Research on the application of biomechanical theories to e-commerce product selection strategies

Article ID: 1176

Abstract

In recent years, the proportion of cross-border e-commerce in China’s foreign trade has been steadily increasing. Many enterprises have opted to engage in international trade by establishing a presence on overseas e-commerce platforms, making the integration of research findings from various fields with e-commerce product selection strategies a popular research direction. This study focuses on the Southeast Asian e-commerce platform Lazada and incorporates biomechanical theories to conduct cluster analysis. The objective is to uncover product classification patterns through biomechanical aspects and provide strategic recommendations for product selection to novice cross-border e-commerce merchants seeking entry into the Southeast Asian market. First, this study provides a comprehensive analysis of the current development trends in cross-border e-commerce and the application prospects of biomechanical theories in this field. Subsequently, key variables were selected based on biomechanical concepts such as the “stress-strain” relationship and dynamic equilibrium. These core concepts were utilized to draw analogies with the critical variables in cross-border e-commerce product selection. A set of evaluation indexes for product selection was constructed from two dimensions: product attributes and customer reviews. In this framework, product selection strategies were analogized as state variables, product price and brand strength as “external forces,” and product ratings and online reviews as “internal forces.” Data collection techniques were employed to acquire product data from the first 20 pages of listings across secondary categories on Lazada’s Vietnam platform. The data underwent rigorous cleaning, preprocessing, and descriptive statistical analysis. Finally, a clustering algorithm was used to classify the primary product categories into four distinct clusters. Based on comparative analysis of the features among these clusters, the study quantitatively elucidates the patterns of changes in product category under the combined influence of “internal” and “external” forces, and proposes actionable recommendations for product selection strategies. Based on the findings of this study, biomechanical theory provides new insights into e-commerce product selection strategies, demonstrating promising applicability in this field. From a biomechanical perspective, the study identifies women’s fashion and accessories, as well as home and lifestyle categories, as the most popular segments in the Vietnamese market. However, these categories are characterized by intense price competition, making them unsuitable for novice merchants to enter impulsively. In contrast, the electronics category, driven by robust market demand and promising growth potential, emerges as an ideal product selection direction for foreign trade enterprises with reliable quality assurance. Drawing on biomechanical theory and clustering analysis, this study offers product selection recommendations, emphasizing that merchants should carefully select target categories and products based on their resources and market positioning. By adopting appropriate market strategies, businesses can achieve steady development in the Southeast Asian market, gradually build and enhance their brand image, and drive the long-term growth of their cross-border e-commerce ventures.