Shipwire released results of a study, which was focused on online retailer trends of SMBs , in regard of their expansion in to global markets. This study revealed overseas growth of SMBs and also additional trends in shipping and e-commerce.
Shipwire Index Findings
International Orders showed increase of 11% in 2008 to reach 20% of total orders in 2009.
These numbers represent shipments to non-US addresses.
International Merchants Show High Cross Border Growth when Compared to U.S. Merchants
75% of international merchants were involved in markets outside their home country while this is only 13% of US merchants. Further the data revealed that non U.S SMB merchants are showing marked international growth as compared with U.S. merchants.
- For these top merchants, 18% were actively exporting products to a warehouse outside of their home country and a total of 15% of their total orders in 2009 shipped from a facility outside of the merchant’s home country.
- Of this small sample of U.S merchants,13% were found to be conducting business in one of Shipwire’s international fulfillment warehouses in Canada or the UK.
- Of the International merchants in this sample, 75% were doing business in the Shipwire U.S. facility and 25% were doing business in one of Shipwire’s overseas fulfillment warehouses (like in U.S. and Canada).
This data tells us that while U.S. SMBs are increasingly exporting, non U.S. based SMBs are entering the U.S. consumer goods market. The United States has offered small businesses the largest consumer market in the word.