Q What are your top tips for selling overseas? Make sure you capture the right email, phone and contact details, without overwhelming your customers with lengthy forms! Keep it simple so that when you need to notify them you’ll have all the right information to hand. Make sure you include the correct harmonised code – this is an internationally recognised code that classifies goods into commodity groups. If you use the right code, your customer will pay the right duty price – nomore, no less! Make it easy for your customers to track their shipments online and be clear about the possible customs duties they may have to pay so there are no nasty surprises! Assess the competition – research what products and services are being offered in the destination country and identify gaps in themarket. Give your customers choice – when it comes to delivery, customers like to choose which delivery option suits them, whether it’s economy, standard or premium. Q Is Australia out of reach and do they have an appetite for British brands? Australia presents a huge opportunity for UK brands and retailers as they like to buy British! The duty threshold is higher at $1000 (Australian dollars) so buyers will pay less for their goods and international shipping costs are in line with their delivery costs at home. Together with counter seasonality, it’s an all round win-win!
Q What are themost
Q Which countries are
attractive ecommerce markets?
Britain’s biggest online buyers?
Delivery costs in Spain, France and Germany have been driven down over the past 4 years and there’s no customs process so the transaction is very simple. The USA, a big market for the UK, is also very attractive – especially now it has raised its duty threshold to $800. That means customers in the US can purchase more from the UK without having to pay local duty and tax premiums. Q How canWhistl help my business reach customers overseas? We have a lot of experience in international e-commerce. With our global insight, we can help you shape your international offering and uncover markets you thought were out of reach. We have an excellent knowledge of local business customs, consumer preferences and cultural differences, so we can give you invaluable advice to help your business grow globally. Plus we’ll manage the entire distribution process without you having to get involved. We provide all the relevant tracking information and deal direct with the customer regarding any delivery queries, meaning there’s one less headache for you tomanage!
Some of the biggest shoppers on UK ecommerce sites are fromthe USA, Australia, France, Germany and Southern Irelandwho benefit from lower shipping costs (on a par with the UK) thanks to high demand and high volume.
Q Andwhat emerging markets shouldwe be looking out for? Russia, Brazil, China and Japan are growthmarkets that offer massive sales opportunities for UK retailers, however they aremore complex to deal with. That’s whereWhistl can help as we have a lot of expertise dealing with emerging markets!
Q What’s the secret to
successful cross-border trade?
Firstly, you need to understand the shopping culture of overseas buyers if you want to be competitive. Legal obligations differ fromcountry to country so it’s important to always meet expectations if you want to stay ahead of the game. Secondly, never over, or under- promise. Don’t deliver in 4 days when you said it would be 10. Although youmay think you’re exceeding expectations youmay be inconveniencing your customers if they’re not home or on holiday. And finally, know the duty threshold of each country as they do vary. It’s $800 in the USAmaking us more attractive to the Americanmarket because they don’t have to pay US duty premiums.
For further information about Whistl’s range of international
delivery services visit www.whistl.co.uk/ worldwithinreach
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Whistl Magazine • Autumn 2016
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