Handbook of E-commerce in China

This chapter introduces the background of the emergence of e-commerce, analyzing the impact of technological changes in the agricultural economy, industrial economy, and digital economy on the inception and development of e-commerce. It also provides a comprehensive analysis of the opportunities and challenges faced by e-commerce in the new era.

E-commerce, while promoting economic growth, also stimulates the continuous transformation, upgrading, and transition of traditional business models. Currently, e-commerce occupies a significant proportion of the global economy, attracting considerable attention from countries worldwide. This is evidenced not only by the planning of national e-commerce development blueprints but also by efforts to achieve international e-commerce cooperation. This chapter introduces the major policies and measures taken by key countries to vigorously develop e-commerce.

With the advancement of technology, the application of e-commerce has continuously increased, and its scale has expanded dramatically. Since the 2010s, the development of new technologies such as big data, cloud computing, the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), and blockchain has extended the e-commerce domain to numerous new engineering technology application scenarios, such as platform construction, transaction models, interoperability, and data sharing. These application scenarios have gradually formed a research frenzy centered around big data, cloud computing, IoT, AI, and blockchain, continuing to support the ongoing expansion of the e-commerce domain. This chapter mainly analyzes the cutting-edge research of relevant technologies, revealing the significant role of frontier technologies in the development of e-commerce.

E-commerce is a constantly evolving concept. Throughout its inception and development, it has gradually formed unique and related key concepts. Mastering the basic concepts, definitions, and foundational knowledge of e-commerce is an important aspect of studying it. Additionally, e-commerce involves multiple entities using e-commerce application systems to conduct business activities. Modeling and analyzing this process is a crucial research approach to understanding its essence. In addition, research on recommendation systems is a distinctive area of study within the field of e-commerce and has played a significant role in driving its rapid development. This chapter primarily analyzes the basic definitions and models of e-commerce and introduces the recommendation system research.

Payment is a crucial process in the financial flow of electronic commerce, and its development directly determines the success or failure of e-commerce. Electronic payment technology is the key to realizing online shopping and real-time payment. And with the vigorous development of e-commerce, the significance of logistics organizations has gradually become prominent. The key points of knowledge in this chapter include the following: online banking, electronic payment systems, electronic cash, electronic checks, the functions and characteristics of electronic wallets, and the development of supply chain research in e-commerce.

In China, the network economy, represented by e-commerce, also began to rise in the early twenty-first century, with numerous companies exploring e-commerce opportunities. With over 20 years of development, Chinese e-commerce has not only undergone a transformative journey from non-existence to prominence but is also leading the global e-commerce landscape in a new wave of business transformation. We will begin by introducing JD.com as a representative of a series of successful e-commerce companies in China.

The emergence of online communication tools has brought significant convenience to life and production. A multitude of social platforms have emerged, and internet-based electronic communities have gradually grown, becoming a part of people’s daily lives. As an extension of real life, virtual electronic communities offer diverse and rich content, making people’s lifestyles more diverse. In this part, we will introduce the representative community-platform-styled cross-border e-commerce company: Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book).

“New retail” is a concept first introduced at the Yunqi Conference in Hangzhou in October 2016. It represents a fully integrated business model that combines online, offline, and logistics, and it belongs to the O2On (Online to Offline) e-commerce model. Among the many e-commerce enterprises in China exploring new retail, Meituan is one of the early adopters of O2On e-commerce. This chapter mainly introduces Meituan’s development, business operations, and innovations.

TicTok is a dynamic live-streaming e-commerce platform, seamlessly merging entertainment and shopping. It is an app product under ByteDance, which was launched on September 20, 2016, and quickly became a nationwide favorite short video platform, leading the trend of live-streaming e-commerce at home and abroad. This chapter mainly introduces the development and commercial operation of TicTok.

As electronic commerce-related technologies continue to advance, particularly the widespread application of internet technology and artificial intelligence, electronic commerce will continue to play a significant role in the economic development and social transformation of countries worldwide. Electronic commerce will remain a focal area of development for countries, with its theoretical foundations further maturing and technological innovations gaining continued attention and support from various sectors. Simultaneously, the applications of electronic commerce will expand further, integrating more deeply into various aspects of socio-economic life.

This chapter introduces the basic concepts, connotations, and development status of e-commerce and financial payments. It begins with the definitions related to e-commerce and financial payments, including the concept of the third stream, which consists of information flow, capital flow, and logistics. The chapter then analyzes the collaboration among these three streams within e-commerce, explores the characteristics of e-commerce and financial payments, and discusses the relationship between them. Finally, it reviews the global development history of e-commerce and compares the current status at home and abroad. Overall, this chapter lays the theoretical foundation and background knowledge for the in-depth discussions in subsequent chapters.

This chapter, “The main forms of e-commerce and financial payment,” explores various forms of e-commerce and financial payment systems, highlighting their technologies, roles, and challenges. The chapter begins with technology-enabled finance, discussing key technologies and the role of tech-finance, along with the challenges it faces. It then covers green finance and inclusive finance, focusing on their definitions and significance in the financial landscape. The development history and definition of digital currency are also discussed, providing insights into this emerging area. Additionally, the chapter examines third-party payments and Internet finance, detailing their characteristics and functions, and explaining their importance in the broader context of e-commerce and financial systems.

This chapter, “Main technologies of e-commerce and financial payment,” delves into the key technologies underpinning modern e-commerce and financial payment systems. The chapter begins with an overview of the Internet, explaining its basic working principles, the development of the Internet in China, and the future prospects with Web 4.0. It then explores big data, detailing its characteristics, technical classifications, and typical applications. Cloud computing is also discussed, highlighting its features and application areas. Additionally, the chapter examines blockchain technology, describing its characteristics and various application scenarios. Finally, it covers artificial intelligence, focusing on its core technologies and applications in the financial sector and e-commerce.

This chapter provides case studies of prominent e-commerce platforms and their associated financial payment systems. The chapter details the integration and functionality of payment systems with e-commerce platforms, using specific examples. It begins with Taobao and Alipay, exploring how these platforms work together to facilitate online shopping and payments. The chapter then covers Amazon and Amazon Pay, highlighting their roles in global e-commerce and digital payments. Similarly, eBay and PayPal are discussed in terms of their synergy in online marketplaces. Additionally, the chapter reviews JD.com and its payment solutions, as well as Huawei’s entry into the payment sector. These case studies illustrate the practical applications of financial technology in the e-commerce industry.

This chapter, “Research prospect of e-commerce and financial payment,” explores future trends and challenges in the field, focusing on opportunities driven by technological innovations and the evolving international environment. The chapter begins by discussing advancements such as mobile payments, digital wallets, cross-border electronic payments, blockchain technology, artificial intelligence, and augmented and virtual reality. It also addresses the challenges posed by the changing international landscape, including environmental issues, and suggests countermeasures. The chapter further examines new opportunities arising from digitalization, including globalization, market expansion, personalization, customer experience innovation, and payment technology development. It concludes with an analysis of digital trade in new e-commerce forms and the development of e-commerce and financial payments in China, highlighting the global impact of the Chinese model.

This chapter first introduces the concept and nature of e-Commerce Law, as well as the legal and regulatory system of e-commerce (laws and regulations that regulate e-commerce entities and their behaviors) and the legal relationships of e-commerce; Secondly, the subject of e-commerce is introduced, including the definition and classification of the subject, as well as the registration and publicity of e-commerce subjects. Finally, the general obligations of e-commerce entities are introduced, including the obligation to pay taxes in accordance with the law, the obligation to disclose subject information, the obligation to preserve transaction information, and the obligation to protect consumer information.

This chapter first introduces the overview of e-commerce contracts, including the concept and characteristics of contracts, the concept and characteristics of electronic contracts, and the concept of e-commerce contracts; secondly, the concept and characteristics of electronic commerce contract formation, electronic commerce offer, electronic commerce commitment, and the time and place of electronic commerce establishment were introduced; finally, the effectiveness of e-commerce contracts is introduced, including the concept of e-commerce contract effectiveness, principles of electronic error and presumption, as well as the concept, characteristics, limitations, invalidity of exemption clauses, and interpretation rules of e-commerce format contracts.

This chapter first introduces the concepts and characteristics of e-commerce operators and e-commerce platform operators, and then focuses on the obligations that e-commerce operators and e-commerce platform operators need to follow. For e-commerce operators, they are required to comply with obligations such as providing truthful information, delivering as agreed, quality assurance, after-sales service, and issuing certificates; e-commerce platform operators have obligations such as prudent management, transaction security management, self-operated malicious labeling, and multiparty display of search results.

This chapter first introduces the concept and characteristics, protection principles, and scope of consumer rights protection in e-commerce; secondly, the rights of e-commerce consumers are introduced, including the concept and characteristics of e-commerce consumers, their right to information, freedom of choice, fair trade, unconditional return, and compensation for damages. Finally, the current status of consumer rights protection in e-commerce in China, the main legal issues faced, and comprehensive governance are introduced.

This chapter introduces three cases related to e-commerce laws and regulations, which are described from three aspects: an overview of the case, a detailed explanation of the case, and the social impact of the case. The aim is to combine theory with practice to help readers better understand the complexity of e-commerce legislation and regulation.

China’s e-commerce logistics industry has shown significant characteristics in terms of market size, network coverage, intelligence, service quality, green environmental protection, globalization, and market competition. The market scale continues to expand, with e-commerce transactions reaching RMB 43.83 trillion in 2022 and the total revenue of the logistics industry reaching RMB 1056.7 billion. The logistics network covers the whole country, using a variety of transportation modes and nodes to provide services. The level of intelligence has been improved, and logistics monitoring and management have been realized through the Internet of Things, big data, and artificial intelligence technology, enhancing the quality of service, providing personalized and safe logistics services, strengthening the awareness of green environmental protection, and promoting green packaging and clean energy. The trend of globalization is obvious, and e-commerce logistics companies are actively expanding the international market. The market competition is fierce, and e-commerce companies coexist with traditional logistics companies. The policy system has been continuously improved, and the government has introduced a number of measures to promote the healthy development of the e-commerce logistics industry.

Cross-border e-commerce logistics refers to the services provided by logistics organizations or operators, including the collection, distribution, transportation, storage, sorting, and distribution of goods, so as to meet the needs of cross-border e-commerce transactions. Cross-border e-commerce logistics needs to involve multiple countries and regions, with complex business processes such as transportation, storage, and customs clearance. This section focuses on the development process of import and export logistics of cross-border e-commerce, the origin and development of the comprehensive pilot area, the mode of customs clearance logistics, the research frontier of domestic and foreign research, and important scientific issues. Finally, this chapter prospects the future development trend of e-commerce logistics.

This chapter delves into rural E-commerce logistics, highlighting its conceptual framework, key operational models, prevailing challenges, and emerging future trends. Key logistics models featured are the Taobao Village’s supply chain integration facilitated by CAINIAO Network, which addresses the “first-mile pickup” and “last-mile delivery” challenges, and Pinduoduo’s innovative “C2B” model coupled with a pre-sale system. Emerging trends focus on enhancing last-mile delivery through drone technology, reducing costs by optimizing routes and leveraging data-driven logistics, and integrating new e-commerce modalities like social e-commerce and live-streaming sales. Looking ahead, the future promises platformization and integrated operations, flexible logistics networks tailored to regional needs, on-site cold chain development, and comprehensive digitalization to bolster rural logistics efficiency and foster rural economic growth.

The evolution of e-commerce logistics has significantly propelled the development of intelligent warehousing systems, aiming to enhance operational efficiency and reduce costs through automation and smart technologies. This section provides an overview of the current status and future trends in e-commerce logistics intelligent warehousing. It highlights the integration of artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things (IoT), cloud computing, and blockchain technologies in optimizing warehouse operations. The chapter discusses the advancements in automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS), intelligent robots, and real-time inventory management systems that have revolutionized the warehousing industry. It emphasizes the growing importance of intelligent warehousing in China, driven by national support and the expansion of the warehousing industry. The research frontiers in e-commerce logistics intelligent warehousing are explored, focusing on IoT, cloud computing, and blockchain technologies. The chapter also addresses the key scientific research issues in the field, including the practical application of RFID technology, the role of cloud computing in warehouse management, and the potential of blockchain in improving inventory management and enhancing supply chain transparency. Lastly, the future development of e-commerce logistics intelligent warehousing is discussed, predicting the need for multi-node connectivity, real-time inventory visibility, a flexible workforce, and optimal material handling automation to create resilient and efficient warehouse operations.

The rapid development of e-commerce logistics big data in the context of the Internet and cloud computing not only promotes logistics efficiency but also promotes the optimal utilization of social resources. It covers multisource data such as e-commerce, logistics, and consumers, such as logistics economy, consumption, and transportation information. Big data has the characteristics of volume, velocity, variety, value, and veracity. Since 2011, national policies have promoted the development of the big data industry, and e-commerce logistics big data has started from data collection to the rise of data analysis in the 2010s and the deepening of intelligent applications in the 2020s, involving automation, robots, AI, and blockchain technology. At present, the research frontier focuses on the Hadoop ecosystem, big data processing technology system, and key scientific issues such as data integration, real-time collection, storage processing, predictive optimization, and visual decision support. In the future, the expansion of data scale, cloud and big data integration, intelligent logistics, and data security will become important trends.

Environmental logistics refers to a mindset that suppresses the harm caused by logistics to the environment while purifying the logistics environment and maximizing the utilization of logistics resources during the logistics process. It refers to the use of advanced logistics technology to plan and implement logistics activities such as transportation, storage, packaging, loading and unloading, and circulation processing with the goal of reducing environmental pollution and resource consumption. This chapter will introduce the concept of environmental logistics, the development of environmental logistics, the current research status of environmental logistics, and the future development of environmental logistics and focus on China’s policies in environmental logistics and how Chinese enterprises practice the concept of environmental logistics.

“Silk Road E-commerce” is an international e-commerce cooperation platform promoted by China under the Belt and Road Initiative, aiming to expand new space for international economic and trade cooperation, explore the international rule system of the digital economy, and build a new development pattern through the application of e-commerce technology, model innovation, and market scale advantages. Since 2016, China has established e-commerce cooperation mechanisms with many countries to promote cooperation in policy coordination, planning docking, industrial promotion, local cooperation, and capacity building, and promote commodity trade and economic development of countries along the Belt and Road. “Silk Road E-commerce” has not only become a new bridge between China and the world but also played an important role in fighting the new crown epidemic and promoting global economic recovery.

There are a variety of typical models and successful cases in the field of e-commerce logistics. Different logistics strategies are used to help e-commerce platforms improve operational efficiency, optimize customer experience, and promote business growth. This section, in the format of a case analysis, first elaborates on several major e-commerce logistics models, including the self-built logistics model (exemplified by JD), the alliance logistics model (exemplified by Alibaba), the live commerce logistics model (exemplified by TikTok), the integrated warehouse-and-delivery logistics model (exemplified by Freshippo), and the instant retail logistics model (exemplified by Meituan). Finally, it also introduces other representative cases from technology-driven enterprises such as Shopee, Temu, and SHEIN.

This part mainly introduces the related concepts, development history, and current situation of e-commerce big data. On this basis, it summarizes the research frontiers of e-commerce big data at home and abroad and the development trend of e-commerce big data. The research of e-commerce big data technology mainly focuses on three directions: big data knowledge acquisition and integration, big data decision analysis and modeling, and data security and privacy protection. The application research of e-commerce big data mainly focuses on the research of network behavior in e-commerce big data, market insight and marketing strategy under big data environment, enterprise network ecosystem and its collaborative symbiosis mechanism, and e-commerce big data business model innovation. The development trend of e-commerce industry mainly includes information classification, precision push, precision marketing, platform intelligence, whole process data security, comprehensive improvement of platform service level, etc. The new research methods will expand the existing theories and technical models and make more use of social networks, data mining, and other big data intelligent means to promote the development of e-commerce industry.

E-commerce big data fusion aims to integrate and analyze massive amounts of data from various sources to help enterprises understand market dynamics, mine customer interests, and predict development trends. This facilitates intelligent decision-making in e-commerce enterprises, enhances service quality, improves production efficiency, reduces business risks, and maintains competitive advantages. The process comprises three major steps: data preprocessing, data integration, and knowledge fusion. Data preprocessing involves steps such as data cleaning, integration, reduction, and transformation to improve data quality, optimize the data analysis workflow, economize analysis time and resources, and enhance decision-making quality. Additionally, e-commerce big data fusion requires clarifying data ownership, access rights, and compliance issues, selecting appropriate data sources, data models, and analysis methods to ensure data reliability and validity. Cross-border linkage and multivariate interaction are also key areas of research in e-commerce big data, aimed at discovering potential cross-industry connections, creating new business value, and enhancing user experience.

In the research of e-commerce big data, constructing a reasonable research framework is crucial. In this chapter, we comprehensively introduce the technical system of e-commerce big data in a bottom-up manner. In summary, the technical system of e-commerce big data can be divided into three levels: the infrastructure layer, the big data layer, and the model layer. The infrastructure layer addresses the issues of data sources and acquisition, completing data preparation; the big data layer preprocesses the data, while adopting a secure and efficient method for storage, ensuring the efficiency and security of data access; and the model layer analyzes and mines the data, fully discovering the value of the data.

This chapter presents an analysis of three representative cases of the evolution of e-commerce in China, with the objective of synthesizing the significant innovations and potential of this phenomenon within a specific historical context. These cases not only reflect the characteristics of the times but also demonstrate the practical application of the knowledge theory system in social practice. As an early pioneer in e-commerce, Suning.com offers consumers a comprehensive shopping experience through the integration of online and offline models. Tuniu Tourism employs big data technology to satisfy the increasing demand for tourism, thus exemplifying a company at the mature stage of development. The cross-border e-commerce platform based on Made-in-China.com optimizes product recommendations and services through user behavior analysis, thereby demonstrating innovative trends in the context of globalization. Each of these three types of enterprise reflects the diversity and dynamic changes of China’s e-commerce industry, and studying these cases is of great significance for promoting the development of e-commerce theory.

This chapter delves into the future development direction of e-commerce big data, analyzing and exploring the four areas of data fusion, data mining, data security, and application prospects. In the data fusion section, this chapter focuses on how to improve e-commerce enterprises’ insights into the market and customers by integrating multi-source and multimodal data, so as to provide more accurate and personalized services. Achieving a unified representation of multimodal data is the key to reach this goal. In the data mining aspect section, this chapter explores the fact that with the continuous advancement of AI technologies, the mining capability of e-commerce big data has been significantly improved. These advanced technologies and algorithms provide a strong support for platforms to efficiently mine the potential value in data and optimize the decision-making process. Regarding the data security section, this chapter provides an in-depth analysis of the security challenges faced by e-commerce big data in terms of storage, sharing, and ownership. Given that e-commerce platforms involve a large amount of users’ personal information and business data, ensuring the secure storage and compliant use of such data has become a key task in protecting users’ privacy and maintaining business secrets. For the “Application Prospects” section, this chapter looks at the broad application potential of e-commerce big data in the future, covering innovation and development in areas such as risk management, intelligent logistics, and intelligent marketing. Through the scientific application of big data technology, enterprises will not only be able to optimize their operational processes and enhance their market competitiveness but will also play a positive role in promoting the sustainable development of the economy and society.

The chapter reviews relevant research on rural e-commerce. It begins by examining the definition of rural e-commerce and outlining its main functions. Next, the chapter analyzes the key factors influencing the development of rural e-commerce. Finally, the chapter discusses the main challenges currently faced by rural e-commerce.

The chapter provides a detailed chronological analysis of China’s rural e-commerce policies since 2010, showcasing the government’s consistent support and the evolution of policy focus. Key initiatives like “e-commerce into rural comprehensive demonstration work” and “Internet + agriculture” are explored, illustrating their contribution to infrastructure development, talent cultivation, and market expansion. The analysis demonstrates how these policies foster a favorable ecosystem for sustainable and robust rural e-commerce growth in China.

The chapter delves into the historical evolution of the rural e-commerce industry, dividing its growth into three distinct stages. Beginning with the nascent “Stage of Agriculture-related E-commerce (1994–2004),” then examines the “Stage of E-commerce of Agricultural Products (2005–2012)”, finally, it analyzes the transformative “Stage of Rural E-commerce (2013 to present).” The chapter provides a comprehensive understanding of the key trends, opportunities, and challenges that have shaped, and continue to shape, the rural e-commerce landscape in China.

The chapter explores the emergence of rural e-commerce majors in both undergraduate and vocational institutions, highlighting their curriculum focus on practical skills like agricultural product marketing, online store management, data analysis, and new media operation. It emphasizes the importance of practical training through internships, industry collaborations, and entrepreneurial support to equip graduates with the skills needed to thrive in this evolving sector. The chapter concludes by advocating for continued government, academic, and industry collaboration to ensure rural e-commerce education remains relevant and effective in meeting the evolving demands of China’s rural economy.

The chapter provides a detailed account of the achievements of rural e-commerce development. It highlights the rapid growth of the industry, expanding coverage, and diversification of business models, leading to a well-established rural e-commerce industrial chain. The chapter further emphasizes the significant impact of rural e-commerce as a vital channel for invigorating urban and rural markets, a key driver of the rural digital economy, and a powerful tool for poverty alleviation. It underscores the role of rural e-commerce in navigating challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic and its contribution to building a new development paradigm.

The chapter presents a comprehensive analysis of countermeasures aimed at fostering the development of the rural e-commerce industry. The chapter adopts a multifaceted approach, exploring strategies from main, environmental, and technological perspectives. It delves into the overarching strategic focus while examining the influence of both “hard” infrastructure and “soft” policy environments on rural e-commerce growth. Crucially, the chapter emphasizes the critical role of technological advancements, including information, agricultural, circulation, and selling technologies, in driving the industry’s progress and maximizing its benefits for rural communities.

This chapter delves into effective strategies for enhancing the professional development of individuals involved in the rural e-commerce sector. The chapter emphasizes a multipronged approach that includes condensing essential features and skills for practical applications, investing in robust teacher training and development programs, crafting relevant and engaging teaching materials, and fostering collaborative educational partnerships between institutions and industry stakeholders. By embracing these strategies, the chapter suggests a pathway toward creating a skilled workforce capable of driving sustainable growth and innovation within the rural e-commerce landscape.

This chapter delves into the multifaceted application of rural e-commerce and its transformative impact on rural economies. It underscores the significance of rural e-commerce in expanding market access for agricultural products, bolstering farmer incomes, and revitalizing rural communities. The chapter examines the current status of rural e-commerce applications, highlighting advancements in infrastructure development, e-commerce platform sophistication, and logistics optimization. Furthermore, it explores the future trajectory of rural e-commerce, emphasizing its continued potential to drive economic growth, social development, and poverty alleviation in rural areas.

This chapter provides an insightful exploration of typical cases showcasing the successful implementation and positive impacts of rural e-commerce initiatives. Through in-depth analysis of diverse case studies, including the Da Liangshan E-Commerce Talent Training Program, the “Yunshang Village Official” initiative, and models for e-commerce-driven poverty alleviation and agricultural traceability, the chapter illustrates the real-world application and effectiveness of rural e-commerce strategies. By examining these concrete examples, the chapter offers valuable insights into best practices, innovative approaches, and the transformative potential of rural e-commerce in driving rural development and revitalization.

In recent years, with the application and popularization of technologies such as the Internet and mobile communications, as well as the advancement of rural informatization, my country’s rural e-commerce has developed rapidly, which not only directly promoted the development of the rural economy and helped farmers increase their income and become rich, but also effectively promoted the realization of rural revitalization goals. Through the study of this chapter, readers can have a preliminary understanding of rural e-commerce and lay a foundation for subsequent learning.

The e-commerce of agricultural products is a development trend, focusing on word-of-mouth quality and market analysis. Rural e-commerce has developed rapidly in the context of rural revitalization, serving the “three rural issues” and helping farmers increase their income. Online stores selling agricultural products are low-cost, flexible, and profitable, and need to be well operated. In recent years, the “short video + live broadcast” model has emerged, and the government and enterprises have jointly promoted it, injecting new impetus into rural e-commerce.

The development of rural e-commerce has promoted the growth of online shopping demand for agricultural products and promoted the development of agricultural product logistics. In order to promote the smooth flow of urban and rural logistics and the rapid circulation of agricultural products, relevant parties have built a standardized logistics system, optimized the e-commerce logistics model, and promoted the development of the rural economy.

With the advent of the era of big data, data has become the basic resource, important productivity, and key factor of production in the era of digital economy. Under the rapid development of rural e-commerce, the support of data not only make rural e-commerce data analysis, and makes thousands of rural e-commerce practitioners began to realize to the rural e-commerce operation need to be supported by data, online traffic, agricultural sales, consumer behavior can be clearly reflected through data, the quality of online operation can also be reflected by operating index analysis. Therefore, understanding the basic knowledge of rural e-commerce data analysis and being familiar with the main content of rural e-commerce data analysis have become the skills that rural e-commerce practitioners must master.

This chapter deeply explores the successful cases of rural e-commerce in China and comprehensively demonstrates how e-commerce can effectively promote rural economic development and increase farmers’ income and wealth. By analyzing a number of typical cases, this chapter reveals the positive role of rural e-commerce in promoting industrial upgrading, expanding sales channels, and increasing farmers’ income.

Digitization is the process of converting traditional physical assets and value-creation activities into digital formats. By digitizing their operations and resources, organizations can offer services that are swifter, more precise, and tailored to individual needs. This transformation aims to enhance efficiency and reduce costs, enabling organizations to thrive amidst market volatility and consumer demands, thereby securing a competitive edge. Digitization lays the groundwork for the e-commerce and digital economy, establishing the essential conditions for their growth. This section delves into the interplay between digitization and e-commerce within the context of the evolving digital economy, examining how the transition to digital, or an organization’s digital transformation, influences various components of the e-commerce framework, including digital supply chain management and digital marketing strategies.

Technological innovation is the core driving force behind the progress of productivity and the development of industries. E-commerce, as a representative of the new productive forces aimed at future development, takes the innovation of digital technology as its core driving force. The emergence and development of new digital technologies have provided strong infrastructure to support the expansion of e-commerce application scenarios and the enrichment of service methods. This chapter will start from the perspective of the development of productive forces to explore the development direction of digital technologies that support the innovative development of e-commerce and take “cloud computing,” “generative artificial intelligence,” etc. as examples to discuss the specific applications of these new technologies in e-commerce and their driving performance in the development of e-commerce.

Leveraging digital technology, e-commerce applications are profoundly reshaping industries across the board. Originally confined to electronic data exchanges between businesses, e-commerce has now broadened to encompass cross-enterprise value co-creation. It has transcended traditional B2B and B2C interactions to include peer-to-peer value exchanges among individuals. In this chapter, we delve into how e-commerce, propelled by digital advancements, has expanded beyond conventional retail to encompass content and livestreaming consumption scenarios. It has further extended its reach into agricultural production and consumption, social networking, live entertainment, and international shopping, among other emerging domains. As digital transformation progresses, e-commerce is increasingly integrating into a diverse array of scenarios, moving toward a more holistic model of industrial e-commerce. This evolution is not only expanding the scope of e-commerce but also enriching its core principles and practices (Liu, et al. Mobile Info Sys, 2021: 1–11, 2021).

E-commerce retailing encompasses the sale and trade of goods through e-commerce platforms, representing a dynamic retail business model. As technology advances and consumer demands evolve, this sector is witnessing continuous innovation and enhancement. These developments aim to offer consumers a more convenient and diverse shopping experience. The innovative approach in e-commerce retailing integrates new technologies and services, crafting distinctive shopping environments and experiences that redefine the shopping landscape. This not only caters to the multifaceted shopping needs of consumers, enhancing the ease and enjoyment of shopping, but also stimulates corporate growth and creativity. In this section, we will explore the burgeoning new retail models from the perspective of e-commerce retailing and delve into the emerging e-commerce business models that are poised to shape “future retail innovation.”

This section includes the development history and trends of cross-border e-commerce, as well as the development history of cross-border e-commerce education in China.

This section discusses important theoretical and practical research in cross-border e-commerce, including basic theories, ecosystems, and typical platforms.

This section elaborates on the important content of logistics and legal regulations in related fields.

This section discusses typical experiences of institutional innovation, platform innovation, and talent cultivation model innovation in the form of case studies.

This section introduces some new research topics in the field of cross-border e-commerce and proposes prospects for future research.

Accompanied by accelerating globalization and digitization, e-commerce has become one of the important driving forces of global economic development. In the past decades, the rapid development of information and communication technologies (ICT) and the popularization of the Internet and mobile communication have provided technical support for the emergence of e-commerce. At the same time, the global trade and the economic integration have also provided important opportunities for the international e-commerce. In this context, the development of e-commerce in North America, Asia, Africa, Europe, and other regions presents different trends and characteristics. North America is one of the earliest regions in the development of international e-commerce, of which the market size and transaction volume are among the world’s top. The e-commerce market in Europe is relatively mature, but there are still differences between countries. The market in Asia is showing rapid growth and international e-commerce in Latin America, and the Middle East is also developing very rapidly, showing a diversified, geographically strong and high degree of digitization. The e-commerce market in Africa is relatively small, but the application of mobile payment and online shopping is gradually popularized. E-commerce between countries and around the world had become an important force to promote the prosperity of the global economy.

This section summarizes the basic concepts, underlying frameworks, and models of international e-commerce. International e-commerce refers to the process of cross-border transactions facilitated by the Internet and digital technology. It involves key production factors such as information flow, capital flow, and logistics, as well as supporting elements like security, standardization, and regulatory policies. Some of the more classical theories include the comparative advantage theory, global value chain theory, and platform economy theory. Understanding these concepts is of significant importance for driving the development of international e-commerce.

Theoretical framework of international e-commerce provide important guidance and theoretical basis for enterprises to expand their business in the global market. In the context of globalization, e-commerce has become one of the most important ways for enterprises to expand their business in the international market. However, the development process of international e-commerce involves numerous factors and challenges, so understanding and applying appropriate development models and theoretical frameworks are crucial for formulating effective internationalization strategies. In this part, we will introduce two important development models: the Uppsala model and the diamond model, and three important theoretical frameworks: the resource-based theory, the transaction cost theory, and Porter’s value chain theory.

International e-commerce plays an important role in today’s era of globalization. Alibaba, Shein, and TikTok, as hugely influential companies, are leading the e-commerce industry with their unique characteristics and prominent internationalization strategies. These three cases demonstrate how to successfully enter the global market with the help of technological innovation, a strong global network, and an in-depth understanding of international markets. By summarizing these success stories, we can see the internationalization trend of e-commerce and how to succeed in the global market.

Analyzing the internationalization strategies of leading e-commerce players like Alibaba, Shein, TikTok, and DiDi provides practical insights for emerging businesses. These industry giants underscore the significance of localization, innovation, collaboration, and adherence to legal considerations and social responsibilities. By drawing from their experiences, we’ve distilled key principles that form a grounded foundation for businesses venturing into global markets. We hope these can inform the practical recommendations for a successful internationalization journey.

Along with global Internet penetration, more people around the world are making purchases through the Internet, international e-commerce is developing rapidly, and there are also many challenges that come with it. In this part, we make a conclusion about studies we made and try to answer two important questions: What has e-commerce been through and what will the future be like?