforms like Kaola Haigou, as evidenced by the closure of similar businesses [9]. - The success of membership-based models like Sam's Club indicates that there is potential for imported goods, but Kaola Haigou's operational model may not be viable in the long term [9].