International Shipping Myths vs. Reality

 

When we ask ShippingEasy users why they don’t target this huge international opportunity, the most commonly-cited reasons are international shipping expense and complexity. But as with any business decision, we recommend looking at the potential upside before you’re dissuaded by the downside.

When it comes to international shipping, rates are indeed higher; like domestic rates, all carriers raised international rates significantly for 2016. But consumers in foreign markets are also often willing to cover these costs—and potential added costs due to duties—to get products they can’t find at home. In fact, 67% of global consumers who shop abroad are motivated by lower pricing than they can get at home. Source: http://www.pfsweb.com/PDF/whitepapers/Online-Retail-Cross-Border-Sales-FINAL.pdf

ecommerce world

Another major motivator is product availability: consumers often look abroad for brands or products that just aren’t sold by their local retailers—online or off. Their motivations can range from desire to own locally rare products to genuine needs that aren’t met by the local markets. In either case, there’s potential for you to fill the void—and possibly be free from competition if you target your foreign markets carefully.

As far as complexity goes, the international shipping process is more straightforward than many sellers realize, especially when you use a platform like ShippingEasy to help automate it.

Request a Demo