Research On Supplier Competition And Distribution Modes Based On E-commerce Platform

With the increasing incentives for e-commerce companies,some large B2 C e-commerce companies,such as JD and Amazon,have begun to open the platform to third parties to further expand market share and enhance competitiveness.We call this platform a hybrid e-commerce platform.The platform suppliers also have more choices in distribution mode.In addition to wholesale products to e-commerce companies,they can also consign products on third-party platforms of e-commerce companies and provide services such as order fulfillment.This paper examines the distribution model selection and price service competition strategies of suppliers of alternative products for hybrid e-commerce platforms.Considering the platform as the leader in decision making,the supplier as the follower,the price and service level are two important decisions of the company.Under the combination of four possible distribution modes,the price and service game model is constructed in the simultaneous decision-making and sequential decision-making of suppliers.From the perspective of suppliers,this paper analyzes the impact of market factors on the equilibrium strategy of suppliers' choice of distribution model.From the perspective of the platform,combined with the characteristics of the product,analyze the operation strategy of the e-commerce platform.the study found that:(1)when suppliers make simultaneous decisions,when price sensitivity and price competition are strong,service sensitivity and service competition intensity are small,or suppliers' service efficiency is low,both suppliers choose the wholesale mode;when moderate,one supplier chooses the consignment mode and the other chooses the wholesale mode;otherwise,both suppliers choose the consignment mode.(2)When the supplier makes sequential decisions,when the price competition intensity is strong or the service competition intensity is small,the first supplier chooses the wholesale mode,and the post-mover also chooses the wholesale mode,and the “ post-moving advantage” is obtained.When moderate,the first supplier chooses the consignment model,and the post-mover chooses the wholesale mode;otherwise,both suppliers choose the consignment mode,and the “first move advantage” is obtained.From the perspective of platform,the research finds that for products with easy order aggregation,the platform tends to be self-operated,and the products that are difficult to aggregate,the platform is willing to open to third parties.For other products,the platform needs to consider different market factors to choose the appropriate strategy.These conclusions have certain guiding value for enterprises to choose the distribution mode and how to make decisions such as pricing and service level in a competitive environment.