Retail

Retail refers to the commercial activity of selling goods or services directly to final consumers, usually in single units or small quantities, and is the terminal link in the distribution channel. In foreign trade, retail is often used in cross-border e-commerce (such as Amazon, AliExpress), tourist shopping, or small-scale border trade transactions, as opposed to wholesale. Use scenarios include: export enterprises selling directly to overseas consumers through e-commerce platforms, foreign trade companies handling samples or tail goods in retail mode, and small-amount exports under the market procurement trade method. Notes: Retail exports often involve more complex logistics (such as international express, postal parcels), tariff thresholds (such as the US $800 tax exemption), and return handling; enterprises need to pay attention to destination country consumer protection laws, product certification, and value-added tax (such as EU IOSS). Compared with wholesale, retail has higher unit prices but smaller order volumes, faster capital recovery but higher marketing costs. Foreign trade practitioners should distinguish between B2B and B2C models and reasonably choose trade terms (such as DDP, DAP) and payment methods (such as credit cards, PayPal).