5 logistics challenges to overcome when selling internationally

Looking to grow your fashion brand? Global expansion is a great way to do this. With international shipping, it’s never been easier for fashion brands to open their (online) shop doors to the world. 

But wait! Before you rush to take orders from international retailers, you’ll need to consider some of the challenges involved in international trade and how your business will deal with them.

The key to your brand’s international success will be overcoming these hurdles and providing a smooth purchasing experience for your buyers.

Find below some of the logistics challenges and how BLANC can help you overcome them:

1- Adhering to customs rules 

We’re warning you now – there’s lots of paperwork involved in international trade! Each country has its own import rules, customs regulations, duties, and taxes. You’ll need to make sure you submit all the correct paperwork and that your products are classified correctly for customs.

Yes, all this can be very stressful and time consuming to navigate – especially if you’re shipping to multiple countries! What’s worse, if you forget to submit a document or fill in something incorrectly, your shipment could be delayed in customs – which won’t please your buyers. 

Once you signed up with BLANC, our experts can advise you with all the complex admin that comes with international shipping. We work with a range of global brands across the fashion, beauty, home and lifestyle industries, so there is no ground we cannot cover!

Read more: Tax ID numbers and buying wholesale: What do you need to know?

2- Offering the right payment options

Buyers are much more likely to go through with a purchase if they can pay with their preferred payment method. Exactly what that preferred method is will vary from buyer to buyer and country to country.

Some buyers may prefer a traditional purchase order, while others may opt for credit card payments, wire transfers or digital payment. 

Do some research on international payment methods, find out which are the most popular in your target country, and then look to offer those. Try to be as flexible as possible so you can attract a range of buyers from different countries, whilst making sure the payment methods also work well for your business.

3- Tracking orders online

Once their purchase is confirmed, knowing where their order is and when it will arrive can make or break a buyer’s experience. Your brand should ensure that buyers can track their order and receive regular updates. They will want to know when the order leaves the shipping facility, when it is out for delivery and when it has been delivered to their door.

Even if an order is delayed, a buyer will be reassured knowing where their purchase is. This means that your order management system will likely need to incorporate a tracking solution that provides the buyers with updates on their orders.

4- Knowing where to store your products

Knowing where and how to store your inventory is a major challenge for fashion brands. Overestimating the required space can drive up costs, while underestimating them can create a backlog and slow down your logistics.

Another factor to consider is warehouse location, which will determine how quickly you can deliver orders to your target markets. 

For some key markets, like the United States, BLANC offers a warehouse in Florida to speed up deliveries with landed products. This is really key for brands that work on DTC and drop shipping channels.

5- Deciding how you’ll deliver your products

When it comes to shipping and delivery, your brand has two options: cross-border shipping or localized fulfilment.

Cross-border is shipping from an international location and involves a lot more paperwork than a local shipment. Localized fulfilment is where your inventory is stocked within your target region, and then shipped to customers domestically from those facilities, which helps to reduce international trade complications.

Once your brand is live on our platform – BLANC, our team can help and advise you on all your global logistics to make sure your products get to where they need to go! Our global logistics solution includes a fulfilment centre in the United States, complete with a specialized warehouse ready to handle all aspects of packing and shipping orders. 

The advantages of using a fulfilment centre are that the delivery times are shorter, the transportation costs are usually lower and it’s much easier to manage return orders. 

Ready to have your products in the hands of consumers all over the word? Find out how BLANC can help handle your logistics. Contact our team to find out more.