Ask me anything about … international shipping

Where are your biggest overseas markets?

Morrison: “Our largest international territories are currently New Zealand, the US, and the EU. To date, we've invested heavily in domestic regions, however, international expansion is a key objective for the business moving forward.”

How do you ship products overseas for eCommerce?

Morrison: “One of the most important things for selling overseas is the technology you're using. It’s really important to make the UX easy for customers.

If, for instance, you don't show them pricing in their currency, there’s instantly a blocker. They don't necessarily know what AUD represents in USD, and whether that’s value for money. We use some different Shopify integration tools that automatically change the currency based on the IP of the customer’s location.”

Is international shipping more complex than sending locally?

Morrison: “Yes, sending overseas is more complex due to varying shipping regulations, customs duties, and longer transit times.”

What are three things you wish you’d known before you started selling internationally?

Morrison:

1. “The intricacies of country-specific customs requirements and how they impact delivery times and costs
2. The critical role of local payment gateways and multi-currency support to improve the checkout experience, and 
3. The need for automated shipping cost calculators that provide transparent, real-time quotes to reduce cart abandonment.”

What is the cheapest international shipping?

Morrison: “Australia Post is definitely more cost effective than other carriers. In a competitive market like this, protecting margins is important.”

How did you set up your international shipping pricing?

Morrison: “We clearly communicate shipping costs, duties, and taxes upfront, ensuring customers understand they’re responsible for these charges. This transparency helps reduce friction at checkout. Additionally, we offer a flat rate for international shipping, which our customers love!”

How many shipping options should you give your international customers?

Morrison: “When the checkout spits out ten different options for shipping, that's a blocker for shoppers – and we know that through testing and UX audits showing cart and checkout abandonment rates. So we want to remove any friction or barriers and present them with just one or two easy-to-navigate options.”

How long do parcels take to arrive to your international customers?

Morrison: “Australia Post delivers within five to 10 business days, which suits our customers.”

What’s it like for fashion brands selling internationally at the moment?

Morrison: “There's a huge opportunity for Australian designers and fashion retailers to sell internationally. That’s because it's becoming more affordable from a tech perspective to be able to engage a broader audience.

There are a lot of countries that are really liking what's coming out of Australia: we're delivery exceptionally high quality garments at a competitive price point.”

What are the next eCommerce trends to support international sales?

Morrison: “eCommerce is such a growing market that I think if you’re not digital-first then you’re probably being left behind. There are new tech features and functions being released all the time, and AI is becoming prevalent and really important. All that tech makes it easier to achieve things that were maybe a bit harder in the past.”

When it comes to selling internationally, what’s the biggest focus for Morrison in the next couple of years?

Morrison: “Our goal in the next 12 to 24 months is to scale international sales significantly. We're working hard and tooling up for it with the right tech, logistics partners and warehouse capabilities. I’ve seen businesses try and run before they walk and it doesn’t go well, so for us the next 12 to 24 months is important for sustained international growth.”