Customs Clearance Challenges: Why Data Has Become the Foundation of Cross-Border Success

CBM: Customs regulations seem to be becoming more complex every year. What are the biggest customs clearance challenges online retailers are facing today?

Guy Cliffe: Interestingly, the biggest challenge isn't necessarily the regulations themselves—it's how quickly customs requirements are evolving across the world.

Authorities are moving away from paper-based processes and placing far greater emphasis on advance electronic data, automated risk profiling and supply chain transparency. That means retailers need to start thinking about customs much earlier in the fulfillment process.

Businesses are also selling into more international markets than ever before, each with different thresholds, documentation requirements and customs rules. Managing that complexity while still delivering the seamless customer experience consumers expect has become one of the biggest operational challenges in cross-border e-commerce.

The retailers that perform best are those that stop viewing customs as an administrative obligation and start treating it as a strategic part of their international operation.

CBM: Since Brexit, how has the customs landscape changed for retailers selling between the UK and the EU?

Guy Cliffe: Brexit fundamentally changed how goods move between the UK and the European Union. Customs is now part of every shipment. Most businesses have adapted remarkably well, but I still see companies underestimating the importance of customs preparation.

One of the most common mistakes is assuming customs only matters when goods are ready to leave the warehouse. In reality, customs begins with the quality of the product data inside a retailer's own systems. Incorrect commodity codes, incomplete product descriptions or inaccurate customs values all create unnecessary delays, additional costs and poor customer experiences.

Returns are another area that is frequently overlooked. Many retailers are missing opportunities to recover import duties or simplify reverse logistics because customs isn't being considered as part of the overall returns strategy.

CBM: Many retailers struggle with customs delays. What usually causes shipments to be held at the border?

Guy Cliffe: Most delays aren't actually caused by customs authorities. They're caused by the information businesses submit. Missing shipment data, inconsistent documentation, inaccurate classifications, or discrepancies between commercial documents are what typically trigger additional inspections.

As customs authorities increasingly rely on automated risk assessment systems, data quality becomes the deciding factor. Retailers often assume they need a faster logistics solution when, in reality, improving the quality and consistency of their customs data will have a much greater impact.

CBM: Product data seems to be becoming increasingly important. How critical are accurate product descriptions and HS codes?

Guy Cliffe: They're absolutely fundamental. Good customs clearance starts long before a parcel reaches the border. Every product description, HS code, declared value and shipment detail contributes to how customs authorities assess risk.

Generic descriptions like "gift" or "clothing" are no longer sufficient. Retailers that invest in detailed product information don't just reduce delays—they improve compliance, minimize manual intervention and ultimately create a much better customer experience.

CBM: Regulations such as ICS2 are changing customs procedures across Europe. How should retailers prepare?

Guy Cliffe: The most important thing is recognizing that ICS2 isn't a standalone regulation. It's part of a much broader shift towards digital customs. Authorities increasingly expect shipment information before goods even begin their journey.

Retailers should review the quality of their customs data today, work closely with experienced customs partners, and ensure their systems can support different international reporting requirements. Businesses that build flexibility now will adapt far more easily as new regulations continue to emerge.

CBM: How do customs challenges differ between marketplaces and mid-sized online retailers?

Guy Cliffe: Large marketplaces benefit from enormous scale and sophisticated technology, but they also have to manage millions of products from thousands of different sellers. Maintaining consistent customs data at that scale is extremely challenging.

Mid-sized retailers usually have much greater control over their own product information, but often lack dedicated customs expertise or experience entering new international markets. Despite those differences, the fundamentals remain exactly the same. Success depends on accurate data, robust processes and choosing the right customs partner.

CBM: Returns aren't usually associated with customs. Why should retailers think differently?

Guy Cliffe: Returns should be part of every retailer's customs strategy. Every returned item may involve import duties, VAT, and customs procedures. One of the biggest missed opportunities is the recovery of duty.

Many retailers are entitled to reclaim duties on returned goods but simply don't have the processes in place to do so. A well-managed returns operation doesn't just improve customer experience—it improves cash flow and reduces unnecessary costs.

CBM: Technology is transforming customs. Which innovations are having the biggest impact?

Guy Cliffe: Automation is removing much of the manual work that has traditionally slowed customs. Direct integration between retailer systems and customs platforms helps ensure information is captured accurately and submitted consistently.

We're also seeing automated validation tools identify missing or inconsistent data before shipments even reach customs. Looking ahead, intelligent technologies that provide better supply chain visibility and identify compliance risks before goods move will become increasingly valuable.

CBM: Finally, what should retailers prepare for over the next two to three years?

Guy Cliffe: Customs authorities will continue placing greater emphasis on advance electronic data, digital compliance and security screening. Manual processes will continue to disappear, while scrutiny of low-value e-commerce shipments is likely to increase.

The retailers that invest today in robust data, integrated technology and flexible customs processes won't simply remain compliant.They'll be the businesses best positioned to compete internationally while delivering the frictionless customer experience consumers increasingly expect.

The post SPOTLIGHT ON… Guy Cliffe: Director at UKP Worldwide appeared first on Cross-Border Magazine.

By fulfilmentcrowd - Consumer expectations continue to rise as four-day sales events place unprecedented pressure on eCommerce fulfillment operations

Amazon's four-day Prime Day event has once again demonstrated that eCommerce success is no longer determined solely by pricing or promotions, but by the retailers that can deliver exceptional customer experiences at scale.

Industry data suggests Prime Day 2026 generated more than $26 billion in online sales, with revenue increasing significantly year-on-year as shoppers spread purchases across the extended four-day event rather than concentrating spending on day one.

According to fulfilmentcrowd, the changing dynamics of Prime Day reflect a broader shift across eCommerce, where a robust operational setup has become a key differentiator.

"Peak trading events have evolved dramatically," said Lee Thompson, CEO of fulfilmentcrowd. "Consumers still expect competitive pricing, but they now demand next-day delivery, real-time order visibility and an easy post-purchase and returns experience. That places enormous pressure on retailers whose fulfilment operations aren't designed to scale."

Prime Day has become one of the most significant stress tests of the eCommerce supply chain, with marketplaces, retailers and brands processing millions of additional orders within days. Research from Numerator found many shoppers pre-planned their purchasing behaviour, with consumers heading into Prime Day with wish lists already prepared, rather than making impulse purchases.

For retailers selling both on Amazon and through their own eCommerce channels, this presents a significant operational challenge.

"Consumers don't distinguish between sales channels; they simply expect every order to arrive quickly and accurately," Thompson added. "Businesses relying on fragmented systems or manual fulfilment processes risk disappointing customers precisely when demand is at its highest."

The continued growth of Prime Day is also increasing competitive pressure beyond Amazon itself. Major retailers are now launching parallel promotional campaigns, creating a sustained period of elevated order volumes across the wider eCommerce sector.

fulfilmentcrowd believes this trend reinforces the importance of flexible, technology-driven fulfilment networks capable of scaling rapidly during peak periods without compromising service levels.

Looking to grow your eCommerce brand internationally? fulfilmentcrowd helps ambitious retailers scale across the UK, Europe, the US and Australia with tech-enabled fulfilment solutions, seamless integrations and a worldwide warehouse network designed to support fast, reliable global growth. Learn more at fulfilmentcrowd.com, fulfilmentcrowd.de or fulfilmentcrowd.us

The post Prime Day 2026 proved speed and scalability make a competitive advantage - by fulfilmentcrowd appeared first on Cross-Border Magazine.

For many online retailers, international expansion feels like a significant leap.
Launching in a new country often means investing in localisation, marketing, logistics, customer service and compliance before there's any certainty that demand exists. While the opportunities are substantial, so too are the risks.

That's one reason marketplaces continue to play an increasingly important role in cross-border eCommerce.

Across Europe, consumers are already accustomed to shopping through established marketplace platforms.

Whether it's Amazon in Germany, Bol in the Netherlands and Belgium, Allegro in Poland, ManoMano in France or Zalando across multiple markets, shoppers often begin their product search on marketplaces rather than brand websites.

For retailers looking to scale internationally, this creates a valuable opportunity: marketplaces provide access to existing audiences, built-in trust and a relatively low-risk way to test demand before committing to a full market entry strategy.

Why marketplaces continue to grow

The success of marketplaces comes down to convenience, as they give consumers a trusted place to compare products, prices and reviews.
Shoppers also benefit from familiar payment options, clear delivery expectations and established returns processes. For shoppers entering a transaction with an unfamiliar brand, the marketplace itself often acts as a trust signal.

For retailers, the appeal is equally obvious.

Rather than investing heavily in customer acquisition from day one, brands can tap into traffic that marketplaces have already spent years and millions of euros attracting, dramatically reducing the barriers to entering new territories.

Marketplaces also provide valuable data. Sales performance, customer feedback and regional demand patterns can help retailers understand where opportunities exist before making larger operational investments.

In effect, marketplaces allow brands to conduct market research while generating revenue at the same time.

Looking into Europe’s marketplace setup
One of the biggest mistakes retailers make when expanding into Europe is assuming that marketplace success begins and ends with Amazon.

While Amazon remains dominant in several major markets, Europe's eCommerce landscape is far more diverse.

In Germany, platforms such as Otto, Kaufland and Zalando play important roles alongside Amazon. In the Netherlands, Bol remains a major force. Poland is heavily influenced by Allegro, while France has strong domestic players including Cdiscount and ManoMano.

This fragmentation creates both challenges and opportunities.
Retailers that understand local marketplace preferences can often access highly engaged customer bases with less competition than they might face on larger global platforms.

However, it also means that a one-size-fits-all approach rarely works.

Success often requires tailoring product listings and customer experiences to individual markets rather than simply replicating a domestic marketplace strategy abroad.

Why marketplaces are ideal for testing demand

For ecommerce brands considering European expansion, marketplaces can serve as an effective first step.
Rather than launching dedicated websites in multiple countries immediately, businesses can use marketplaces to validate demand and identify their strongest opportunities.

Questions that marketplaces can help answer include:

Which products resonate most strongly with local consumers?

Which countries generate the highest conversion rates?

What price points are customers willing to accept?

How does customer feedback differ between markets?

These insights become invaluable when planning longer-term investment.

Many successful international retailers initially entered European markets through marketplaces before expanding into direct-to-consumer channels once demand had been established. This staged approach can significantly reduce expansion risk.

Operational readiness still matters
While marketplaces make customer acquisition easier, they do not remove operational complexity.

Consumers purchasing through marketplaces expect the same standards they would receive from local retailers.

Delivery speed, stock availability, communication and returns all influence seller ratings and customer satisfaction.
Poor operational performance can quickly undermine marketplace growth.

As brands scale across multiple countries and platforms, inventory visibility becomes increasingly important. Effective ecommerce channel integrations help ensure inventory, orders and fulfilment data remain synchronised across marketplaces, reducing the risk of delayed dispatches or inaccurate availability information that can negatively impact marketplace performance and seller rankings.

Returns management also deserves particular attention.

Cross-border returns management is often one of the biggest friction points in international eCommerce. Consumers expect straightforward processes regardless of where a retailer is based, and marketplaces increasingly reward sellers who can provide a positive post-purchase experience.

For many brands, operational scalability becomes the determining factor between marketplace success and marketplace stagnation.

Localisation remains an advantage
Even when selling through marketplaces, localisation can significantly influence performance.

European consumers may share a single market in regulatory terms, but purchasing behaviours often vary considerably from country to country.

Product descriptions, imagery, customer service, payment preferences and delivery expectations should reflect local market norms wherever possible.
Language is particularly important.
Consumers are generally more likely to purchase when product information is presented clearly in their native language. While marketplaces provide access to international audiences, they do not eliminate the need for local relevance.

The retailers achieving the strongest marketplace performance are typically those that combine marketplace reach with local market understanding.

Marketplaces as part of a wider expansion strategy

Marketplaces should not necessarily be viewed as an end destination. For many retailers, they represent one component of a broader international growth strategy.

Over time, brands can use the knowledge gained through marketplaces to inform wider investments in localised websites, marketing campaigns, distribution networks and customer engagement initiatives.

In this sense, marketplaces function as both a sales channel and a market entry tool.

As cross-border eCommerce continues to mature, retailers that use marketplaces strategically will often find themselves in a stronger position to scale sustainably across Europe.

The opportunity is no longer simply about selling internationally, but understanding where demand exists, building trust with local consumers and creating the operational foundations for long-term growth.

fulfilmentcrowd helps ambitious retailers scale across the UK, Europe, the US and Australia with tech-enabled fulfilment solutions, seamless integrations and a worldwide warehouse network designed to support fast, reliable global growth.

Learn more at fulfilmentcrowd.com, fulfilmentcrowd.de or fulfilmentcrowd.us

The post Why marketplaces remain one of the smartest ways to enter Europe's eCommerce markets appeared first on Cross-Border Magazine.

Cross-border logistics is often described in terms of infrastructure, capacity, and technology. For Ove Dokk, International Business Development Manager at GLS, the differentiator is more human: proximity to customers, entrepreneurial thinking, and the ability to make global shipping feel local.

With a career shaped by experience across major logistics organizations, Dokk brings a perspective grounded in both operational scale and customer intimacy — a balance that increasingly defines success in international parcel delivery.

A Career Built Around Customer-Centric Logistics

Dokk’s professional journey in logistics has exposed him to both highly structured global players and more agile operational environments. That contrast has shaped his appreciation for responsiveness and adaptability.

At GLS, he sees a company that still carries an entrepreneurial spirit despite its size. Over the years, the organization has retained what he describes as a startup-like mindset: quick decision-making, openness to experimentation, and close collaboration with customers.

This approach, he notes, is particularly relevant in e-commerce logistics, where growth can be rapid and operational requirements shift constantly.

Global Reach, Delivered Through Local Expertise

One of the themes Dokk consistently emphasizes is the balance between international scale and local execution.

GLS operates a unified cross-border parcel network spanning Europe and North America, with shared operational standards for pickup, sorting, transport, and delivery. Yet the company deliberately runs its international business through strong national teams that understand local regulations, customer expectations, and market realities.

For Dokk, this dual structure is essential:

Global infrastructure ensures consistency and visibility, while local expertise ensures service relevance. Customers benefit from predictable cross-border performance without losing the responsiveness of local support.

Making International Shipping Feel Domestic

A central ambition Dokk highlights is simplifying cross-border logistics so that it resembles domestic shipping in reliability and ease.

Operational resilience plays a key role. GLS maintains tens of thousands of delivery vehicles and thousands of nightly hub-to-hub truck movements, ensuring flexibility when volumes fluctuate or routes shift.

Equally important is network integration. The strengthening of transatlantic connections between GLS Europe and GLS US has enabled more direct parcel flows, competitive transit times, and improved tracking transparency — features traditionally associated with domestic shipping.

From the customer perspective, complexity is reduced, and international shipping becomes less intimidating.

Supporting SMEs Through Growth and Expansion

Dokk speaks frequently about small and medium-sized enterprises, which form a large portion of GLS’ customer base. Many SMEs lack dedicated logistics teams or deep operational resources, making international expansion challenging.

His focus is on removing friction.

Access to a large road-based parcel network, standardized international services, extensive pickup-point infrastructure, and integrated returns solutions allow smaller merchants to scale without building logistics capabilities internally.

He sees logistics not simply as transportation but as an enabler of business growth. When handled correctly, it removes barriers to entering new markets.

Returns, Convenience, and Customer Confidence

Returns management is another area where Dokk sees logistics shaping customer experience directly. In sectors such as fashion, return rates can be significant, and the ease of returns often determines where consumers choose to shop.

Simplified processes — QR code returns, local drop-off points, automated label generation — reduce friction for both consumers and merchants. At the same time, improved visibility helps retailers manage inventory moving back through the supply chain.

He also acknowledges evolving consumer awareness around sustainability, which is gradually influencing return behaviors and logistics strategies alike.

A Global Expansion

GLS continues to expand outside Europe, particularly in the United States, where operations now extend beyond the West Coast into additional states, including Texas. Asia is served through partnerships, allowing European customers access to key markets while maintaining GLS service standards.

GLS also recognizes the evolving needs of its customers and is continuing to expand into value-added services to complement its core parcel offerings by adding fulfilment solutions and freight services across GLS countries to provide end-to-end logistics support. By integrating these services, GLS aims to help merchants manage inventory, streamline order processing, and meet the demands of cross-border e-commerce.

This dual approach—reinforcing the parcel network while expanding into adjacent logistics services—allows GLS to deliver greater value to its customers, supporting their growth and ensuring the flexibility required in today’s fast-moving retail landscape.

Out-of-Home Delivery and Changing Consumer Behavior

Consumer expectations around delivery flexibility are evolving quickly, and Dokk sees out-of-home delivery — parcel shops and lockers — as a defining trend.

Adoption varies widely across Europe. Nordic markets show strong locker usage, while Southern European countries still favor home delivery. GLS is investing heavily in expanding pickup and drop-off networks to accommodate these regional differences.

For Dokk, convenience, efficiency, and environmental considerations all converge in this shift. Consolidated deliveries reduce urban congestion while giving consumers greater control over when and where they receive parcels.

Technology as an Enabler, Not the Headline

While technology underpins most modern logistics operations, Dokk frames it as an enabler rather than a differentiator in itself.

GLS’ API-driven infrastructure allows customers to integrate shipping directly into their systems — automating label creation, pickup booking, returns processing, parcel tracking, and customs data exchange. Crucially, this technological capability is supported by local teams providing IT assistance in customers’ own languages.

This combination of digital integration and human support reflects Dokk’s broader philosophy: technology should simplify logistics, but relationships still matter.

An Entrepreneurial Mindset in a Global Industry

Looking ahead, Dokk believes logistics providers must remain adaptable. Regulatory changes, evolving e-commerce patterns, sustainability concerns, and shifting consumer expectations will continue to reshape cross-border shipping.

What he sees as GLS’ strength is its ability to combine scale with agility — maintaining a global network while preserving the entrepreneurial culture that allows teams to respond quickly to customer needs.

For Dokk personally, the objective remains consistent: helping businesses expand internationally while keeping logistics straightforward, reliable, and close to the customer.

The post SPOTLIGHT ON...Ove Dokk, International Business Development Manager for GLS appeared first on Cross-Border Magazine.

Amsterdam, June 2026 - In a world of trade volatility, AI disruption and mounting pressure to build supply chains that are faster, greener and more resilient, 2,000 of retail and logistics’ most senior leaders chose to spend 3+4 June in one place: TAETS Event Park, Amsterdam. DELIVER Europe has established itself as the annual gathering where retail and supply chain’s most senior leaders come to do business, build relationships and confront the challenges defining the industry’s future.

DELIVER Europe is not an event you can simply buy a ticket to. It is an invitation-only, fully hosted event, and that exclusivity is the point. Every delegate is pre-qualified. Every meeting is pre-scheduled. And with 9,000 meetings taking place across the two days through the DELIVER precision matchmaking platform, the result is an environment where every conversation is intentional, every introduction is relevant and every delegate leaves with a pipeline of real commercial opportunity.

“What we like about DELIVER is that we have senior stakeholders that we can interact with. We have meaningful conversations… [the pre-arranged meetings] mean you can sit down, understand their use case, and get the chance to really present what you can bring to the table,” commented Arne Jeroschewski, Founder and CEO at Parcel Perform.

Those 9,000 meetings connected senior executives from Amazon, ASOS, eBay, John Lewis, Nike, Decathlon, MediaMarktSaturn, ALDI SÜd Group, URBN (Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, Free People & Nuuly), Henkel, Electrolux, Mars, Oatly, Schneider Electric, Emma – The Sleep Company, CCC Group, On, Karl Lagerfeld and LEGO - among many others - with 178 of the most innovative vendor partners in the industry, including DHL, FedEx Express, Maersk, Amazon Shipping, Ocado Intelligent Automation, Manhattan Associates, Evri, DP World, parcelLab, Asendia, Swisslog and Seven Senders.

“9,000 meetings across two days is not just a number - it represents thousands of partnerships in the making, problems being solved and relationships that will shape the industry for years to come. We are incredibly proud of what DELIVER Europe has become,” commented Stéphane Tomczak, Founder & Chairman, DELIVER.

The conference programme offered 70+ hours of content across the two days, featuring keynote sessions, expert panels and roundtable discussions tackling the most pressing challenges in retail supply chain. Key themes included the real-world impact of AI and digital transformation, net-zero and circular supply chain innovation, cross-chain collaboration and the future of supply chain leadership. Roundtables brought together operational leaders from brands including Coty, Bonduelle, Decathlon and Jack Wolfskin for candid, peer-to-peer debate. Notable speakers included Kirsty Keoghan, General Manager Fashion & Luxury EU at eBay; Dane Percy, VP of Research and Development Petcare at Mars; and Stefan Hofer, COO of Emma – The Sleep Company, alongside applied futurist Tom Cheesewright, who guided discussions on the forces reshaping commerce.

Sustainability was a defining thread throughout the 2026 programme, both on the keynote stage and in the Sustainability Lounge. Erin Augustine, VP Global Sustainability at Oatly, brought the green agenda to the main stage, while the morning of day one was dedicated to the DELIVER Sustainability Pulse 2026: Where the Industry Really Stands - a 60-minute focus group that proved one of the most interactive and insight-rich sessions of the event. Panellists included Taimoor Hussain, Supply Chain Director at Unilever; Radharaman Jha, VP Supply Chain at Flaconi; Tatum Bross, ESG Project Manager at Spring GDS; Henric van der Ent, Director of Supply Chain at PwC Nederland, moderated by John Acton, Co-Founder & CEO of Peer2Peer. The session drew candid contributions from the audience as well as the panel, surfacing where the industry truly stands on sustainability - and what still needs to change. The Sustainability Pulse will become a permanent fixture of the DELIVER Europe programme, with findings from the 2026 session to be compiled into a report and shared across the DELIVER community in the coming weeks.

Alongside the main programme, a series of exclusive experiences reflected DELIVER’s commitment to meaningful connection at every level. On the evening of 2 June, 70 of the industry’s most senior executives gathered for the exclusive Elite Dinner - invitation-only, off-agenda and widely regarded as one of the most coveted evenings in the supply chain calendar. The Women in Retail Breakfast, held on the morning of 4 June, returned for another celebrated edition, convening senior executives for honest, inspiring dialogue on leadership, career development and building inclusive cultures within retail and supply chain. The session was hosted by Lucy Pitcher, Founder of supplychainwomen.com, whose 25 years of experience spanning journalism, corporate communications and B2B PR made her a natural guide for a conversation as candid as it was inspiring.

The DELIVER Vendor Awards, fully voted for by attending retailers, took centre stage on the afternoon of day one, celebrating excellence across the supply chain and logistics community. This year’s winners were: GOFO (Rising Star), GLS (Customer Experience), Maersk (Brand Excellence), Parcel Perform (Game Changer) and Bring (Sustainability). The awards gave way to an unforgettable networking party to close out day one, with a dazzling disco ball performer, dancers and DJs bringing the energy - a fitting celebration of a remarkable first day.

DELIVER Europe returns to TAETS Event Park, Amsterdam on 2+3 June 2027. Applications for hosted retailer places and vendor partnership packages are now open at www.deliver.events/europe.

About DELIVER

DELIVER is the leading global event platform connecting supply chain, logistics and commerce decision-makers through curated B2B matchmaking experiences. Renowned for its disruptive event model built on ROI-driven matchmaking and strategic content, DELIVER operates across Europe, America, Asia and the Middle East. A mission-led, 100% carbon and profit neutral company, DELIVER places sustainability at the core of its business model.

Press & Media contact at DELIVER:

marketing@deliver.events

The post DELIVER Europe 2026: The Invite-Only Matchmaking Event Where Retail Supply Chain’s Future Gets Decided appeared first on Cross-Border Magazine.

By Timon van den Berg, Director of Fulfillment at Salesupply - For many Non-EU ecommerce brands, the latest DHL Globalmail suspension will feel uncomfortably familiar.

Five years after Brexit forced retailers to relearn the commercial impact of customs borders, another rule change is exposing the same weak spot: European ecommerce operations built on fragile cross-border parcel flows.

The market is talking about the €3 duty. It should be talking about the border. On paper, the EU’s new temporary duty on low-value imports looks like a cost issue. It is not. A €3 duty is visible. Operational fragility is not, until something breaks.

That is why the DHL suspension matters. It shows that the risk is not simply that shipping becomes more expensive. The risk is that a route retailers depend on can suddenly become unreliable, restricted or unavailable when the carrier model, customs requirements and duty-payment process no longer fit together.

That is a much bigger problem than a surcharge.

Once that happens, customs stops being a compliance process in the background. It becomes part of the customer experience.

A delivery promise changes. A parcel gets delayed. Tracking goes quiet. A return becomes complicated. Customer service gets flooded with questions nobody can answer cleanly. The margin on a small order disappears. The customer does not blame the customs process. The customer blames the retailer.

This is the pattern retailers should recognize. The border is not just a legal line on a map. It is a delivery delay, a refused parcel, a surprise fee, a damaged review and a lost repeat customer. What looks like an administrative change becomes a commercial problem.

It is happening again.

Not because this is Brexit 2.0. It is not. Brexit was a political border event. The EU low-value import duty is a customs and ecommerce reform.

But the mistake is the same: assuming that European growth can be built indefinitely on fulfilment models that only work when the border stays quiet.

That assumption is becoming harder to defend.

ILG’s UK Retail Growth Report 2026, based on a survey of 328 senior leaders across UK retail brands, found that 54% cite rising business costs as their biggest barrier to growth, while 53% point to fulfilment and delivery costs. Only 10% cited customer acquisition costs.

That is not an operational footnote. It is the new growth equation.

For years, ecommerce strategy has been dominated by the front end: traffic, conversion, paid media, marketplaces, social commerce and customer acquisition. Retailers became very good at creating demand. The uncomfortable shift is that demand is no longer the hardest part to generate. It is the hardest part to serve profitably.

The order may be won at checkout, but it is defended in the warehouse, at the border, with the carrier and through the returns process. That is where margin is protected or lost. That is where customer trust is either confirmed or broken.

Fulfilment is no longer what happens after growth. Fulfilment is deciding how much growth is possible.

That is the real context for the DHL suspension and the €3 duty. They are not creating the fulfilment problem. They are exposing it.

Consider the brand selling from a single UK warehouse into France, Germany and the Netherlands. The commercial logic looks clean. One stock pool. One fulfilment operation. One carrier setup. A European customer base served without the cost of European inventory.

It works until the border becomes visible.

Suddenly the cheapest route is no longer available. Duties need to be handled differently. Product data needs to be more accurate. Delivery promises become harder to keep. Returns cross the border twice. Customer service has to explain delays created by processes the customer never agreed to care about.

The business has not lost demand. It has lost control.

The strategic question is not “who absorbs the €3?”

The strategic question is: where is your inventory?

For a long time, too many brands treated inventory location as an operational detail. It was a warehouse decision, a cost decision, sometimes even a convenience decision.

That view is outdated.

Inventory location now determines delivery speed, customs exposure, returns complexity, carrier resilience, margin protection and customer experience. It determines whether growth in a market is scalable or merely possible.

For brands with serious European ambitions, cross-border shipping is no longer a strategy. It is a compromise that needs to be justified.

That does not mean every order must be fulfilled domestically. It means brands need to stop confusing market access with market readiness. Being able to sell into Europe is not the same as being operationally equipped to serve Europe.

The brands that learned from Brexit did not just switch carriers. They changed their operating model. They moved stock closer to demand. They improved customs data. They adopted Delivered Duty Paid models. They localized returns. They treated fulfilment as part of the customer proposition, not just the machinery behind it.

The real mistake is not underestimating a surcharge. It is building European ecommerce growth on the assumption that the border will stay invisible.

The post The €3 duty is not the problem. The border is appeared first on Cross-Border Magazine.

Jeroen Leenders (CBM): Today, we are looking back at a massive transformation. Over the last twenty-five years, the global logistics and supply chain sector has evolved from a paper-heavy, localized industry into a hyper-connected, tech-driven ecosystem.

Few organizations embody this shift better than Spring GDS, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, and has successfully reinvented itself from the traditional mail divisions of TNT and PostNL into a premier international e-commerce specialist.

Joining us today are regional leaders and commercial directors from Spring GDS Italy and Spain to share their journey. Let’s start at the beginning.

Jeroen Leenders (CBM): What did the industry look like when you first stepped into it?

Spring GDS Spain (José Ángel Daza Martinez): When I entered the industry twenty-five years ago, international logistics was primarily a "mail business." We operated in a framework that relied heavily on physical sorting and the sprawling infrastructure of traditional networks like TNT. In countries like Spain and Italy, operations were completely decentralized. We had localized offices across regions like Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, and the Canary Islands just to handle physical letters and documents. There was no real-time data; an item arrived when it arrived.

Jeroen Leenders (CBM): That sounds like a completely different world. When did the turning point occur?

Spring GDS Italy (Gabriele Bavera): The real paradigm shift happened about fifteen years ago. The structural decline of paper mail coincided with an unprecedented boom in online shopping, forcing a complete overhaul of our corporate DNA. We can actually break this historical transition down into three distinct phases:

1. The Traditional Postal Era: Characterized by physical paper mail, a total absence of IT tracking, and procurement conversations held at a low operational level.
2. The Transition Period: The rise of basic scanning technologies, the shift from letters to small packets, and rapidly changing client profiles.
3. The Modern E-Commerce Era: Our current landscape, driven by hyper-connected API integrations, real-time data streams, artificial intelligence (AI), and strategic consultation at the executive level.

Moving into this modern era required a massive technological leap. We had to build complex IT infrastructures capable of handling real-time track and trace and direct API integrations with storefronts like PrestaShop or Magento.

Jeroen Leenders (CBM): Making that shift couldn't have been easy for the workforce or your clients. How did you manage that transition?

Spring GDS Spain (José Ángel Daza Martinez): It was an intense internal and external challenge. Logistical teams accustomed to scanning bags of mail suddenly had to understand web integrations and digital checkout ecosystems. It took months of bi-monthly training sessions to elevate our staff's competencies.

Commercially, the landscape shifted entirely. In the postal era, our sales reps negotiated with low-level procurement assistants looking for the cheapest per-kilo rate for letters. Today, logistics is a core pillar of a retailer's business strategy. Suddenly, we were consulting directly with corporate founders and CEOs, because a failure in shipping meant a direct failure in customer retention. We transformed from a simple vendor into a strategic growth consultant.

Jeroen Leenders (CBM):  It’s well known that the pace of digitalization varied across Europe. How did regional differences impact this journey?

Spring GDS Italy (Gabriele Bavera): Smaller, densely populated countries like the Netherlands and highly structured markets like Germany were early adopters of advanced domestic e-commerce networks. Southern European markets like Italy and Spain faced unique geographic and infrastructural hurdles during the early digital wave. We had to deal with extended delivery times and complex regional address systems. However, the rapid expansion of international e-commerce triggered an impressive convergence.

Jeroen Leenders (CBM):  Looking at this, the shift from raw speed to predictability is fascinating. Can you tell us more about the evolution of the so-called "Amazon Effect"?

Spring GDS Spain (José Ángel Daza Martinez): During the initial e-commerce boom, consumer expectations were hyper-focused on raw speed. The rapid rise of Amazon Prime conditioned the public to expect purchases instantly. Sellers believed that if they couldn't deliver across borders within 24 to 48 hours, they would lose the sale to domestic competitors.

We challenged this assumption by offering transparent, reliable cross-border options that took three to four days but cost up to 50% less than express couriers. That completely changed the mindset of merchants and consumers. Today, predictability dominates. Modern online shoppers value knowing exactly when a package will arrive. If a delivery is guaranteed to arrive in exactly four days, consumers will choose that option, especially since it represents an economical and sustainable choice.

Jeroen Leenders (CBM):  Let’s talk about geopolitical disruption. How did Spring GDS handle major regulatory shifts, like Brexit?

Spring GDS Spain (José Ángel Daza Martinez): When the UK voted for Brexit, it sent shockwaves through the industry. For many European logistics firms, the reintroduction of hard borders, complex customs declarations, and tax adjustments felt like an existential threat. Many carriers scaled back or suspended their UK operations.

We viewed Brexit as an ideal opportunity to demonstrate the value of an asset-light, agile business model. By investing heavily in automated customs solutions and tax compliance software, we kept the UK market completely open for European merchants while others pulled back. Today, despite the friction of operating outside the EU single market, the UK remains one of our most profitable and high-volume trade lanes. It proved that mastering regulatory complexity is a powerful differentiator.

Jeroen Leenders (CBM):  To make these complex cross-border solutions work efficiently, you can’t just target anyone. What does Spring GDS’s Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) look like today?

Spring GDS Italy (Gabriele Bavera): We have moved entirely away from one-size-fits-all shipping. Our network is designed around a highly specific ICP. First, we look for market maturity—merchants who have been operating for at least four to five years and understand digital integrations. Second, we look for international ambition—retailers who view domestic sales as a saturated commodity and look to cross-border markets for true growth.

Finally, from an operational standpoint, we thrive on parcel density. The ideal retail profile ships compact, high-density products, such as cosmetics, apparel, fashion accessories, and small consumer electronics, generally weighing sub-1kg to 2kg maximum. When thousands of these small parcels are consolidated into our large pallet boxes, it maximizes spatial efficiency across our long-haul networks. This allows us to lower per-unit shipping costs and pass those savings directly back to the merchant.

Jeroen Leenders (CBM):  An operation like this requires incredible dedication. One thing that stands out about Spring GDS is the long-term retention of its team. In a high-stress industry, how do you maintain this?

Spring GDS Spain (José Ángel Daza Martinez): It comes down to corporate culture. Traditional corporate structures, particularly historical frameworks in Southern Europe, were often rigid and slow to reward talent. Adopting a flat, modern corporate culture—pioneered by our Dutch parent organization, PostNL—served as a massive competitive advantage.

We heavily encourage internal mobility. Personally, I started my career in billing, transitioned into finance, moved to commercial pricing, stepped into active sales, and eventually assumed a regional leadership role. This multi-disciplinary background ensures that our leadership team intimately understands every single moving part within the supply chain.

Jeroen Leenders (CBM):  How does that culture translate into customer value?

Spring GDS Italy (Gabriele Bavera): A culture built on direct communication and operational transparency fosters rapid innovation. When employees are given the freedom to voice strategic opinions openly, the organization adapts to market disruptions far more effectively than a traditional, top-down hierarchy. Our clients interact with highly motivated, knowledgeable logisticians who view their role as a long-term consultancy rather than a transactional job.

Jeroen Leenders (CBM):  Looking ahead, what do the next five years promise for the logistics landscape?

Spring GDS Spain (José Ángel Daza Martinez): The industry is currently facing a massive convergence of consumer pressure, regulatory mandates, and technological breakthroughs. The most significant operational shift underway is the rapid transition from home delivery to Out-of-Home (OOH) networks, such as automated parcel lockers and local retail pick-up points.

Home delivery is notoriously inefficient; failed first-delivery attempts increase carbon emissions and strain carrier profitability. By consolidating hundreds of deliveries into a single automated locker location, we drastically lower operational costs, and consumers get the ultimate flexibility to pick up their packages whenever it suits them. Within the next three years, OOH delivery will become the standard baseline option for cross-border e-commerce. Traditional home delivery will morph into a premium, high-cost luxury service.

Jeroen Leenders (CBM): What about the changes happening behind the scenes, inside the fulfillment centers?

Spring GDS Italy (Gabriele Bavera): The integration of advanced robotics, autonomous sorting systems, and artificial intelligence is no longer optional. As regulatory frameworks like the EU's Import One-Stop Shop (IOSS) continue to evolve, our networks must process massive amounts of customs data instantly. AI-driven routing algorithms will optimize long-haul transportation lanes in real-time, factoring in border congestion and fuel efficiency.

Furthermore, the very definition of "cross-border" is changing. To meet sustainability targets and minimize carbon footprints, the industry is shifting toward a decentralized fulfillment model. Driven by advanced data analytics, merchants will strategically position their inventory in localized fulfillment hubs across various destination countries before the consumer even places an order. The future of cross-border logistics is not about moving individual packages over thousands of miles at the last minute; it is about utilizing data to predict demand, moving inventory in bulk sustainably, and executing the final delivery over the shortest possible distance.

Jeroen Leenders (CBM):  Fascinating insights. To conclude, it seems the era of simply selling a shipping rate per kilogram is officially over. Success belongs to logistics providers who operate as true strategic partners. Thank you both for your time and for sharing the incredible journey of Spring GDS. 

The post The Evolution of Cross-Border E-Commerce: An Interview with the Voices of Experience within Spring GDS appeared first on Cross-Border Magazine.

Parcel+Post Expo is the global innovation HUB for the postal, parcel and eCommerce industries. Taking place 23 & 24 September 2026, in London – the global capital of delivery innovation – the event is the global meeting place where these sectors come together to see what’s next. 

Across the show, visitors can explore the latest industry developments from leading solution providers and hear the insights shaping the future of the industry. Visitors will also be able to connect with peers to share ideas, challenges and practical solutions to industry pain points. 

Exhibition:

Visitors will be able to discover the latest industry developments from automation technologies to last-mile solutions and beyond! With opportunities to network with leading solution providers and visitors from 80+ countries. Dedicated content zones will be placed on the show floor, in the form of free-to-attend Innovation Labs, offering visitors access to workshops and panel discussions. 

The Leadership Conference:

Sessions led by senior industry leaders, will give visitors the opportunity to hear insights and solutions about the strategic direction of the postal, parcel and eCommerce industries. View the agenda here. 

Why attend the Leadership Conference:

• Gain strategic insights from industry leaders
• Explore the latest trends shaping delivery and logistics
• Hear real-world case studies and innovation stories
• Connect with a senior, decision-making audience
• Join the leaders defining the future of delivery

Key themes include:
• Future Frontiers: Where the Global Delivery Ecosystem Is Heading
• The AI-Driven Supply Chain: Physical AI, IoT & Next-Gen Operations
• From Checkout to Delivery (and Returns): Reinventing the eCommerce Journey
• Connected Commerce: Social Selling, Delivery Choice & Customer Experience

A Selection of Session Highlights:

The Intelligent Postal Network: From Automation to Orchestration - Keynote address

Moses Ma, Managing Partner - FutureLab

Steffen Ochsenreither, Digital Lead LS Operations - Swiss Post

Rasmus Ask, Tech Lead Automation – PostNord

Mark Briganti, Principal Director Postal & Parcel - Accenture

Mirko Wichmann, Principal - Kearney

The Race to the €1 Parcel

Marek Różycki, Managing Partner - Last Mile Experts

Justin Pegg, CEO - DPD UK

Vytautas Atkocaitis, CEO - Vinted GO

The team has changed the format of the Leadership Conference to cabaret style to allow for more discussions and high-level networking. 

Please note: costs apply to attend the Leadership Conference – we are currently running an early bird discount. 

Co-located with eCommerce Expo: 

For 2026, Parcel+Post Expo is co-located with eCommerce Expo – the UK’s biggest eCommerce event. 

With London at the heart of one of Europe’s most advanced delivery markets, and eCommerce Expo bringing together leading retailers, the 2026 event is simply unmissable. 

Register for your visitor pass here

The post Get Ready for the Parcel+Post Expo! appeared first on Cross-Border Magazine.

[NIJMEGEN], 8 June 2026 - Salesupply today announces the launch of its fully renewed ecommerce customer service proposition: Hybrid AI Customer Service. The solution combines the speed, scalability and cost efficiency of AI with the quality assurance, empathy and commercial judgment of native-speaking customer service agents.

The renewed proposition is designed for ecommerce companies facing a familiar challenge: reducing customer service costs while protecting the customer experience. In recent years, many businesses have experimented with full AI automation, but customer service has turned out to be an area where nuance, escalation and human judgment are often decisive. Salesupply’s hybrid model gives ecommerce brands a practical alternative: AI handles the repetitive and high-volume work (WISMO questions, FAQs etc), while trained agents remain involved where the customer experience depends on human understanding.

“AI has enormous potential in customer service, but only when it is applied in the right way,” says Hans Siebum, Managing Director at Salesupply. “Customers do not want to be trapped in an AI loop. They want a fast, correct and helpful answer every time they reach out to you. Our Hybrid AI Customer Service model uses AI where it adds speed and efficiency, and people where trust, nuance and empathy matter most.”

Salesupply’s Hybrid AI Customer Service works across all key customer service channels including email, WhatsApp, chat, social media and phone. AI supports the process by classifying incoming questions, summarizing cases, preparing responses, drafting full replies and resolving simple customer contacts autonomously where appropriate. Native-speaking agents review, send, escalate or take over depending on the complexity and sensitivity of the request. Phone support remains fully human.

From $0.99 cent per resolved contact

This specific hybrid approach enables ecommerce brands to move away from traditional customer service models based on hours, seats or fixed capacity. Instead, Salesupply offers transparent pricing per resolved contact, with token and infrastructure costs included. The result is a service model that can scale with demand without forcing companies to expand their internal teams linearly during growth phases, seasonal peaks or international expansion.

Trained and live within weeks 

Most AI customer service projects fail during implementation. Salesupply’s rollout is designed to prevent that.  

The Hybrid AI Customer Service model is implemented in phases. Within the first two weeks, AI runs in shadow mode while native agents continue to handle customer contacts and quality is measured without customer impact. Within one month, AI-generated drafts can be reviewed and sent by agents. Within two months, selected categories such as WISMO questions, FAQs and returns can be automated where suitable.

“For ecommerce brands, the question is no longer whether AI belongs in customer service,” adds Hans Siebum. “The real question is where AI should act independently, where it should support agents, and where a human should always take over. That is exactly what our hybrid model is built to decide.”

About Salesupply

Salesupply is a Dutch e-commerce service provider offering fulfillment, customer service, and returns solutions to online brands and retailers. Over 500 online brands and retailers worldwide trust Salesupply’s services, including Carhartt, Segway Ninebot and Panasonic.  

Salesupply provides native customer service in25+ languages across 3 time zones. Salesupply's scalable and flexible fulfillment platform enables online stores to compete with local players worldwide through local storage and delivery.  

Salesupply's head office is based in Nijmegen in the Netherlands and the company also has branches in amongst others the United States, UK, Germany, Nordics, France, Poland, Spain, Italy and Kosovo.

The post Salesupply Launches its Renewed Hybrid AI Customer Service appeared first on Cross-Border Magazine.

What OOSC Clothing’s international growth reveals about a modern fulfillment strategy

For fast-growing fashion brands, international expansion often creates a problem that traditional fulfillment models struggle to solve.

By fulfilmentcrowd - What begins as a straightforward direct-to-consumer operation can quickly become operationally complex once brands expand across multiple territories and channels. Stock visibility becomes harder to maintain, delivery expectations rise, and returns handling becomes increasingly difficult to manage.

For apparel brands in particular – where seasonality, sizing complexity and customer expectations are already high – inventory placement is becoming as much a commercial strategy as a logistics one.

OOSC Clothing encountered exactly this challenge while scaling internationally across the UK, Europe and North America.

Co-founded by Nick Marsden, OOSC has built a global audience around bold, retro-inspired skiwear and sustainable apparel. Today, the business ships into more than 110 countries, supported by global fulfilment provider fulfilmentcrowd.

Before partnering with fulfilmentcrowd, OOSC faced the common challenge of managing inventory efficiently across multiple regions and sales channels without sacrificing the customer experience.

How international growth creates operational strain

As brands scale internationally, inventory management often becomes disconnected across digital platforms and physical locations.

That creates several common issues:

• Limited visibility over available stock 
• Delayed replenishment decisions 
• Higher cross-border shipping costs 
• Slower delivery times 
• More complex returns handling 
• Difficulty forecasting regional demand

For fashion brands, these issues compound quickly during seasonal peaks.

OOSC was managing growing demand across:

• Direct-to-consumer eCommerce 
• Wholesale and retail relationships 
• Marketplace sales channels 
• International customer bases across multiple regions 

At the same time, customer expectations around delivery speed and convenience continued to rise.

"We’re currently selling to pretty much every country in the world. We’ve got warehouses in the key hubs, such as the US, the UK and the Netherlands, and those warehouses service our other countries that we sell into as well. It's quite a complex operation, but a fun one.”
Nick Marsden, co-founder, OOSC Clothing

The benefits behind inventory localisation

Many growing brands initially fulfil international orders from a single warehouse location because it simplifies operations in the early stages of growth.

But over time, that model can create inefficiencies:

• Expensive long-haul shipping 
• Inconsistent delivery times 
• Increased customs friction 
• Costly returns 
• Poor customer experience in overseas markets
  

Inventory localisation changes that equation by positioning stock closer to regional demand.

For brands selling internationally, that can improve:

• Delivery speed 
• Shipping costs 
• Customer satisfaction 
• Returns processing 
• Operational resilience during peak periods
  

It also gives brands greater flexibility to respond to regional demand patterns.

For fashion retailers, where trends and seasonal demand can shift rapidly, that flexibility becomes increasingly valuable.

OOSC evolved its fulfilment strategy to support localised inventory management across key regions including the UK, EU and US markets.

Sending products from the UK into the US (and back again for returns) leads to vastly increased shipping miles and costs, especially if demand starts to build in new target locations.

By localising inventory, OOSC reduced reliance on long-distance fulfilment while improving visibility across its growing sales operation.

How visibility becomes critical at scale

One of the biggest operational challenges for scaling brands is maintaining accurate, real-time inventory visibility across multiple channels.

Without centralised visibility, brands risk overselling products, inaccurate forecasting, marketplace inventory conflicts and inefficient replenishment planning.

This becomes even more difficult when brands are operating across their own website, marketplace channels, wholesale accounts, international fulfilment locations, seasonal product launches – the list goes on.

For OOSC, improving inventory visibility became essential as the business expanded globally.

The brand now operates across multiple live sales channels (16, to be exact) spanning different territories and customer segments, requiring stock accuracy and synchronisation in real time.

And, because fulfilmentcrowd’s platform allows brands to manage multiple channels and regions from one place, OOSC benefits from a central interface for its entire worldwide fulfilment operation.

"Previously, when we had different warehouses across the world, we had to download inventory reports, cut the data to mix it all together, and then have our finance team run a macro to get our stock position at any one time – which was then out of date as soon as somebody had bought something.

“Having the data at the click of our fingers on the fulfilmentcrowd platform is already saving is hours. I know that my finance, operations and customer service teams are all loving it.”
Nick Marsden, co-founder, OOSC Clothing

The sustainability impact of localisation

Inventory localisation also increasingly overlaps with sustainability goals.

Consumers are paying closer attention to:

• Shipping distances 
• Packaging waste 
• Delivery emissions 
• Returns processes
  

For brands positioning themselves around sustainability, operational decisions are becoming part of the brand experience itself.

Reducing unnecessary international shipping can help lower delivery emissions while also improving efficiency operationally.

For apparel brands with high return volumes, regional returns processing can also significantly reduce cost and complexity.

This is particularly relevant in fashion, where sizing-related returns remain a major operational challenge across international markets.

For OOSC, sustainability is a big part of their identity. The brand showcases their commitment to sustainability in their website tagline (Retro-Styled, Sustainable Ski Wear), and makes their skiwear from at least 100 recycled plastic bottles per suit.

By bringing their products closer to global customers, OOSC immediately cut down on shipping and return miles, further strengthening their commitment to sustainability from an operational standpoint.

The shift from fulfilment to operational strategy

For many growing brands, fulfilment is much more than just a back-end logistics function.

It’s increasingly tied directly to:

• Customer experience 
• International growth 
• Margin protection 
• Sustainability goals 
• Channel expansion 
• Operational resilience
  

Brands that scale successfully across multiple regions are often the ones that treat inventory placement and visibility as strategic priorities early.

For OOSC, international growth required a fulfilment model capable of supporting multi-region inventory management across multiple sales channels, all of which needs to be ready to scale as the company grows.

As global eCommerce continues to mature, more brands are likely to face similar challenges – particularly in sectors like fashion, where customer expectations and operational complexity continue to rise simultaneously.

Read the full OOSC story and how they benefit from fulfilmentcrowd’s one partner, one platform approach to global fulfilment

The post OOSC Clothing: How fashion brands are getting the most out of inventory localisation appeared first on Cross-Border Magazine.