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~ Digital River ~

Now, having and handling a large warehouse operation is resistant and reliable - can significantly speed up the process
extremely costly. Keep in mind that you will need to buy, rent, of going to market.
or lease facilities in multiple countries and, in most nations,
in multiple regions. For example, if you plan to enter the That’s why partners like Digital River can streamline this
European clothes and apparel market, you must have delivery process thanks to established relationships with carriers
times below a week. Otherwise, your brand will be subpar to worldwide. So, instead of you needing to form and manage
the current clothing e-commerce standard. And these delivery relationships with multiple vendors, a single agreement
speeds, you will—most likely—need multiple warehouses in enables all capabilities with all carrier partners, simplifying
the same country; for example, if we talk about the Spanish your cross-border fulfilment infrastructure. Experienced
market, you probably will need a warehouse in Madrid and partners may also be able to negotiate preferential shipping
another in Barcelona. rates – savings that can be passed onto customers or make it
easier to scale in your new markets.
• Guarantee landed costs for your brand
It can be pretty easy these days to get a landed cost guarantee • Dependable reverse logistics
for customers. But can you guarantee it for your brand and As we noted above, clothing fulfilment strategies need to
what you pay the carrier? Talk with prospective partners about account for the exceptionally high number of consumer
whether they can provide this kind of guarantee. returns. Scrutinising a partner’s capabilities in reverse logistics
is equally as important as understanding what they can offer
• Optimise the checkout experience for initial order orchestration.
Update your e-commerce site with clear messaging
throughout the entire checkout experience and beyond so that • Ability to tackle tax, compliance, and import restrictions
customers know what to expect regarding delivery. The more markets you expand into, the more regulatory hoops
you’ll have to jump through and the more ever-evolving
• Optimise the returns experience tax obligations you’ll have to fulfil. Managing these issues
To simplify reverse logistics and appeal to your customers, in-house is a highly complex affair and requires significant
consider partnering with third-party drop-off sites for brands investment.
that don’t have physical stores. Another option would be to
include return labels with shipped goods to make returns as Consider reducing your risk and getting help from a partner
painless as possible. that can simplify both the process of getting your products to
new customers and doing so in a compliant manner. Opting
But now that we know what we need, how can we find it? for a partner with proven expertise in navigating tax and
compliance in global markets can unlock cost savings and
Finding the perfect partner for a successful cross- free up your time to focus on what you do best. All in all,
border strategy expanding into new geographies is a key growth driver for
As we have shown, cross-border e-commerce for clothing and many established and emerging apparel brands. But getting
apparel brands is a complex business. From initial research products into those markets is easier said than done.
and market entry to checkout and compliance, it can be
difficult, time-consuming, and downright expensive to become As you build and optimise your apparel fulfilment strategy,
in-house experts on apparel fulfilment and logistics – and utilise careful data analysis, market research, and trusted
there’s still no guarantee of success. Ultimately, the more partners to help you deliver not only your products but
efficient route for many brands is to find partners like Digital exceptional experiences your customers will appreciate and
River that can simplify the process and implement strategies remember.
that will allow you to scale up as you gain more market share.
Partnering with Digital River along the way allows you
The idea here is to outsource with an expert in cross- to leverage our 25+ years of experience in helping brands
border, rather than having to become an expert slowly and simplify global expansion. Digital River can be your trusted
painfully yourself in every area of knowledge needed to have advisor across all aspects of your cross-border journey so you
a successful cross-border operation. But what should you can focus on what you do best. Together with Digital River,
be looking for in your ideal cross-border partner? Here are your brand can achieve outstanding growth! ••
some crucial factors to account for as you consider choosing a
partner to support your global growth:

• Established carrier network
The ideal fulfilment partner will have long-time relationships
with local carriers in the markets you intend to enter. Having
an established network you can tap into - that is also time-

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