American retailers who are struggling to sell their product to a domestic audience may want to look further afield, according to new research from e-commerce platform eShopworld. The solution provider reviewed the sales of U.S. retailers in international markets and found that footwear, apparel and sporting goods drove the highest growth.
EShopworld, which specializes in cross-border commerce, reports that footwear sales of U.S. brands on its platform grew by 60.2% in April and 106.6% in May, year over year. While footwear sales have significantly decreased in the U.S. market (FDRA reported a recent 100% decline year over year), this growth suggests there remains significant opportunity for American businesses that are able to support international commerce.
The different impacts of COVID-19 internationally has also created different consumer purchasing behaviors. The eShopworld report found that New Zealand, Israel and Ireland, countries where the pandemic has predominantly been contained, were consistently among the most high-performing markets for U.S. brands.
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“In a pandemic world, there is incredible opportunity beyond domestic channels, particularly for apparel,” said Tommy Kelly, CEO of eShopWorld. “As consumers around the globe turn to e-commerce in lieu of being able to go in-store, our data show that U.S. brands that are able to move quickly to deliver a localized e-commerce experience are seeing 300% to 400% growth in sales.”
In the Israeli market, U.S. brands on the eShopWorld platform saw an overall increase of 178% in April and 206% in May. In New Zealand, the growth was 168% in April and 207% in May. Other emerging markets in May included Mexico (with 258% growth), Chile (242%) and Singapore (214%), suggesting that there is widespread opportunity for these brands throughout the globe.
The research shows that new markets are emerging quickly and at high intensity. Mexico was not in the top 10 countries for growth in April, yet topped the list in May. For retailers to maximize their e-commerce revenue, it will be critical to be able to adapt their offerings quickly in order to meet rising demand where it can be found.
“The data show that a market that was hot one month may be outshone the following month, as the regional effects of the pandemic influence consumer behaviors,” said Kelly. “Now more than ever, U.S. retail brands must shift on a dime, be ready to enter new markets where demand is bubbling up and quickly establish relationships with new customers in each market to create long term advantage.”
