International online trade on marketplaces
For online retailers, it is becoming increasingly worthwhile to focus on lucrative sales markets abroad in addition to the German market. These offer numerous advantages - provided that the know-how of the e-commerce software is right... with brickfox Multichannel E-Commerce, online retailers serve not only the large international marketplaces of Amazon, eBay & Co, but also highly frequented country-specific platforms such as the Swiss Ricardoshops, neckermann.at or Cdiscount - the "N°1 du e-commerce en France".
Cross-border e-commerce is more than just "the new trend" in online retail. It is a must for online retailers who want to remain competitive in the long term to actively engage with the topic. In times of secure payment methods, ever more extensive logistics and automated sales management via multi-channel e-commerce tools such as brickfox, international sales markets are within reach... and hold enormous potential.
Anyone who starts internationally now can take full advantage of the growth that forecasts say will continue until 2020. But the right course must be set for this. brickfox Multichannel E-Commerce creates an optimal basis for exploring trade on foreign online marketplaces and expanding it step by step. The entry-level version of the E-Commerce Middleware masters the challenges that international online trade with different languages and currencies brings with it. This means that even smaller retailers and start-ups can test trade abroad. The possibilities that brickfox offers are diverse and - with the right strategy - worthwhile.
Step 1: Selling in German-speaking countries
A simple and sensible start-up strategy is to expand into German-speaking countries. Here, the language barrier is eliminated, so that retailers can get started straight away with brickfox as middleware. While Austria has amazon.com, rakuten.com and neckermann.at can be operated three times, you can reach ricardoshops.ch a Swiss audience with high purchasing power. Obstacles in trading with non-EU countries - such as dealing with different currencies or cross-border logistics - can be easily overcome with brickfox & ricardoshops. Thanks to intelligent trading structures, the costs are similar to selling within Germany. From duty-free delivery to processing returns without your own Swiss warehouse, the challenges that come with trading with Switzerland have already been profitably solved with brickfox & ricardoshops.
Step 2: Expand into English-speaking countries
The British are at the top of the lucrative European e-commerce markets. The islanders not only have an enormous passion for online shopping, but are also a good starting point for expansion into the English-speaking world. The English language makes Great Britain a central hub in international trade, and German online retailers can also take advantage of this. Once the language barrier has been overcome with English translations, numerous English-speaking countries can be served. With brickfox as e-commerce middleware, online retailers can reach not only Great Britain – amazon.co.uk – including the 280 million worldwide amazon.com Customers and amazon.ca.
Alongside Amazon, eBay is a platform that should not be underestimated in international trade. Brickfox can be used to serve not only Canada and Australia – eBay.ca and ebay.com.au – but also any country outside of the English-speaking world. Using an intelligent brickfox feature, online retailers who have a German eBay account can Sell on any eBay platform in the worldCross-border trade is supported by brickfox's in-depth know-how in dealing with article identifications, tax rates and currencies. Whether it is the allocation of unique SKUs, percentage currency adjustments or individual pricing per product and country - with brickfox, a lot is possible internationally.
Step 3: Act across Europe – France, Spain & Italy
Even retailers who want to stay in the Euro but have a French, Spanish or Italian speaking background can expand with brickfox. The e-commerce middleware has Amazon and eBay interfaces for numerous European countries. However, special attention is paid to the French. Brickfox can be used not only to access the French Amazon & eBay but also the highly frequented platform Cdiscount.com “N°1 du e-commerce in France” served. And that's worth it too! France is - after Great Britain and Germany - the number 3 European e-commerce market... and in terms of growth it is even the leader. France is considered a key player in e-commerce, especially for German online retailers. The French love German products and enjoy shopping online. Half of all French people buy regularly online and return only 10%, which is noticeably low compared to the rest of Europe. And there are many French people. In addition to the approximately 66 million inhabitants of France, there are also the 5 million in the French-speaking regions of Belgium and Switzerland, which are immediate neighboring countries and are within the catchment area of French marketplaces. A considerable shopping potential that online retailers should not miss out on!