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Best
How has BEST Inc. shifted its customer base with its 2025 logistics pivot?
The 2025 pivot refocused BEST Inc. from domestic parcel volume to high-margin B2B freight, warehousing, and cross-border services, targeting enterprises and international merchants across Pan-Asia. Its tech-first platform now prioritizes data-driven supply chain solutions over last-mile consumer delivery.
Customer demographics now center on small-to-large enterprises, e-commerce exporters, and regional manufacturers needing integrated logistics, with key markets in Southeast Asia and cross-border China corridors. See Best Porter's Five Forces Analysis for competitive context.
Who Are Best’s Main Customers?
BEST Inc. serves B2B and B2B2C customers across three primary segments: large-scale manufacturers, e-commerce platforms, and SMEs, with a focus on reliable palletized freight, regional cross-border delivery, and specialized supply-chain services.
Freight — Industrial & Manufacturing
The Freight segment accounted for approximately 48% of group turnover in H1 2025, serving automotive parts, consumer electronics and FMCG clients needing scheduled, high-volume logistics aligned to JIT manufacturing.
Global — Southeast Asia E‑commerce
The Global division targets cross-border merchants and platforms (eg, Shopee, Lazada), capitalizing on an estimated 15% annual ASEAN e‑commerce growth rate and a rising share of digital-first brands.
Supply Chain Management — Retail & Pharma
This segment provides specialized warehousing and cold‑chain solutions for high‑end retail and pharmaceutical clients requiring strict compliance and traceability across temperature‑sensitive flows.
SMEs & Social Commerce
SMEs in Southeast Asia now represent nearly 30% of Global division volume (2024–H1 2025), driven by social commerce, localized manufacturing, and demand for scalable logistics partnerships.
Customer demographics and target market analysis reveal distinct profiles across segments, informing tailored service offerings and go‑to‑market tactics.
Primary Customer Segments — Key Facts
Segment-specific needs and market dynamics shape BEST’s ideal customer profile and market segmentation approach.
- Large manufacturers: need reliable, scheduled palletized freight; professional procurement teams; integrate with JIT supply chains.
- E‑commerce platforms & merchants: tech‑savvy, growth-focused; cross‑border fulfillment and marketplace integrations.
- SMEs & social sellers: require flexible, scalable logistics; rising contribution to volume in SEA ~30%.
- High‑value customers in SCM: demand cold‑chain, compliance, and value‑added warehousing services.
See related context on company strategy in the article Mission, Vision & Core Values of Best
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What Do Best’s Customers Want?
Customers prioritize digital transparency, cost efficiency and cross-border agility; procurement teams value ERP/WMS visibility while consumers and SMEs in Thailand and Vietnam demand fast last-mile delivery and flexible payments like COD.
Digital transparency
Real-time inventory and transit visibility via ERP/WMS integrations reduces stockouts and supports procurement decisions.
Cost efficiency
Buyers evaluate total cost of ownership; consolidation of warehousing, line-haul and last-mile lowers per-unit logistics spend.
Cross-border agility
Automated customs documentation and integrated tax handling address a top pain point for exporters to Southeast Asia.
Risk mitigation
Supply chain managers prioritize operational reliability to protect margins and brand reputation from logistics failures.
Local speed and support
In Thailand and Vietnam, last-mile precision and COD remain critical; COD still represents a substantial share of e‑commerce checkout in 2024–25.
Integrated solutions
Bundling warehousing, line-haul and last-mile into one service increased merchant retention in 2025 by simplifying operations and cutting admin time.
Customer needs mapped to product features
Key preferences and metrics guide product prioritization: ERP/WMS visibility, customs automation and last-mile flexibility drove adoption among exporters and SMEs.
- Professional buyers focus on total cost of ownership and disruption reduction; visibility is decisive.
- SMEs value bundled services that cut administrative tasks and lower logistics overhead.
- COD and flexible payments remain significant in Southeast Asia, influencing delivery operations.
- Post-2024 research shows customs complexity as a leading pain point; automation improved cross-border uptake.
Further reading on strategic positioning and customer segments: Growth Strategy of Best
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Where does Best operate?
BEST Inc. operates a dual-core geographic footprint: China as its operational backbone with national coverage, and Southeast Asia as the primary growth engine focusing on five ASEAN countries.
China footprint
Domestic network covers 100 percent of provinces and 98 percent of cities, concentrated in the Yangtze River Delta and Pearl River Delta where most freight revenue is generated.
Strategic route focus
Intense competition in China pushes BEST Inc. to prioritize high-yield, specialized routes over pure volume to protect margins.
Southeast Asia expansion
Five-country presence: Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia, with Thailand a top-five express player as of 2025 and extensive sortation centers.
Corridor investments
Focused growth on Indonesia–Vietnam corridor where logistics infrastructure spend is projected to grow 12 percent annually through 2026.
BEST Inc. localizes operations with regional management and retail partnerships for last-mile pickup/drop-off, while exiting non-core, capital-intensive markets to concentrate on RCEP trade routes; see related analysis at Revenue Streams & Business Model of Best.
Localization strategy
Hires local management and forms retail partnerships to optimize last-mile reach and adapt to market segmentation across ASEAN.
Market maturity
Thailand is the most mature international market for BEST Inc. as of 2025, contributing material international revenue and operational depth.
Resource consolidation
Withdrawals from non-core regions free capital to pursue high-growth RCEP routes and improve return on invested capital.
Revenue concentration
Yangtze and Pearl River Deltas deliver the bulk of domestic freight revenue due to dense manufacturing and superior infrastructure.
Competitive positioning
Focus on specialized, higher-margin routes mitigates pricing pressure in China's crowded express market.
Growth indicators
Infrastructure spending trends and corridor investments (e.g., 12 percent CAGR to 2026) underpin international expansion strategy.
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How Does Best Win & Keep Customers?
Customer Acquisition & Retention Strategies blend data-driven SaaS entry points with targeted digital channels to lower acquisition costs and deepen account loyalty, using integrated platforms and ESG-linked programs to increase enterprise retention.
Data-first Acquisition
Freemium and low-cost SaaS touchpoints capture operational data from SMEs, enabling tailored freight and warehousing proposals that convert to enterprise accounts.
Digital Lead Channels
LinkedIn drives B2B pipeline; localized platforms such as TikTok target Southeast Asian SMEs, contributing to an integrated digital ecosystem.
CRM-driven Retention
Customer segmentation by LTV and churn risk triggers proactive offers—volume discounts and custom route optimizations—for high-value clients.
Platform Lock-in
The BEST Cloud embeds logistics workflows to raise switching costs and convert clients into strategic partners rather than transactional customers.
The company reported that in 2025 25 percent of new enterprise leads came from its integrated digital ecosystem, cutting customer acquisition cost by 15 percent, while retention in the supply chain segment improved by 12 percent year-over-year after initiatives like the Green Logistics program.
Targeting & Segmentation
Market segmentation uses customer demographics and behavioral signals to build ideal customer profiles and prioritize high-LTV segments for sales focus.
SME Funnel Strategy
Low-friction SaaS offerings act as acquisition funnels; telemetry from SME users informs upsell plays into larger logistics contracts.
Channel Mix
Prioritized channels: LinkedIn for enterprise, localized social media for regional SME growth, and programmatic ads for targeted retargeting.
ESG-driven Retention
Green Logistics and ESG services increase stickiness among multinationals with compliance mandates and sustainability KPIs.
Performance Metrics
Key metrics tracked: CAC, LTV, churn risk score, conversion from freemium to paid, and retention delta post-ESG initiatives.
Recommended Tools
Use integrated CRM, product analytics, and marketing automation to identify customer demographics, refine market segmentation, and measure campaign ROI.
Actionable Steps
Practical steps for scaling acquisition and retention with measurable impact.
- Deploy freemium SaaS to collect operational customer demographics
- Segment accounts by LTV and churn risk for prioritized interventions
- Allocate digital spend to LinkedIn and regional social platforms for targeted reach
- Embed logistics workflows via cloud platform to increase switching costs
Further reading on strategic positioning and customer demographics is available in Marketing Strategy of Best
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