Cross-border e-commerce: resources for exporting to the United States of America

Explore these chapters for a preview of how e-commerce can help you begin building market forecasts and plans in the United States (US). You will learn about market opportunities in the US and cross-border operational "to do's" before segueing into an overview of e-commerce fundamentals, digital marketing and online merchandising priorities.

Chapter 1: Foreword

Digital transformation is collapsing barriers, democratizing commerce and ushering forth a connected global retail marketplace. E-commerce has proven to be retail's great equalizer, empowering digitally savvy small teams to reach large global audiences, but more work lies ahead. Inclusive cross-border trade is a relatively recent push by global e-commerce leaders small and large to lead the retail industry into a more welcoming and a greener, more sustainable retail world that embraces diversity and rewards inclusiveness.

At home or abroad, e-commerce requires vision, hard work, persistence and risk-taking. Selling across borders can be daunting and cross-border complexities overwhelming, but the rewards are real. Over a decade ago, a small online merchant who gambled on selling into Europe told us of a letter he received from a customer from the French countryside. It was an elegantly written thank you letter from a new customer who had not been able to purchase a desired product for decades in his country. Today the letter is a daily reminder about the power of global connections and the reach of cross-border e-commerce.

How to use these insights

You can read this report from cover-to-cover or focus on the different chapters or subsections highlighted in the Table of Contents. At the end of each chapter, a short checklist summarizes key take-aways, to dos and/or questions to guide your planning and execution.