FedEx Express and direct-to-consumer (DTC) e-commerce company ESW have partnered to provide integrated e-commerce and shipping capabilities for Europe-based brands looking to accelerate their growth by selling and shipping.
With this offering, FedEx Express customers in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands and ESW clients based in Europe will have access to a localized online experience, using the FedEx Express logistics network for delivery and returns – all through a single integration. Brands integrating with ESW’s DTC solutions can enter both domestic and new international markets in a few weeks and access a suite of market-leading e-commerce solutions across store, pricing, payments, checkout, fraud detection and delivery.
This alliance gives brands the ability to access a one-stop solution that combines ESW’s technology and localization with a logistics service for Europe-based brands through a capital-light approach using a single integration. Together, FedEx Express and ESW hope to remove barriers and alleviate the friction that often impedes brands and retailers from selling directly to consumers cross-border.
ESW’s Global Voices: Consumer Pulse 2022 survey of more than 14,000 consumers across 14 countries highlighted that while consumers are increasingly ready to shop for comfort, convenience and variety across borders, length of shipping and cost are the two biggest barriers to buying internationally. Transparency and customizability of the shipping journey were also found to be critical to the customer experience, with 70% of survey respondents saying they wouldn’t buy an item from an international website if they weren’t given an initial indication of when the item would arrive, and a further 73% reporting they wanted the option to choose from either free standard shipping or paid-for fast-track shipping when purchasing from an international website.
Toby Hay, managing director of e-commerce marketing at FedEx Express, said, “The FedEx Express and ESW alliance is a perfect example of how we are innovating to respond to the needs of our customers, offering new capabilities to enable the growth of their businesses through an expanded e-commerce ecosystem. This alliance with ESW offers FedEx Express customers the ability to sell and ship seamlessly enabled by new global DTC opportunities.”
Martim Avillez Oliveira, CEO of ESW Europe and UK, commented, “In this time of economic headwinds and inflationary challenges, brands are re-evaluating regional growth opportunities and looking across borders to find new ways to grow revenue, optimize inventory and improve margins using a cross-border strategy.”
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