STAMFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Pitney Bowes Inc. (NYSE: PBI), a global technology company that provides commerce solutions in the areas of ecommerce, shipping, mailing, and data, today revealed its latest cross-border ecommerce client success stories with high-profile brands spanning the apparel, accessory and beauty industries. The companies, including American Apparel, Bric’s Milano and Kendra Scott use Cross-Border Services from Pitney Bowes to help drive growth in overseas markets.
Lila Snyder, Executive Vice President and President, Commerce Services at Pitney Bowes said, “Merchants cannot ignore the power and potential of cross-border commerce. It presents an untapped opportunity to generate new revenue streams, particularly in high-growth markets such as China, Japan and South Korea. Cross-Border Services from Pitney Bowes help connect brands with international buyers, optimizing web experiences for mobile, while delivering a consistent, streamlined approach for customers regardless of location. It’s very rewarding to see these amazing brands delivering growth and great customer experiences using our services.”
American Apparel is an iconic global fashion brand. The company needed a reliable partner to help it drive growth in new territories. Raffael Sarracini, Vice President, eCommerce for Gildan Activewear, owner of American Apparel, explained, “For us as a brand with a strong ethically made, sweatshop-free ethos, a critical requirement in our overseas expansion was giving our customers transparency, honesty, security and consistency in how they shop, wherever they’re located, whichever channel they use to interact with us. If they’re ordering from outside the US, we wanted to give them access to a wide selection of our products with absolute clarity on what they would be paying, and visibility of their order. We can now offer our clients a seamless shopping experience.”
Founded in 1952, Bric’s Milano has been selling luxurious, hand-crafted bags to its discerning clientele, and has grown into a prestigious brand synonymous with quality, artistry and style. With the help of Pitney Bowes, Bric’s Milano has taken its business beyond the stunning shores of Italy’s Lake Como, now shipping around the world, generating new revenue and driving growth. Celebrity endorsement and the power of social media led to an increase in demand for Bric’s Milano’s products from across the world. They wanted to seize this opportunity and reach customers in all the American markets but needed the proper resources to address some of the unique challenges faced when expanding outside the United States, such as logistical compliance and customer knowledge. Partnering with Pitney Bowes Cross-Border Services made the complex simple: Pitney Bowes managed the entire overseas process, helping Bric’s Milano localize the brand for new markets while keeping its Italian heritage at its heart.
Kendra Scott is a fashion-lifestyle brand with a conscience, and a strong culture of giving. Founder and entrepreneur Kendra Scott’s philanthropic values run throughout the business, which has grown from a $500 project in the spare bedroom of her home to a billion-dollar brand. Pitney Bowes Cross-Border Services has played a crucial role in helping the brand grow its presence overseas, offering localized currencies with taxes and duties calculated at checkout, so customers know exactly how much they’re paying, as well as fast and cost-effective shipping. “We wanted to make it as easy for our overseas customers to shop with us as it is for our US-based customers,” said CEO Kendra Scott. “They have a seamless, consistent shopping experience with us wherever they are in the world, which keeps them coming back.”
An increasing number of fashion, beauty and skincare brands are launching cross-border businesses with Pitney Bowes, including:
- Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare, a cruelty-free brand combining science and nature to transform the skincare experience
- Tata Harper Skincare, which offers an impressive range of 100% natural, non-toxic and innovative skincare products cultivated from ingredients sourced from over 68 countries around the world along with the brand’s 1,200 acre Certified Organic farm in Vermont.
- Westport Big & Tall, a provider of premium quality menswear from the finest clothing makers for the big or tall man.
Brands must deliver against rising expectations
The 2018 Pitney Bowes Global Ecommerce Study revealed new behaviors and shopping habits among consumers. Based on surveys of more than 13,000 consumers in 12 markets, combined with surveys of 650 retailers in the US, UK and Australia, the study found that as global ecommerce is maturing, consumers are shopping online more frequently, with 35% shopping online daily or weekly. This figure rises to 74% for shoppers in China. The more consumers shop online, the more they expect in terms of service and delivery.
Shipping and delivery choices have become increasingly influential on shoppers’ purchasing behaviors. 91% of consumers leave the checkout when they find shipping isn’t free, or fast enough. 36% of consumers go somewhere else if they have a poor post-purchase experience, and 20% never come back. When it comes to millennials, 30% will share their negative experiences publicly, on review pages or across their social media networks. As brands extend their reach overseas, they must maintain a consistently high level of service.
About Pitney Bowes
Pitney Bowes (NYSE:PBI) is a global technology company providing commerce solutions that power billions of transactions. Clients around the world, including 90 percent of the Fortune 500, rely on the accuracy and precision delivered by Pitney Bowes solutions, analytics, and APIs in the areas of ecommerce fulfillment, shipping and returns; cross-border ecommerce; office mailing and shipping; presort services; location data; customer information and engagement software; services; and financing. For nearly 100 years Pitney Bowes has been innovating and delivering technologies that remove the complexity of getting commerce transactions precisely right. For additional information visit Pitney Bowes, the Craftsmen of Commerce, at www.pitneybowes.com.
