Shopify is Canada's leading platform for Direct to Consumer / DTC ecommerce. Independent sellers are seeking to remain... well Independent. And increasingly, Canadian sellers are getting hits to their sites from international consumers that depend on having a lower cost.

Self-fulfillment and Shipping Solutions

Many Shopify merchants operate in niche markets with a unique set of clients, suppliers and proprietary data. Using their own fulfillment data enables them to deliver to the global marketplace, which can now include shipping directly to major countries.

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International transit time and cost for Shopify orders

From North America, Canada Post and the United States Postal Service (USPS) are generally the preferred option for sellers who ship small packages. Postal services globally have struggled to maintain service quality - especially for cross border shipments that require customs clearance.

The beyond the language and currency issues (discussed below) the most pressing demand for Canadian sellers is finding a solution that is faster than the post and less expensive. Sellers can build this capability with the help of Jet's direct import solutions to many major international markets.

FedEx and UPS

FedEx and UPS are North America's largest carriers and, along with DHL, are keen to offer discounted rates to Shopify shippers. However, meaningful discounts can be difficult for all but mega shippers and the processes for all shippers can be inflexible. FedEx, in particular, offers direct import solutions for e-commerce shippers (mostly targeted to sellers in Asia shipping to North America and Europe).

Direct shipping to major international markets

The growth of international parcel volumes have allowed the development of new direct shipping processes to the world's major economies from Canada. Jet Worldwide has developed direct shipping solutions to the UK, European Union, Japan, China and all the world's major economies.

The challenge of shipping ecommerce direct to major markets include:

• Minimum volume requirements
• Airlift capacity
• Import clearance processes

The best way to build volumes to major markets is simply to target them. Canadian sellers can reach international markets using the same infrastructure now in place for their Canadian orders.

Jet Worldwide

• Jet Worldwide: A trusted brand offering international shipping for over 35 years!
• Jet Worldwide offers options for international shipping between to and from North America for parcels, pallets, and online orders
• Jet Worldwide offers transparency and logistics support. We are not shy to recommend alternative options that are better suited for your needs. Contact Jet.

Shipping online orders to the European Union

The European Union is among the world's largest free-trading blocs. The challenge for shippers to European Union is finding a central point of import for free movement within the entire EU and managing the processing of VAT (now applicable to all shipments). Contact Jet's team for pre-labeled shipping solutions to the European Union.

Read more: IOSS and VAT payment for ecommerce imports to the EU

Shipping online orders to the United Kingdom

Shipping orders direct to the United Kingdom will remain but the UK's role as a hub for the EU has been replaced by new EU parcel import hubs. E-commerce requires the ability to pre-label from origin and utilizing a single point of import that manages the prepayment of import fees.

Read about VAT pre-payment for online order to the UK.

Sellers exporting from Canada to the UK should note that e-commerce platforms - such as Shopify, eBay and Bigcommerce - are responsible for collecting VAT directly from Canadian sellers. The UK VAT arrangement applies Value Added Tax for all online orders up to £135 from Canada to the UK individuals*.

Shipping online orders to Japan

With pre-labeling and efficient parcel import processes, Japan can become a key export market from Canada and American online merchants. Japan's economy is connected to the global online community made more accessible via Japanese import processes.

Shopify, Big Commerce, ebay and Internationalizing Sales

Canadian ecommerce cross-border sales are projected to grow much more than domestic ecommerce growth. But, while simply selling across borders can be managed by platform tools provided by Shopify and others, a key tool is having access to low cost international delivery.

Successful international ecommerce means diversifying to innovative delivery networks direct from Canada.

Shipping International Online Sales from Canada

When selling to multiple markets, you have to take into account regional variances like shipping, taxes, and duties, making profit margins difficult to determine. Shopify provides the capability to set prices adjustments by country or region.

Via Shopify and other platforms, product prices can be adjusted by percentage or country, or you can set specific prices for your inventory, eliminating reliance on foreign exchange rates. You can also set the exchange rate manually for even greater control over your product pricing. You can even include or exclude taxes upfront based on a customer's region—helping you avoid giving your customers sticker shock.

Targeting ecommerce "Rest of the World"

Canadian ecommerce DTC sellers can easily expand their "local offer" to global consumers. Beyond Canada and the USA, the "rest of the world" includes major opportunities to major markets. For example, a seller may have products that would sell great in certain regions of the world. Sellers can focus solely on specific countries or regions via Jet's targeted solutions.

Presenting Prices in Local Currency and Delivery by Local Carriers

One of the easiest ways to build trust from international visitors is by including payment and local currency and delivery by local carriers. Earning the trust of new international visitors is key.

Multiple languages

Naturally, customers are most comfortable shopping in their own language and Canadian sellers - especially those in Quebec - often already have multiple lingual site. Research shows that over 40% of of Europeans only purchase products and services in their local language. With Shopify Plus, for example, you can sell in up to 20 languages with a supported third-party language translation app, so it won't be long before you're speaking your customer's language.

Jet Worldwide provides translation support for sellers wishing to offer their products to Quebec and France.

International Domains and Localized Delivery for Canadian Sellers

If a customer perceives shipping as being slow,they’re more likely to abandon their cart. One indication that shipping might be slow? When they see a domain name based overseas and shipping is via Canada Post or other North American carrier.

Utilizing international domains and shipping direct via local carriers, you can expand your business to global audiences.

Geolocation: Customized Experienced for Global Markets

Personalization is a proven method for building trust and sales.Foreign customers visiting your store will appreciate seeing local currency and delivery options. With Geolocation services, you can make a great first impression by immediately welcoming customers and showing respect for their local language, carriers and presence.

Sellers can install Shopify’s free Geolocation appin Shopify Payments. Designed to serve international customers so they can browse and buy faster, this feature offers shoppers language and country recommendations based on their geographic location or browser settings, which can be changed at any time.

Get started with optimizing your store for international customers

Localizing and personalizing your ecommerce site for international visitors is about building trust by removing barriers by making the transactions frictionless. Jet helps sellers ship direct to the European Union, UK, China, Japan and all major international markets.

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