What do US shoppers look for when buying cross-border?

With stable infrastructure and a long history of global trading, the US is an appealing prospect for any business.

As a result of high internet penetration, shoppers in the world’s largest economy are more willing than ever to shop internationally; B2C e-commerce sales reached $522 billion in 2018 and more and more Americans are buying cross-border.

Tech-savvy American shoppers are typically open-minded, relatively affluent and happy to spend time and money online; events like Cyber Monday alone generated $7.7 billion last year.

What do American shoppers expect from e-commerce?

As a large and well-established region, the US market can be highly competitive; the most visited e-commerce sites are marketplaces Amazon, eBay and Craigslist. From dealing with e-commerce giants such as Amazon and eBay, US consumers expect first-rate customer service. Handling returns, refunds and deliveries smoothly is a must for any e-commerce business targeting the US.

American consumers are comfortable making digital payments; 62% prefer using credit cards, 58% like online payment services such as PayPal and Amazon, and 47% pay using direct debit. As such, US online shoppers expect a professional, easy-to-use and secure website is a must to gain consumer trust, while services such as regular delivery updates can help build that rapport.

42% of American shoppers opt for economy delivery services, with just 7% choosing next-day or same-day and only 9% will pick up items in store. US consumers are reluctant to pay a premium for faster delivery; they’re happy to wait.

For more information on the US e-commerce market, visit our webpage that’s dedicated to this exciting destination.

Offer quick, reliable delivery straight to the shopper’s door for a reasonable cost and American shoppers are likely to return time and again.