International sales can be critical for growth when planned for
International sales are an important part of the retail industry. While managing purchases across multiple borders, languages and other differences requires powerful point of sale software to handle the diversity of customers, a wider range of shoppers promises a greater degree of success for growing businesses.
That said, merchants that are only just now contemplating moving from a domestic to international business model may not be aware of all the pitfalls awaiting them once their products cross into another country. Some are self-evident – unless retailers plan on building a brick-and-mortar store or working with local suppliers in another nation, shipping costs are going to rise. Even then, the specific expense may not be known without a little education on the subject.
Integrated Solutions for Retailers delved into some of the common problems in more depth, explaining that linguistic and cultural differences are two of the main considerations merchants should keep in mind before moving into international business. Currency, delivery times and custom taxes are also issues that should be planned for ahead of time.
Another problem that merchants can run into is unwittingly selling restricted products in another country, so local laws should also be accounted for in the business plan. But with the news provider reporting that 95 percent of consumers exist beyond the United States, moving to an international business model could be key to growth.
