Research on Channel Selection Strategies of Overseas Distributors under Channel Erosion and Channel Loyalty

Having emerged from personal purchasing services, evolved from overseas shopping, and matured through cross-border e-commerce, China’s cross-border import industry has undergone four stages—initial exploration, rapid expansion, model adjustment, and upgrading—and has become a new driver of economic growth. Parallel imports have spurred the diversification of market participants and channel transformation; overseas distributors have demonstrated strong adaptability and a continuously expanding influence, with sales models shifting from direct sales towards indirect channels. Differences in channel models significantly influence consumer perceptions and the selection of optimal channels. Faced with competition from local authorised dealers, channel erosion, loyalty effects and shifting demand, how overseas distributors select channels to optimise their operations has become a new challenge in global supply chain management. To this end, this paper constructs a Stackelberg game model to examine, in particular, the impact of factors such as channel erosion, loyalty efficiency, demand uncertainty and stock-out costs on the optimal channel selection by overseas distributors.