Cross-border sales are expected to boom over the coming years, potentially accounting for as much as one third of worldwide e-Commerce trade by 2020, according to IMRG, an online retail tracking firm. In the near term, the total value of worldwide e-Commerce will exceed $1.35 trillion by the end of 2013.
Ross-Simons, a multichannel jewelry retailer, is planning to cash in on global opportunities by extending the brand beyond U.S. borders. The retailer has implemented the Borderfree global e-Commerce platform to help create an “exceptional shopping experience for international shoppers,” according to Joan Abrams, Director e-Commerce.
“By partnering with Borderfree, we are able to ship to more than 100 countries, including Australia, Canada, Europe, Japan and the UK,” Abrams said in an interview with Retail TouchPoints. This expansion, she added, will “make us a thriving multichannel retailer.”
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For approximately 60 years, Ross-Simons “has provided exceptional service and delivered jewelry to more than four million satisfied customers in the U.S.,” Abrams noted. Using the Borderfree platform, Ross-Simons will be able to customize the e-Commerce site to address local currencies and taxes — something the jewelry retailer struggled to do efficiently in the past.
Although Ross-Simons has been selling online on internationally for “many years,” the retailer wanted to “provide a better customer experience for our customers worldwide,” Abrams explained. “Borderfree helps us present prices in the customers’ local currency, keep shipping costs low and guarantee the landed cost for the customer so there are no unexpected duties or taxes.” Borderfree also facilitates returns, manages fraud and “eliminates other hassles that come with cross-border shipping.”
With the new system in place, Ross-Simons shoppers are able to choose their country and currency at the beginning of the online browsing and buying journey. Duties and taxes are calculated prior to checkout, which helps consumers “avoid any surprise fees that may hinder the shopping experience,” Abrams said. “Ross-Simons values excellent customer service. Borderfree guarantees the landed costs at the time of purchase so there will be no undisclosed charges upon delivery. This is a hugely beneficial feature to our international customers.”
As the Ross-Simons business continues to grow on a global scale, Abrams said the team will continue to garner insights from Borderfree to help them “compete like a local business.” Borderfree offers support and advice regarding the most effective ways to go to market in specific countries.
This expertise will “help us speak to particular preferences, national holidays and customs of various regions,” Abrams said. “So while we are going global, we’re also going local.”
To further maximize international presence and sales, Ross-Simons currently is building an international email file and launching an international paid search initiative, according to Abrams. “These are very successful channels for us in the U.S., and we expect that they will help grow our international business as well.
