Introduction:
SHEIN’s capacity-locking strategy and Temu’s aggressive warehouse expansion signal a profound shift: cross-border e-commerce platforms are no longer just order distributors. They are becoming the “chain owners” of logistics—controlling capacity, warehousing, routing, data, and ultimately reshaping the global cross-border logistics landscape.
As platform-driven e-commerce businesses evolve from traditional traffic aggregators into organizers and controllers of global supply chains, players such as SHEIN, Temu, TikTok Shop, and AliExpress are systematically rebuilding logistics infrastructure, fulfillment mechanisms, and resource allocation models. Platforms are no longer passive buyers of logistics services—they are becoming the primary coordinators and rule-setters of the industry.
1. How Platform-Led Capacity Procurement Is Transforming the Upstream
As leading platforms deepen their involvement in logistics, capacity procurement and dispatching become core to their supply-chain control. Through large-scale purchasing and dedicated capacity agreements, platforms are increasingly acting as the “dominant chain owners” of the cross-border logistics ecosystem.
In 2024, Amazon, SHEIN, Temu, TikTok Shop and other top platforms significantly expanded their direct procurement of air and ocean freight. By signing long-term charter agreements and fixed-capacity contracts with airlines and carriers, they have secured stable access to key routes.
This “platform-as-chain-owner” trend is not limited to North America and Europe. It is rapidly extending into emerging markets such as Latin America, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia—driving the rise of customized trunk routes, platform-driven warehouse networks, and integrated fulfillment models. Temu’s fully-managed service, for example, has become a fast track for Chinese sellers entering Western markets; its strong grip on air capacity forces traditional logistics providers to redesign products, strengthen service capabilities, and match platform-level SLA expectations.
Centralized capacity control also accelerates the flattening and restructuring of trunk networks. Large platforms use unified digital systems to allocate warehousing resources and manage freight across their global networks, dramatically improving fulfillment efficiency. Meanwhile, small and mid-sized logistics companies must concede pricing power and adapt to platform-driven standards—pushing the industry toward consolidation and deeper collaboration.
In short, platform-led capacity procurement not only generates economies of scale but also reshapes upstream logistics workflows. As platforms increasingly dictate routing, capacity planning, and cost structures, their influence will continue to redefine the global supply-chain architecture.
2. The Rising Importance of Overseas Localized Fulfillment Capacity
As platforms demand tighter control, greater predictability, and more consistent customer experience, localized overseas fulfillment has become a core benchmark of logistics competitiveness. Platforms are no longer satisfied with building only trunk transportation—they now seek comprehensive control of the “last mile” to deliver a closed-loop consumer experience.
Logistics providers capable of full-chain local execution have become preferred partners—and key drivers of the next major reshuffle in cross-border logistics.
The experience of Anjun Logistics in Brazil highlights the complexity and long-term nature of building true localized capabilities. From establishing compliant clearance channels via bilateral postal agreements, to acquiring a ground-handling company during COVID-era congestion, to building South America’s largest customs-bonded warehouse (GRU Ceint), constructing a 600+ vehicle fleet, and launching the Anjun Express last-mile network—Anjun has effectively achieved “post-landing full control” from customs to consumers’ doorsteps.
This model shows that the traditional “trunk + third-party last mile” structure can no longer support high-frequency, high-volume e-commerce logistics. Providers must build their own networks or engage in deep, long-term partnerships with local infrastructure operators.
In markets with weak infrastructure—Latin America, Africa, and parts of Southeast Asia—localized fulfillment is more than a delivery extension. It is a trust proposition that directly shapes user experience. Anjun’s 800+ pick-up points and distribution centers in Brazil, covering 95% of the population, solved the “blind delivery zones” that hinder most logistics companies. Meanwhile, its investments in clearance, returns, customer support, and tax compliance effectively turn it into a local “operations hub,” enabling end-to-end fulfillment for major platforms.
Platforms’ emphasis on fulfillment reliability also raises the bar for system integration and digital collaboration. Temu and TikTok Shop, for instance, require real-time visibility into processing capacity, routing nodes, and delivery status. Logistics providers without local IT teams or platform-compliant systems find it difficult to meet these standards.
Going forward, overseas localized fulfillment will evolve beyond “more warehouses and more trucks.” It will require a fully integrated matrix of digital systems, operational talent, compliance capabilities, and contingency mechanisms. Companies with overseas warehouses, last-mile networks, reverse logistics, customer service, tax compliance, and customs clearance capabilities will lead the transition from “platform-dependent logistics” to “independent local fulfillment networks.”
3. Platform-Driven Integration of Logistics Data and Digital Assets
E-commerce platforms hold a unique multi-dimensional data advantage—traffic, transactions, payments, and user behavior—which they are now extending deeply into logistics. This is accelerating the datafication, visualization, and predictive intelligence of the entire logistics chain.
Platforms integrate full-process order data to optimize routing, allocate inventory, and forecast demand. Algorithm-driven models predict hot-selling items, warehouse throughput, transportation peaks, and resource requirements—creating a data-driven, reverse-designed supply chain.
Platforms such as Temu and TikTok Shop have already built AI-powered logistics coordination systems that connect operations across sales, payments, fulfillment, and after-sales. They can forecast product velocity before orders occur, pre-position inventory, and analyze delivery anomalies to refine warehouse networks and partner strategies.
Logistics providers are being integrated—voluntarily or otherwise—into platform data ecosystems. Real-time metrics such as node capacity, delivery efficiency, and exception rates feed directly into platform dashboards. These metrics influence pricing, service-level assessments, and resource allocation decisions. Providers lacking digital capabilities risk losing their place in the platform-driven ecosystem.
Platforms also feed reverse logistics data—returns, damage rates, complaints, delivery failures—back to merchants and logistics partners, creating a “product–logistics–consumer” closed data loop. This forces logistics companies to build stronger data infrastructures and analytics capabilities.
Looking ahead, platforms will not only distribute traffic and orders; they will also orchestrate logistics resources and control the digital assets that power the ecosystem. To remain competitive, logistics providers must build strong technological and data infrastructures that integrate seamlessly with platform systems.