---
title: "Taking online shops into Europe: 7 steps to selling in multiple markets"
description: How can online retailers expand into several European markets? A guide to market selection, marketplaces, payment, shipping, customs, tax and returns.
image: https://mag.exporto.de/hubfs/shutterstock_2852007881.jpg
---

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###### [Author Katharina Knoop](https://mag.exporto.de/en/author/katharina-knoop)

- ###### 55 min read

- ###### Oct 27, 2026,

# Taking online shops into Europe: 7 steps to selling in multiple markets

## How to choose the right markets and sales channels, meet local customer expectations and run several markets from one shared setup.

![European Card with visual effects](https://mag.exporto.de/hs-fs/hubfs/shutterstock_2852007881.jpg?height=420&name=shutterstock_2852007881.jpg)

Welche Anforderungen müssen deutsche Online-Händler aktuell beachten, wenn sie ihre Produkte nach Großbritannien versenden? In diesem Blogartikel erläutern wir die relevanten Richtlinien für Handelsunternehmen und zeigen auf, warum sich der Cross-Border E-Commerce nach UK lohnt.

Expanding your online shop into several European markets takes more than international parcel shipping. You need a setup that handles local requirements for payment, delivery, returns, tax and customs in each market while sharing central processes across all of them. 

Retailers can start with one market or launch in several countries at once. exporto brings these processes together as an [integrated end-to-end solution](https://www.exporto.de/en/solution) for markets including Switzerland, the UK, Austria, France, Italy and the Nordics, all through a single integration.

The opportunity is substantial. European B2C e-commerce generated **€911 billion** in 2025, up 7% on the previous year, and [Ecommerce Europe and EuroCommerce](https://ecommerce-europe.eu/press-item/european-e-commerce-reaches-e911-billion-as-sector-calls-for-fairer-competition/) expect around **€961 billion** in 2026. At the same time, European markets differ considerably in how customers pay, receive parcels and return goods, and in which channels they use to shop in the first place.

That is the real challenge. Making your shop technically available in France or Switzerland does not mean it will feel like a local shop there. A German-style checkout, an unfamiliar carrier or unexpected import charges can undermine the customer experience before or after the purchase.

This guide therefore looks beyond **which markets are attractive** and focuses on **what retailers need to do differently in each market and how to manage several countries together.**

## How do I expand my online shop into other European countries?

Start by assessing market potential and practical feasibility side by side. The biggest market i 5s not automatically the right one. What matters is whether demand, margin, sales channel, localisation and operations fit together.

A practical approach involves seven steps:

1. **Choose your target markets:** Assess demand, market potential, competition and existing customer signals.
2. **Choose your sales channel:** your own shop, a marketplace or a combination of both.
3. **Localise the customer journey:** Adapt payment, language, checkout, delivery and returns.
4. **Clarify tax and customs:** Define your EU and non-EU requirements and your import model.
5. **Set up shipping and returns:** Select suitable local carriers and returns options.
6. **Connect your systems and processes:** Integrate your shop, ERP or WMS so that you can manage several markets together.
7. **Measure profitability:** Track conversion, shipping costs, returns, contribution margin and repeat purchases by market.

## How do I decide which market is right for my online shop?

Market size alone is not enough to go on. Before deciding, retailers should answer six questions:

| Criterion | What to check |
| --- | --- |
| **Demand** | Are you already seeing orders, website traffic, search queries or marketplace demand from the market? |
| **Product range & order value** | Do your products, price level and average order value justify the additional shipping and returns costs? |
| **Customer experience** | How different are payment, delivery and returns from your current setup? |
| **Regulation** | EU or non-EU market? Will customs, local VAT or additional registrations be required? |
| **Sales channels** | Are there relevant marketplaces that would help you reach demand more quickly? |
| **Operational synergies** | Can the market be added via an existing integration, shared pick-ups or combined volume? |

**This often leads to a different decision than a simple revenue ranking.**

A smaller market can be particularly attractive if there is already demand, little extra localisation is needed and it can be added to an existing shipping setup. Conversely, a very large market can turn out to be unprofitable if high acquisition costs, returns or special operational processes eat into the margin.

## Should I launch in one market or several at once?

Retailers can start with a single market or launch in several markets at the same time. With exporto, both options run on the same central technical and operational setup.

The decision should therefore not depend on whether shipping, customs or returns can only be set up for one market at a time. What matters is which markets make business sense and where there is already enough potential.

A parallel launch in several markets can make sense if there is already demand from different countries, if you want to open up several relevant marketplaces or if the combined shipping volume creates operational synergies.

Starting with one market first can make sense if, for example, you want to test how well your product range, pricing or marketing work in a new country.

The difference therefore lies not in the capability of the cross-border setup, but in your market entry strategy.

With exporto, country-specific requirements such as tax and customs processes, local carriers, delivery options and returns can be set up for several markets in parallel. Further markets can be added later on the same foundation.

## Which European markets are best for getting started?

Markets differ in more than size. For retailers, three questions matter most: How easy is the market to serve from a regulatory point of view, how much does the customer experience need to be localised and how well does the market suit your product range and shipping model?

### Austria: few regulatory hurdles, but not simply “Germany with a different domain”

Austria is often the obvious first market for German retailers. The shared language reduces translation work, there is no customs border between Germany and Austria and cross-border B2C sales can generally be reported through the EU OSS.

Austrian consumers are also already used to buying from abroad. According to the [Austrian Retail Association’s e-commerce study](https://www.handelsverband.at/publikationen/studien/ecommerce-studie-oesterreich/ecommerce-studie-oesterreich-2026/), e-commerce spending will reach **€12.3 billion** in 2026, and **47% of it goes to foreign retailers.**

**What does this mean for German retailers?** The main barrier to entry is often neither customs nor language. Competition is decided by the offer, the checkout, delivery and service.

Payment deserves a closer look too. According to the [Payment Report 2025 by Nexi and the Austrian Retail Association](https://www.nexi.at/de/payment-report), **65% of Austrian online shoppers** abandon a purchase before completing it, and **17%** say their preferred payment method was not available. E-wallets (30%), purchase on invoice (29%) and mobile wallets (27%) were the options most likely to have prevented the abandonment. The market is also highly mobile: 65% of Austrian online shoppers now use their smartphone as their main shopping device.

Rather than simply reusing the German checkout, retailers should optimise it for mobile and for the payment methods Austrians are used to.

Returns are another key factor. According to the 2026 e-commerce study, **62% of shoppers return items** when buying clothing.

**The takeaway for retailers:** From a regulatory point of view, Austria can be a relatively straightforward market. Checkout, payment, carriers, delivery options and returns should still be localised. Because Austrian customers already shop extensively abroad, German retailers are competing not just with local shops but with an international e-commerce offering.

Read more: [More on the Austrian e-commerce market](https://www.exporto.de/markt/osterreich)

### Switzerland: strong cross-border demand, but customs, VAT and local expectations all come into play

Switzerland is close by and Swiss consumers already buy a great deal from abroad.

According to [HANDELSVERBAND.swiss](https://handelsverband.swiss/news/schweizer-online-konsum-waechst-im-jahr-2025-erneut-um-6-das-wachstum-der-einkaeufe-im-ausland-flacht-ab/), Swiss consumers ordered goods worth **CHF 15.8 billion online in 2025, of which CHF 2.8 billion went directly to foreign retailers.** Spending with foreign retailers grew by 8% year on year.

Even so, the market is considerably more complex for German retailers than Austria or France. Switzerland is outside the EU customs territory, so every shipment requires an import process. Retailers need to clarify who acts as importer, how import VAT and any other duties are handled and which Swiss VAT obligations apply.

The [Swiss mail-order rule](https://www.estv.admin.ch/de/mwst-versandhandel-und-plattformbesteuerung) is particularly important. A retailer that generates at least **CHF 100,000 a year from low-value consignments** (shipments on which no import VAT is collected because the amount due is CHF 5 or less) becomes liable for VAT in Switzerland. Once registered, all further shipments are treated as domestic supplies.

Since 2025, Swiss platform taxation has also applied to sales through certain platforms. Retailers selling via a marketplace should not assume that responsibilities are split the same way as in their own D2C shop.

But regulation is only half the story.

#### Payment in Switzerland is local

TWINT is a good example. More than **6 million people** use the Swiss payment app regularly, and **86% of Swiss online shops accept it** ([TWINT, 2026](https://www.twint.ch/en/company/media/twint-part-of-switzerlands-everyday-life-for-10-years/)).

Technically, an international shop could offer only credit cards and PayPal. From a Swiss customer’s point of view, however, one of the most familiar local payment options would then be missing.

#### The carrier is part of the customer experience too

According to the [E-Commerce Stimmungsbarometer 2026](https://digital-commerce1.post.ch/de/pages/blog/2026/e-commerce-stimmungsbarometer-2026), **65% of Swiss consumers prefer Swiss Post** for delivery. Online tracking matters to 75%, 69% expect advance notice of delivery and 58% want to be able to manage their delivery themselves.

Customers also have clear expectations of returns: clear returns conditions and free returns each matter to **85%**, and 84% expect no customs charges when sending items back.

**What does this mean for retailers?** A good Switzerland setup does more than handle customs clearance. It has to keep the cross-border process from becoming noticeable to the customer. That means:

- transparent final prices with no unexpected import charges,
- a delivery process that feels familiar locally,
- end-to-end tracking,
- simple local returns,
- payment options that Swiss customers recognise.

exporto ships to Switzerland on a DDP basis, automates customs and tax processes and uses Swiss Post for local delivery. Retailers can serve the market from their existing warehouse without customers facing unexpected import charges on delivery.

Read more: [Cross-border shipping to Switzerland in detail](https://mag.exporto.de/en/cross-border-shipping-to-switzerland?hsLang=en)

### Great Britain: a strong online market where VAT, customs and returns need to work together

Great Britain is one of Europe’s most mature online retail markets. According to the [Office for National Statistics](https://www.ons.gov.uk/businessindustryandtrade/retailindustry/timeseries/j4mc/drsi), **just over a quarter of British retail sales (around 27%) were made online** in 2025.

Since Brexit, however, the operational starting point for German retailers has been fundamentally different from that in an EU market.

For direct B2C sales of goods that are outside the UK at the point of sale, UK VAT must generally be charged and accounted for at checkout on consignments worth **£135 or less** ([HMRC](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/charging-vat-on-goods-sold-direct-to-customers-in-the-uk)). Above that value, the standard import VAT and customs rules apply.

For sales through an online marketplace, responsibility can shift. For marketplace consignments up to £135, the [marketplace is generally responsible for charging and accounting for VAT](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/charging-vat-when-using-an-online-marketplace-to-sell-goods-to-customers-in-the-uk).

**Why this matters for multichannel retailers:** the same market may require different tax handling depending on whether you sell through your own shop or a marketplace.

#### Cards and wallets dominate at checkout

British consumers are very comfortable with digital payments. Debit cards are the most frequently used payment method, and according to [UK Finance](https://www.ukfinance.org.uk/news-and-insight/press-release/digital-payments-continue-grow-mobile-wallets-become-more-popular), cards accounted for **64% of all payments** in 2025. In addition, **65% of British adults were registered for at least one mobile wallet**.

For a UK shop, a mobile checkout built around cards and wallets is simply the local standard.

#### Delivery and returns have a direct impact on conversion

The difference is especially clear in logistics and returns.

**80% of British shoppers say they abandon a purchase if their preferred delivery option is not available, and 75% abandon if the returns process does not meet their expectations** ([DHL eCommerce, 2025](https://www.dhl.com/gb-en/ecommerce/uk/content-hub/press-centre/dhls-e-commerce-trends-report-2025.html)).

Another UK consumer study shows how real this effect is: **41% will not complete an online purchase if free returns are not offered, and 14% abandon if there is no convenient drop-off point or locker for returns nearby** ([KPMG UK, 2025](https://kpmg.com/uk/en/media/press-releases/2025/06/research-shows-consumer-demand-for-free-delivery-and-returns.html)).

**The takeaway for retailers:** The UK is not just a customs project. The import process needs to be combined with a customer journey that feels local despite the border:

- VAT and import costs must be settled before shipping,
- customers should not face unexpected charges on delivery,
- local carriers and familiar delivery options are important,
- tracking must be transparent,
- returns should be easy to drop off within Great Britain.

exporto ships to Great Britain on a DDP basis, combining customs and VAT processes with local delivery via Royal Mail and Evri and a local returns setup.

Read more: [Cross-Border E-Commerce UK 2026: Everything you need to know](https://mag.exporto.de/en/cross-border-e-commerce-uk?hsLang=en) and [DDP shipping to the UK and Switzerland](https://mag.exporto.de/en/ddp-shipping-to-the-uk-and-switzerland-how-to-make-sure-your-customers-pay-nothing-on-delivery?hsLang=en)

### France: no customs border, but a very different delivery culture

Within the EU, France is easier to serve from a regulatory point of view than Switzerland or Great Britain. There is no import customs clearance for goods in free circulation, and French VAT on cross-border B2C sales can generally be reported through the OSS.

The real challenge lies in localisation.

According to [FEVAD](https://www.fevad.com/bilan-du-e-commerce-en-france-les-francais-ont-depense-pres-de-200-milliards-deuros-sur-internet-en-2025/), French e-commerce generated **€196.4 billion** in 2025, of which **€76.1 billion came from product sales**. 42.2 million people shop online, which is 80% of French people aged 16 to 74.

**These figures show that retailers are entering a mature e-commerce market.** French customers will compare a German shop not with other cross-border offers but with the established French shopping experiences they already know.

#### French customers pay differently from German customers

In Germany, according to the [EHI study “Online-Payment 2026”](https://www.it-finanzmagazin.de/online-payment-rechnungskauf-und-paypal-weiter-dominierend-laut-ehi-studie-online-payment-2026-244098/), **28.7% of online sales were paid via PayPal and 26.1% on invoice** in 2025, followed by direct debit at 14.4%.

In France, cards remain dominant for online purchases. According to the [Banque de France](https://www.banque-france.fr/fr/publications-et-statistiques/publications/les-francais-continuent-dapprecier-les-especes-meme-si-leur-usage-se-reduit-au-profit-des-paiements), they accounted for **53% of online payments** in 2024. Online payment solutions and wallets made up 27%, with PayPal alone accounting for almost 18%. The Banque de France has not yet published more recent figures.

The two studies use different methods and cannot be compared directly. But the message is clear: **A German checkout should not simply be translated. The mix of payment options needs to suit the target market.**

#### Points Relais are standard in France

The difference in delivery is even greater.

According to a study by [Arcep and CREDOC](https://en.arcep.fr/news/press-releases/view/n/parcels-100226.html) published in 2026, home delivery is still the most popular option. However, **almost four in ten parcel recipients prefer a Point Relais, almost three quarters have already used one and more than a third have already used a parcel locker.**

In France, out-of-home delivery is therefore not a niche service for a small group of customers.

**The takeaway for retailers:** If you only offer home delivery, you are missing a significant part of French delivery culture. The right setup combines home delivery with Points Relais, other pick-up points and, increasingly, lockers.

In France, exporto works with local carriers including Colis Privé and Mondial Relay and offers both home delivery and out-of-home options.

Read more: [E-Commerce in France: What Retailers Need to Know About the French Market](https://mag.exporto.de/en/e-commerce-in-frankreich-was-h%C3%A4ndler-zum-franz%C3%B6sischen-markt-wissen-m%C3%BCssen?hsLang=en)

### Italy: a growing online market where wallets lead and out-of-home delivery is on the rise

Italy is also part of the EU single market. Goods in free circulation shipped from Germany do not require import customs clearance, and VAT on cross-border B2C distance sales can generally be handled through the OSS.

This makes Italy easier to serve from a regulatory point of view than Switzerland or Great Britain. **But it does not mean that a German checkout and shipping process will automatically work there.**

According to the [Osservatorio eCommerce B2C / Netcomm](https://www.osservatori.net/comunicato/ecommerce-b2c/ecommerce-acquisti-online-crescita/), Italian B2C e-commerce is expected to exceed **€66.6 billion** in 2026, of which **€42.6 billion comes from products**. Around **35 million Italians shop online**.

#### Digital wallets ahead of credit cards

Wallets are now the most widely used payment method in Italian e-commerce, with a share of **33.9%, compared with 28.6% for credit cards.** Instalment payments are also growing, while cash on delivery is declining.

**The takeaway for retailers:** Wallets should not be treated as an optional extra in an Italian checkout. They are one of the core payment methods.

#### Out-of-home delivery is no longer a niche

Delivery habits are changing too. In 2026, **21.9% of Italian online purchases will be delivered via out-of-home solutions** such as shops, third-party pick-up points, depots or lockers, up from just 7.3% in 2014.

Growth is particularly strong in larger cities.

**The takeaway for retailers:** An Italian setup should not rely on home delivery alone. Flexible pick-up options are becoming increasingly important, especially for urban customers.

Italy shows particularly well why the EU single market and localisation are two separate issues: **There may be no customs to deal with, but checkout and last-mile delivery still need to be adapted.**

Read more: [More on Italy and other exporto markets](https://www.exporto.de/markt/weitere-maerkte)

## What do the five markets tell us?

| Market | What makes entry easier? | Where does extra complexity arise? | What matters most for the customer experience |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **Austria** | EU single market, same language | local payment and delivery setup | mobile journey, wallets and invoice, returns |
| **Switzerland** | strong cross-border demand | customs, Swiss VAT, import model | TWINT, Swiss Post, DDP, local returns |
| **Great Britain** | very high online share | customs, UK VAT, £135 rule | cards and wallets, transparent import costs, local returns |
| **France** | large EU market, no import duties from Germany | more operational localisation | cards, home delivery plus Points Relais and lockers |
| **Italy** | growing EU market | localised checkout and delivery mix | wallets, cards, growing out-of-home delivery |

The key question is therefore not just “How big is the market?” but “How big is the gap between our current setup and the shopping experience customers expect there?”

## Own shop or marketplace: how do I enter a new market?

You do not have to enter a new market through your own online shop alone. Marketplaces can provide demand, reach and trust, while your own shop gives you more control over your brand, customer data and customer journey. For many retailers, a combination of both makes sense.

## When is a marketplace the better option?

Starting on a marketplace can be particularly worthwhile if:

- your brand is not yet well known in the target market,
- a relevant marketplace already attracts your target group,
- you want to test demand first,
- your category is particularly strong on a specific platform,
- you can open up several countries through existing marketplace structures.

Switzerland shows how important marketplaces can be locally. According to the [E-Commerce Stimmungsbarometer 2026](https://digital-commerce1.post.ch/de/pages/blog/2026/e-commerce-stimmungsbarometer-2026), **42% of respondents start their product search on Digitec Galaxus and 40% on Zalando**. Alongside search engines, they are two of the three most important starting points for product searches.

A retailer that only looks at its own shop would be ignoring a large part of this buying behaviour.

## When is your own shop the better option?

A D2C shop becomes more important if you:

- want full control over your brand and customer journey,
- want to build your own customer relationships and first-party data,
- want to be less dependent on marketplace fees and platform rules,
- can already generate your own demand in the target market.

### Why combining both often makes sense

The two channels serve different purposes.

A marketplace can open up new reach or make a market accessible more quickly. At the same time, your own shop can build brand loyalty and direct customer relationships.

The operational challenge arises when each channel gets its own logistics solution.

**That is exactly what a multi-market setup should avoid.**

### How does exporto support marketplace sales?

exporto not only handles the cross-border fulfilment of marketplace orders but also gives retailers access to additional sales channels and target markets on selected marketplaces.

Through exporto, retailers can connect to marketplaces including **Zalando, Galaxus, Breuninger and MediaMarktSaturn**. This gives them access to marketplace setups that would not be available to them without the exporto integration.

There is no need for a separate cross-border setup for each marketplace. Marketplace orders can run through the same customs, shipping, tracking and returns processes as D2C orders.

meinemarkenmode shows how this works in practice. Orders from Zalando, Amazon, Galaxus and other marketplaces are shipped to Switzerland and the UK via exporto.

**This allows retailers to scale not only horizontally into more countries, but also vertically into more sales channels.**

Read more: [Case study meinemarkenmode: scaling on marketplaces](https://www.exporto.de/referenz/meinemarkenmode)

## What do I need to consider when localising my online shop?

Localisation is not the same as translating a German shop. A shop only feels local when checkout, payment, delivery, communication and returns match the habits of the target market.

Payment illustrates the differences particularly well:

- In Germany, PayPal and purchase on invoice lead by revenue.
- In Switzerland, TWINT is effectively a local standard.
- In France, cards clearly dominate.
- In Italy, digital wallets are now in the lead.
- In Great Britain, debit cards and mobile wallets shape everyday payments.

### **A translated German checkout is not yet a localised checkout.**

The same applies to delivery.

In France, Points Relais play a far bigger role than in many other European markets. In Switzerland, the choice of local carrier is itself an important factor in buying decisions and service perception. In Italy, out-of-home delivery is growing strongly. In Great Britain, missing delivery options can stop a purchase altogether.

### What should be localised before launch?

**Shop and product presentation:** language, product information, sizes, dimensions, legally required information and, where relevant, product names.

**Checkout:** currency, address formats, local payment methods, mobile usability and clear delivery costs.

**Delivery:** familiar carriers, suitable delivery locations, tracking, delivery notifications and options for managing deliveries.

**Returns:** local drop-off options, transparent conditions, labels or QR codes and a clear refund process.

**Customer service:** language, response times and access to shipping and returns status.

The key point: **Localisation does not end at checkout. The entire physical process after the order is part of the customer experience.**

## EU or non-EU market: what changes for customs and tax?

The country profiles have already highlighted the key differences. For operational planning, they can be summarised as follows:

|  | Austria / France / Italy | Switzerland | Great Britain | Norway |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **Customs border with Germany** | no | yes | yes | yes |
| **Export and import process** | no | yes | yes | yes |
| **VAT** | destination-country VAT | Swiss VAT | UK VAT | Norwegian VAT |
| **Key rule** | EU-wide €10,000 threshold / OSS | mail-order rule | £135 rule | VOEC |
| **Import model relevant** | generally not | yes | yes | yes |
| **Possible charges for the customer on delivery** | no import charges | depends on setup | depends on setup | depends on setup |

#### EU: the OSS simplifies VAT, but does not cover every local tax issue

For cross-border B2C distance sales within the EU, a common annual threshold of **€10,000** generally applies. Once it is exceeded, the [place of taxation](https://taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu/taxation/vat/vat-directive/place-taxation_en) is generally the destination country, and VAT can be reported and paid centrally through the Union OSS.

This does not mean that retailers will never need a local VAT registration. If you store goods in the target market or create other local tax-relevant structures, for example, your setup needs to be reviewed separately.

For retailers shipping directly from a German warehouse to consumers in Austria, France or Italy, however, the OSS significantly reduces administrative complexity.

The EU system is also evolving. According to the [European Commission](https://taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu/news/vat-digital-age-2026-work-programme-available-2026-05-22_en), minor changes to the OSS and IOSS come into force on **1 January 2027**, followed by key elements of the Single VAT Registration and extensions to the OSS schemes from **1 July 2028**.

### Switzerland and the UK: imports become part of the customer experience

For non-EU markets, deciding **who acts as importer and who pays the duties** has a direct impact on the customer experience.

If import charges are only collected from the recipient on delivery, a purchase that has already been completed suddenly comes with extra costs.

With DDP, the seller takes care of this: import processes and duties are handled before or during import, so the customer generally pays no additional import charges on delivery.

For a D2C shop, the question is therefore not only **whether the goods can be cleared through customs**, but **how invisible the process remains to the end customer**.

### Norway: VOEC changes the process for lower-value goods

Norway uses the [VOEC scheme](https://www.skatteetaten.no/bedrift-og-organisasjon/avgifter/mva/utland/e-handel-voec/sending-av-pakker-i-voec-ordningen/) for certain B2C shipments.

For goods worth **less than NOK 3,000 per item**, a VOEC-registered retailer can charge and account for Norwegian VAT at checkout. The threshold applies per item, not per shipment.

With VOEC shipments, the customer sees the full price at checkout. If the shop is not registered or a shipment does not fall under VOEC, VAT, any customs duties and a handling fee may only be charged on import.

This example shows once again: **The tax process must not be planned separately from the checkout and shipping model.**

## How can I sell in several European countries at the same time?

Selling efficiently in several European countries at once is possible if central and local processes are clearly separated. Product and order data, technical integration, tracking, reporting and operational management can be shared. Payment, tax, customs, carriers and returns, on the other hand, need to be adapted for each market.

| Managed centrally | Market-specific |
| --- | --- |
| ERP, WMS or shop integration | Tax and customs rules |
| Product and order data | Payment |
| Tracking data | Last-mile carriers |
| Reporting | Delivery options |
| Claims handling | Returns options |
| Operational contacts | Language and communication |
| Marketplace data | Local marketplace requirements |

That is the difference between **scaling and simply multiplying effort**.

A retailer that integrates one carrier for France, hires a separate customs broker for the UK, uses another returns provider for Switzerland and handles tracking in different systems has technically entered several markets. But internal complexity grows with every country.

A multi-market setup takes the opposite approach: **Market-specific processes stay local, but are managed through a shared technical and operational setup.**

With exporto, product and order data are connected once. The required shipping, customs and tax processes are then triggered for each target market, while carrier labels, tracking, returns, claims handling and reporting all come together in one place.

There is no need to hold stock in each target market. Goods can stay in your existing warehouse and be shipped from there to each market.

#### Why does this matter when something goes wrong?

The benefit of central management is not limited to day-to-day operations.

When there is a problem, a retailer might otherwise need to work out:

- Is the issue with the linehaul?
- with customs?
- with the last-mile carrier?
- with tracking?
- with the return?
- with a marketplace SLA?

The more service providers are involved, the more handovers and back-and-forth there are.

A central end-to-end setup reduces these interfaces and gives everyone a shared view of the process.

## How do I scale my online shop across several European markets?

A cross-border setup scales when each additional market does not add a proportional amount of technical and operational complexity. The aim is not to use the same process everywhere, but to manage local requirements through a shared foundation.

A multi-market setup is a cross-border structure in which several target markets are served through the same technical integration and the same central processes, while tax, customs, carriers, payment and delivery options are adapted for each market.

This has organisational and financial benefits.

## Why can a multi-market setup be more profitable?

Looked at individually, smaller markets may initially seem unattractive.

When several markets run through the same setup, the calculation changes:

**1. Technical work is reused.**  
Your existing API, ERP or WMS integration does not have to be rebuilt from scratch for each new market.

**2. Central processes are spread across more orders.**  
Tracking, reporting, support structures and master data processes can be shared across several markets.

**3. Parcel volumes can be combined.**  
Total volume grows across all markets, which can create operational synergies such as more frequent pick-ups or transport runs.

**4. New markets can be added faster.**  
Instead of building a new set of processes each time, you mainly need to add the market-specific elements.

However: **More markets do not automatically mean lower shipping costs.** Profitability still depends on factors such as volume, order value, target market, returns and services.

The advantage is that adding markets does not necessarily add the same amount of fixed costs and coordination effort each time.

## Case study: LiveFresh combines Switzerland and Austria

LiveFresh is a good example of this approach.

The company ships chilled fresh products to Switzerland and Austria. Both markets run on a shared setup: shipments are prepared for both markets together, and exporto handles sorting and onward processing for each destination country.

Thanks to the combined volume, large enough shipment quantities build up more quickly. According to the case study, this allows more frequent pick-ups and processing. For LiveFresh, the setup resulted in more predictable costs, shorter delivery times and fewer support requests.

Nicolas Kopp, CFO of LiveFresh, highlights another benefit:

> “What matters to us is a partner we can reach when it counts and who solves problems instead of passing them on.”

**The key insight from the case study:** The second market does not just bring additional revenue. It can also make better use of the existing cross-border setup.

Read more: [Case study LiveFresh: scaling without losing margin](https://www.exporto.de/referenz/livefresh)

## Which costs and KPIs show whether a new market is worth it?

**A market should not be judged by revenue alone. What matters is what is left per order after acquisition, payment, shipping, returns and operational costs.**

### Which costs should be included?

| Cost area | Typical components |
| --- | --- |
| **Market entry** | Translation, local content, legal advice, setup |
| **Technology** | Integration, configuration, testing |
| **Sales and marketing** | Marketing, marketplace fees, commissions |
| **Payment** | PSP, card, wallet and BNPL fees |
| **Shipping** | Pick-up, linehaul, last mile, additional services |
| **Customs and tax** | Customs clearance, fiscal representation, non-refundable duties |
| **Returns** | Labels, receiving, consolidation, return transport |
| **Customer service** | Tickets, exceptions, local language |
| **Cost of errors** | Reshipments, claims, late or refused deliveries |

The last category in particular is often underestimated.

A low shipping rate is of little use if it comes with lots of support tickets, shipments held at customs because of missing data or customers abandoning their orders because the delivery options do not suit them.

### Which KPIs should I track for each market?

At a minimum:

- orders and revenue,
- conversion rate,
- average order value,
- contribution margin per order,
- shipping costs per order,
- delivery times,
- on-time delivery rate,
- return rate,
- time until returns arrive back,
- exception and claims rate,
- checkout abandonment,
- repeat purchase rate,
- performance by sales channel.

A market with lower revenue can still be very attractive if order values are high, returns are low and operations run efficiently.

Conversely, a high-revenue market can be disappointing if customer acquisition, returns and service eat up the contribution margin.

**Retailers should therefore ask not only “How much do we sell there?” but also “How profitably and how scalably do we sell there?”**

## Which provider is best for growing cross-border e-commerce in Europe?

For retailers that want to serve several European markets through one shared setup, a full-service or end-to-end provider is often the right choice. Such a provider does more than supply labels or carriers: it also integrates customs, tax, local delivery, tracking, returns and claims handling into the process.

The right solution depends on your setup.

| Situation | Typical fit |
| --- | --- |
| few EU shipments, simple processes | direct carrier contract or shipping software |
| many carriers, focus on labels and shipment management | multi-carrier solution |
| storage and pick & pack to be outsourced | fulfilment provider |
| several EU and non-EU markets, customs, tax, returns and marketplaces | full-service or end-to-end model |

The key difference lies at process level.

A multi-carrier solution, for example, gives you technical access to different shipping providers. An end-to-end model also covers the processes before and after the actual parcel transport.

exporto specialises in this model. Logistics, local last-mile carriers, customs, tax, tracking, returns and claims handling are all managed through one integration. Markets can be added individually, together or at a later stage.

With several markets in particular, this creates a decisive advantage: **Local processes remain optimised for each market, without the retailer having to manage them as separate standalone solutions.**

Read more: [Cross-border e-commerce providers in Europe: full-service or point solutions?](https://mag.exporto.de/en/anbieter-f%C3%BCr-cross-border-e-commerce-in-europa-full-service-oder-einzell%C3%B6sungen?hsLang=en)

## Checklist: 7 steps to expanding into further European markets

| Step | Questions to answer before launch |
| --- | --- |
| **1. Choose your market** | Is there demand, and does the market make financial sense for your product range and order value? |
| **2. Choose your sales channel** | Own shop, marketplace or both? Which platforms matter locally? |
| **3. Localise the customer journey** | Are payment, language, checkout and service tailored to the market? |
| **4. Clarify tax and customs** | EU or non-EU? Are OSS, VAT, import model and responsibilities clarified? |
| **5. Define delivery and returns** | Which carriers, delivery options and returns options do customers expect? |
| **6. Connect your processes** | Can data, tracking, customs, returns and reporting be managed centrally? |
| **7. Measure profitability** | Are you tracking conversion, contribution margin, shipping, returns and repeat purchases by market? |

## Conclusion: new markets should add volume, not standalone solutions

Expanding across Europe is about much more than shipping.

Austria shows that even a market that is close in language and regulation has its own payment and delivery requirements. In France, Points Relais are an integral part of the customer journey. Italy is moving strongly towards wallets and out-of-home delivery. Switzerland combines strong cross-border demand with customs, Swiss VAT and very local expectations for payment and delivery. And in Great Britain, VAT, the import model, delivery and returns have had to be considered together since Brexit.

At the same time, retailers do not need separate structures to meet all these requirements.

**A scalable multi-market setup centralises what can be centralised and localises what needs to be localised.**

Retailers can launch in one market or several at once, and sell through their own shop, through marketplaces or both. What matters is that each new market does not create yet another technical and operational island.

That is where the real scaling effect comes from: **New markets bring additional demand and additional parcel volume, while existing technology and central processes continue to be used.**

## Frequently asked questions about selling in several European markets

### Which market is best as a first foreign market?

There is no single best first market. For German retailers, Austria is often relatively easy to enter thanks to the shared language and the EU single market. What really matters, however, are existing demand, product range, order value, margins, local customer expectations and operational requirements.

A retailer with strong demand from Switzerland may therefore be better placed there, despite the additional customs complexity, than in a larger EU market with no existing demand.

### Do I have to start with one market or can I launch in several at once?

You can launch in several markets at the same time. A step-by-step approach makes sense mainly if you want to test demand, processes or internal resources first.

With exporto, retailers can start with one market, add more later or launch in several markets together from the outset.

### Should I enter a new market through my own shop or a marketplace?

That depends on your goal. Marketplaces offer existing reach, trust and demand. Your own shop gives you more control over your brand, data and customer journey.

A combination often works best: marketplaces build reach, while your own shop develops direct customer relationships in parallel.

### Do I need a separate warehouse for each market?

No. You do not need a warehouse in each destination country to ship cross-border.

With exporto, goods can stay in your existing warehouse. They are shipped from there to the target markets and handed over to local carriers for last-mile delivery.

### How does VAT work when selling to several EU countries?

For cross-border B2C distance sales within the EU, a common threshold of €10,000 generally applies. Above this threshold, VAT is due in the destination country. Retailers can report these sales and pay the VAT centrally through the Union OSS.

Local warehousing or other tax-relevant circumstances may still require additional registrations.

### How are Switzerland, Great Britain and Norway different from EU markets?

These markets have a customs border with the EU. In addition to VAT, retailers also need to define the import process.

Switzerland has its mail-order rule, among other things. Great Britain applies the £135 rule to certain B2C shipments. Norway uses the VOEC scheme for goods worth less than NOK 3,000 per item.

### Why do local carriers matter?

Customers judge not only delivery speed but also trust, delivery options, tracking and flexibility. In Switzerland, for example, 65% prefer Swiss Post; in France, Points Relais are particularly well established.

The carrier is therefore part of the customer experience, not just a transport provider.

### At what volume does a full-service provider make sense?

There is no general minimum volume. What matters are the target markets, operational complexity, services and total volume.

For exporto, a guideline of around **3,000 shipments per year in the first connected market** applies. Further markets can be added with lower volumes of their own or launched together from the outset.

With several markets, retailers should therefore look not only at each country’s volume in isolation but also at the combined total volume and the potential operational synergies.

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### Comments

### About the Author

![Image of Katharina Knoop](https://mag.exporto.de/hs-fs/hubfs/Author-Katharina-Knoop-002-exporto.png?height=80&name=Author-Katharina-Knoop-002-exporto.png)

#### Katharina Knoop

As Senior Marketing Manager for exporto GmbH, Katharina Knoop is coordinating the planning, production and publication of content relating to all aspects of cross-border e-commerce for over 4 years.

### Cross-border Insights direkt in Ihr Postfach

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In our blog, you can find exciting insights on current topics related to cross-border e-commerce.

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---

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