International marketplace platforms operated by Amazon, Alibaba and Walmart are flattening retail’s global distribution ecosystem. “Transforming International Retail Distribution: Global Ecommerce’s Latest Wave of Disruption”, a new GELF research report, dives into how marketplaces and data-savvy digital natives are shaking up how retail brands sell globally.
They study looks at four areas:
- Growth Strategies provide insights on international market priorities and explore which global ecommerce expansion models work best where and for whom. We update the GELF International Ecommerce Framework and profile how brands are addressing international marketplace strategies.
- Execution profiles how brand and retail organizations execute global growth strategies by managing channel friction and providing digital leadership. We discuss how Global Operating Models, Global Playbooks and Centers of Excellence help brands control the brand and empower local distribution partners with ecommerce know-how and localized best practices.
- Local Distributors in international markets are a central focus of the study. The state of digital commerce among local distribution partners is mixed. We explore the “healthy friction” growing in global sales channels as digital distribution platforms evolve — and what leaders should expect from international distribution partners. We highlight how brands can provide leadership to local partners and help them evolve as digital commerce grows.
- Future Foundations profile the technologies, innovations and practices driving global retail growth today and in the future. In summary, leaders tell us optimizing international ecommerce operations is the top priority, closely followed by the need to invest wisely in international demand generation. To build a foundation for sustainable future growth, we find all parties in the global sales, distribution and marketing ecosystem must do a better job harvesting, sharing and acting on operational data and international customer insights.
Learn why traditional wholesale distributors must evolve into digital-savvy “global market accelerators” or risk losing relevance in this webinar.