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The following content is informational only. When making business decisions, we encourage you to seek personalised advice from qualified professionals.
At Faire, we’re thrilled to be growing our brand community across the United Kingdom and Europe in 2021 and beyond. Shipping internationally requires a bit of proactive research. Before you begin shipping across borders, you’ll need to review your packaging, carrier choice, documentation and exportability of your products. Today, we’re sharing shipping tips for brands based in the United Kingdom and Europe.
Choose a carrier based on your needs
We recommend choosing a shipping carrier that suits your products, your business and your location. We’ve listed a few options below for you to research independently.
- DHL – Find your nearest DHL location here. You might find DHL’s international shipping checklist helpful.
- FedEx – Find your nearest FedEx location here.
- UPS – Find your nearest UPS location here.
- Your country’s local post – You may be able to ship internationally using your country’s postal system. Be sure to choose a service that offers shipment tracking. Contact your local post office directly to learn more.
Once you select a carrier, confirm that you know how to package each and every shipment based on their international shipping guidelines. Commercial invoices and HS codes are essential when you’re shipping internationally. When in doubt, please consult your shipping carrier or customs broker.
Review customs and duties requirements
International orders may need to clear customs prior to leaving the country and upon arriving at retailer’s destination. To ensure a smooth experience, we recommend consulting your shipping carrier for the most up-to-date requirements. If your shipping destination is the United States, read more here.
Once your order arrives at its destination, the receiving retailer is responsible for paying any applicable import duties.
Reduce freight costs when possible
We know that your goal is to build strong relationships with retailers internationally, so we’ve come up with ways to help you manage international freight costs.
- Negotiate shipping rates with your carrier. You may be able to leverage your shipping volume to get discounted rates and pass on those savings to your retailers. When you’re negotiating, consider your number of monthly shipments, average freight, types of shipping services, destinations frequently sent to, preferred day of the week to ship, the flexibility of your shipping schedule, seasonal shipping habits and peak months.
- Establish strategically located warehouses. As you grow your wholesale presence globally, consider partnering with a fulfillment center in the US or other major markets. Shipping from a domestic location will reduce costs for your retailers.
- Explore running shipping-related promotions. Consider offering free shipping or shipping discounts. This means you would cover the cost of shipping or pass on a reduced shipping rate to your customers. When you offer a free shipping promotion through Faire, you’ll cover the cost of shipping instead of the retailer. Read more about shipping promotions on Faire.
Pro tip: When you sell internationally on Faire, retailers will be able to see their shipping costs and taxes in the check-out experience, as well as on invoices. This helps the buyer know what they’re paying for.
Connect with international retailers on Faire
To learn more about international selling and shipping, visit our international help centre or speak with your contact at Faire.
