When interconnection and interoperability are becoming a trend, the value of Double Eleven has been magnified again, and it has not lost its original meaning due to the collapse of barriers between giants.

In such a context, Double Eleven, which was once considered to have lost its value and meaning by the outside world, has been given new meanings and connotations, becoming a fiercely competitive field.

Whether it's Alibaba and JD.com's crazy coupon issuance, or Douyin and Pinduoduo's early start, we can see that both old and new e-commerce players attach great importance to Double Eleven this year under interconnection and interoperability.

It is almost certain that as Double Eleven approaches, the competition among e-commerce players will become increasingly fierce.

Therefore, we can't help but ask, why has Double Eleven, which was once seen as a way for e-commerce players to divide their spheres of influence, been given such a significant role in the context of interconnection and interoperability? Why has Double Eleven, which was once considered to have reached its end and no longer had new meanings and connotations, been given new connotations and meanings?

If we have a full understanding of the current changes in the e-commerce industry and a comprehensive understanding of the challenges faced by e-commerce platforms, we will see that Double Eleven this year is not only a sign that the e-commerce industry has reached its decline, but it can even be a starting point for e-commerce players to embark on new development and open up new battlefields.

When we view Double Eleven under interconnection and interoperability from this perspective and analyze its connotations and meanings, we may come to a completely different view.

I

We all know that after the National Day holiday, e-commerce players represented by Alibaba and JD.com began their media warm-up for Double Eleven, and everything indicated that Double Eleven this year came earlier than usual.

However, if we say that Alibaba and JD.com's Double Eleven came earlier than usual, then the Double Eleven of new e-commerce platforms represented by Douyin and Kuaishou seemed to come even earlier.

Unlike the warm-up of Alibaba and JD.com, new e-commerce players represented by Douyin and Kuaishou started the Double Eleven battle early.

The reason why both old and new players are so eager to join the Double Eleven battle this year is not only due to their natural expectation for this year's last big promotion but also related to a broader context.

That context is interconnection and interoperability, which we often mention. In fact, before the Double Eleven battle began, interconnection and interoperability among internet giants had already started.

Whether it's WeChat Pay's integration into Taobao, JD.com's acceptance of Alipay, or JD Logistics' integration into Taobao, we can see that e-commerce platforms, once separated by high walls and moats, have embarked on a new evolution of interconnection and interoperability.

As supporting facilities such as payment and logistics for e-commerce begin to be interconnected, the moats built by e-commerce players due to different platforms and centers are being filled, allowing users to move freely between different e-commerce platforms.

Under such circumstances, it is no longer sustainable for e-commerce players to maintain their market share by building high walls and digging deep moats.

For them, how to improve their experience as much as possible and identify new user and consumer needs has become crucial to maintaining their market position in the context of interconnection and interoperability.

Perhaps the major e-commerce players have already felt this sense of urgency under interconnection and interoperability, which is why they joined the Double Eleven battle early and have higher expectations for this year's interconnected Double Eleven.

For e-commerce platforms, how they fight their first battle under interconnection and interoperability is not only related to their position in the e-commerce landscape but also affects how they will appear at the table.

Precisely because of this, we see that major e-commerce platforms attach great importance to Double Eleven, and they consider it a landmark event with significant meaning.

II

As interconnection and interoperability become the new trend, a new direction is emerging.If we were to summarize and define this new direction, the gradual loss of the original advantages of the development model represented by internet-led platforms and centers is undoubtedly the most important aspect.

Precisely under such a context, Double Eleven under interconnection and interoperability is no longer about e-commerce platforms trying to keep users and consumers on their own platforms but about how they can compete for more orders from other platforms.

It is precisely under such a context that we see Double Eleven this year under interconnection and interoperability taking on new concepts and connotations.

To achieve this, the real test for players is no longer their ability to acquire new traffic but their ability to close more deals while ensuring that their platform's traffic does not diminish.Ultimately, previous Double Elevens mainly tested e-commerce platforms' operational capabilities, while this year's Double Eleven under interconnection and interoperability tests their service capabilities.

For e-commerce players like Alibaba, JD.com, Pinduoduo, and Douyin, operational capabilities are more about closing a single transaction with a user, while service capabilities are about driving repeat purchases and referrals.

In this process, e-commerce players can only achieve this goal by deeply participating in the upstream and downstream of the e-commerce industry and continuously establishing connections between platforms, merchants, and consumers.From this perspective, if we were to summarize and define Double Eleven under interconnection and interoperability, e-commerce players are beginning to build more connections with various aspects of the industry, continuously de-platforming and decentralizing, and reaching deeper into the nuances of the industry with their tentacles, which is undoubtedly the most important aspect.

Therefore, if we were to summarize and define Double Eleven under interconnection and interoperability, it is more like the beginning of e-commerce platforms reshaping and redefining themselves.

From this starting point, Double Eleven is no longer about e-commerce platforms dividing their spheres of influence but about showcasing their new capabilities and roles.

III

Although the internet era has moved from an era of "high walls and deep moats" to a new era of interconnection and interoperability, we still see that old tactics are continuing, and there are even signs of further extremes.

Precisely because of this, we see that although Double Eleven has not yet arrived, competition among major e-commerce platforms is beginning to heat up.Through this phenomenon, we need to see more that under interconnection and interoperability, old species have not yet exited the stage, and new species are beginning to emerge.

Through coupon issuance and subsidies by e-commerce platforms represented by Alibaba, JD.com, and Pinduoduo, we can see that subsidies still play a crucial role in this year's Double Eleven.

However, under such an old playbook, we also see the emergence of new e-commerce models represented by instant retail, smart retail, and deep integration of offline and online.

From this perspective, if we were to summarize and define Double Eleven under interconnection and interoperability, continuously pushing traditional tactics to the extreme and continuously nurturing and incubating new e-commerce species is undoubtedly another important aspect.In a sense, the old tactics are a continuation of e-commerce players maintaining their established development model, while new explorations and practices represent e-commerce players breaking out of their old development model and truly bringing their development into a new cycle.

If we were to summarize and define Double Eleven under interconnection and interoperability, it is more like a watershed.

On one side of the watershed, we see traditional e-commerce models have reached a dead end; on the other side, we see the emergence of new models and the new potential they unleash.

For any e-commerce player, how to stabilize their foundation with old tactics and open up new battlefields with new tactics is the key to ensuring they can continue to grow and develop in the context of interconnection and interoperability.Recognizing this allows us to truly understand why Double Eleven under interconnection and interoperability is given such high hopes and to truly find the new concepts and connotations it has been given.

Conclusion

If we had to describe Double Eleven under interconnection and interoperability with one word, perhaps "fiercely competitive" would be the most appropriate.

In a sense, one of the reasons why Double Eleven has become so fiercely competitive is that the development of the e-commerce industry is undergoing significant changes.Under such changes, e-commerce platforms are no longer developing by building high walls and digging deep moats or defining themselves by platforms and systems but are instead finding new development models and methods.

In a sense, Double Eleven under interconnection and interoperability no longer has its original connotations, traditional concepts, and meanings but is being filled with new elements, models, and tactics.If we were to summarize and define Double Eleven under interconnection and interoperability, it is more like a watershed.On one side of the watershed lies ailing traditional e-commerce, and on the other side lies vibrant new e-commerce.