As the internet breaks down global barriers, ecommerce is experiencing a shift toward global marketplace expansion. And the evidence is compelling: the 2025 Metapack Benchmark Report reveals that 73% of online businesses plan to explore new markets within the next 12 months. Of those, nearly a third already have firm plans in place to pursue international growth.
Technology is powering these expansions. Marketplace platforms provide retailers with ready-made infrastructure and translation tools, reducing the risk of entering new markets. The Metapack Benchmark Report shows how digital transformation and evolving consumer behaviours create strong opportunities for cross-border commerce.
In this blog, we’ll cover the steps retailers can take to choose the right international markets and the role of technology in global commerce.
How To Choose The Right International Markets
The recommended approach to global expansion is to start small and expand fast. By choosing one or two select new markets, your business can test the waters and gain the capital needed to develop further. Market research can give you detailed information about which choices best fit your brand, but the Metapack Benchmark Report offers some insights into potential regions:
- Southeast Asia is benefiting from rapid digital adoption and rising middle-class incomes.
- Latin America offers a growing customer base and lower competition levels.
- The Middle East shows particular promise for retailers of luxury and niche products.
- European retailers are increasingly targeting the lucrative US market.
While these insights provide a solid starting point, you should base your final selection on a careful analysis of the consumer demand patterns and competitive landscape of each market.
All About Localisation: Is Translation Enough?
As you consider your new markets, it’s essential to remember that localisation and translation are not the same thing. Imagine an idiom like “turn a blind eye”. It conveys something different from its literal meaning. Translating the idiom directly won’t make sense in the new language. It must be adapted into something that fits culturally with that language.
This applies to more than just idioms. When bringing your marketing material over to new countries and cultures, you need to consider nuances, local shopping preferences, and market-specific consumer behaviours. What you’ve learned about marketing in your home market might fall flat in your new market.
Failure to learn how to appeal to the new culture could result in a failed attempt at expansion into the market. This may falsely colour your perception of the profitability of expanding into other markets and cut off your efforts before they have a chance to succeed.
Logistics and Cross-Border Shipping Considerations
According to the Metapack report, 50% of companies that saw at least 10% growth in the previous year have invested in international shipping capabilities. However, cross-border logistics present unique challenges, including:
- Customs clearance
- Tariff management
- International returns
- Delivery management and expectations
The secret to success? Invest in strategic partnerships with logistics providers and technology platforms to improve cross-border operational efficiency. This typically includes leveraging unified delivery services that provide real-time visibility across carriers.
Don’t Forget About Payment Preferences and Currency Adaptation
Collecting payment has long been a barrier to international expansion. That’s largely disappeared thanks to multi-currency payment systems. Many payment processing providers have the option to take payments in many of the world’s currencies. They also offer tax compliance tools to simplify dealing with multiple tax jurisdictions.
However, not every payment provider is well-known or trusted in every market. Understanding regional payment preferences will help your business find the right balance between convenience for you and accessibility for your future international customers. This includes supporting various payment methods beyond traditional credit cards, such as digital wallets, bank transfers, and even cash-on-delivery in certain markets.
Retailers Need To Prioritise Customer Service and Returns in a Global Market
How can your brand set itself apart from the competition? A seamless returns management experience.
Neither retailers nor customers like returns. It’s typically a mundane, time-intensive, and complicated process, so to appeal to more customers, businesses are minimising the hassle with instant refunds, multiple drop-off points, and regular updates.
The efforts to remove the friction of returns are even more critical in a global market, where shipping a returned product back to you is an even bigger hassle for the customer. Consumers who are confident that they can return a product with minimal hassle are more likely to take a chance on purchasing from you.
Understanding Global Compliance, Regulations, and Tax Considerations
Compliance with regulations and tax codes in your local market can be a hassle (to say the least!). Each new market you enter will bring the same or greater levels of hassle. In these instances, it can be more difficult to get the information you need to stay compliant, particularly if you don’t speak the language or for taxes like VAT, which might not exist in your local market.
Privacy concerns, in particular, are much more strongly enforced in some markets than others. European data privacy laws, such as the GDPR, are easy to run afoul of if you don’t take the time to understand the requirements these jurisdictions place upon you.
Technology can help you seamlessly handle compliance and regulations across geographic borders. Retailers who invest in robust systems to help manage compliance issues can minimise risk while maintaining operational efficiency. Like with other challenges, strategic partnerships can further help you to navigate these complexities.
The Role of Technology in Global Expansion
We have now seen several ways in which technology has enabled global expansion for businesses that would otherwise not have had this option. It shouldn’t come as a surprise, then, that the Metapack report shows that 96% of retailers use AI in their ecommerce operations.
The importance of technology in the process is further driven home by the report. The segment of businesses it refers to as “Tech Trailblazers” experienced three times the growth of their less advanced competitors. The trailblazers are the segment that quickly adapts to new technology. From logistics to compliance, modern technology has streamlined many previously complex processes, making them accessible to businesses of every size.
Conquer Ecommerce International Expansion in 2025
The world has thousands of consumers who may be interested in buying your product. However, to get the most out of your efforts, you must understand how other successful businesses manage it. To get a complete set of actionable insights, download the 2025 Metapack Benchmark Report today.
