The most popular destinations for cross-border shoppers to buy from online:
- China (21%)
- USA (17%)
- UK (13%)
- Germany (7%)
- Japan (4%)
A world of opportunity is waiting
Your guide to selling internationally. Read on to learn how.
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How to sell internationally
Whether you’re new to selling internationally or a pro, it pays to have a plan in place. We’ve outlined
five critical areas to consider when planning for international growth.
Identify target markets for your business
Identify which countries to target and research the unique aspects of each market.
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Consider your payment options
Make sure consumers have confidence their payment is secure, and can use their preferred method.
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Research local laws, duties, and taxes
As an international seller, you need to understand local laws, duties, taxes, customs, and free trade agreements.
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Establish support and shipping services
Make sure that your policies on international shipping, delivery, returns, and payment are clear and easy to find.
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Determine demand and selling strategies
Generate demand by building brand awareness and taking advantage of local trends and holidays.
Read moreRead on to learn about the benefits of selling internationally
The global sales opportunity
Globalization and internet adoption are creating opportunities for small businesses to reach new customers abroad.
-
78%
Of online adults shopped online in past 12 months.*
-
$6.7 billion
The total cross-border spend for 2016.*
-
76%
Of cross-border shoppers cite "better prices" as their top reason for why they shop internationally.*
*Source: Ipsos PayPal Insights 2016
Read on to gain insights about international buyers
Insights about international buyers
PayPal and Ipsos research provides insight into where consumers are buying from,
what’s important to them and how they pay for goods and services.*
The top cross-border online shopping categories are:
- Clothing, shoes and accessories (46%)
- Consumer electronics (29%)
- Travel and transportation (25%)
- Digital entertainment/education (23%)
- Toys and hobbies (23%)
- Cosmetics/beauty products (20%)
The top reasons that consumers are buying cross-border online:
- Better prices (76%)
- Access to items not available in my country (65%)
- I can discover new and interesting products (59%)
- Websites in this country have more variety/availability of different products and styles (52%)
- Shipping is more affordable (50%)
The top barriers to cross-border shopping among those consumers who shop cross-border include:
- Delivery shipping costs (43%)
- Concern that they may not receive the item (35%)
- Return shipping costs (34%)
- Having to pay customs duties/fees and/or taxes (33%)
PayPal is widely and frequently used for cross-border online shopping.
67% OF CONSUMERS USE PAYPAL TO SHOP INTERNATIONALLY Nearly 7 out of 10 cross-border shoppers preferred to use PayPal for their cross-border shopping overseas purchases.
203 MILLION ACTIVE CUSTOMER ACCOUNTS With more than 203 million active customer accounts, PayPal is a truly global payments platform that is available to people in more than 200 markets, allowing customers to get paid in more than 100 currencies, withdraw funds to their bank accounts in 56 currencies and hold balances in their PayPal accounts in 25 currencies.**
*Source: Ipsos PayPal Insights 2016**PayPal Q1 2017 Financial Results
How the World Buys Online
Global research provides merchants key insights to expand global sales including: invest in SEO, think mobile and sell into new markets.
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Ready to start or expand your international sales?
Learn How to Sell Internationallyor
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