The retailer's passport to global ecommerce success

The 2017 ecommerce world could well be considered the online shopper’s oyster.

While a chef in Rio searches for a bottle of the rarest Mexican mezcal, an interior designer in Beijing hunts for the perfect Turkish rug and the habit of cross-border shopping becomes more engrained in consumer behaviour.

These adventurous shoppers are not alone. As consumers we’ve all turned to an online global marketplace for a never-before-seen fancy dress outfit, or a cheap phone case.

These two drivers – exclusive products and lower prices – have been identified as key by recent extensive research conducted by Bronto, visualised by Retail Week Connect.

Unrealised potential

It is this interest in global shopping that provides retailers with the potential that they are still struggling to realise.

In some of the planet’s biggest consumer markets, the proportion of shoppers open to purchasing from a specific country far exceeds the proportion who have done so to date.

“In some of the planet’s biggest consumer markets, the proportion of shoppers open to purchasing from a specific country far exceeds the proportion who have done so to date”

While just 6% of US global shoppers have purchased from Australia, 52% say that they would be willing to do so.

Similarly, only 3% of UK global shoppers have purchased from Canada, but 45% would be willing to do so.

A global ecommerce mystery? Perhaps not…

Why are online shoppers claiming a behaviour they don’t follow through on? What is in the way?

Consumer concern and frustration around everything – from hidden tax costs and instructions in foreign languages to no free returns and lengthy shipping times – mean the cross-border shopping experience remains far from perfect.

While these numerous barriers may appear insurmountable, by addressing the key pain points experienced by consumers, retailers can unlock the gate to a global marketplace of adventurous shoppers.

“Consumer concern and frustration around everything mean the cross-border shopping experience remains far from perfect”

Bronto’s report ‘Beyond Borders’ helps retailers find the key to doing just this – download it here.

Access all areas – a Retail Week Connect animated visualisation of Bronto’s research