Let’s be real: selling into Europe sounds like a dream. Gorgeous customers with excellent taste, booming eCommerce markets, and the chance to say “international brand” without exaggerating on your pitch deck.
But here’s the rub - Europe is beautiful, complex, and full of rules. And when you’re a US-based eCommerce brand looking to grow, that complexity can feel like a full-time job in itself. That’s where we come in.
This guide breaks down the most common hurdles (hello, VAT), gives you the tools to streamline fulfilment across multiple countries, and shares how to make your brand feel like a local favourite - even from across the pond.
Before we get into the nuts, bolts, and border taxes, let’s quickly touch on why this move makes sense for US eCommerce brands.
Here’s the first thing to wrap your head around: Europe is not the United States with an accent. It’s not even the United Anything. Selling in Europe means navigating multiple languages, laws, currencies, and consumer behaviors.
Still worth it? Absolutely. But only if you plan smart and partner wisely.
Ah, VAT. Europe’s favourite three-letter acronym, and every US seller’s least favourite surprise.
Value Added Tax (VAT) is a sales tax that’s applied at every stage of the supply chain in most European countries. But unlike US sales tax, it’s baked into the price, so European shoppers expect to see a final price that includes tax.
Fail to register for VAT properly? Your goods might get stuck at customs, your customers might face surprise fees, or worse - you could face fines.
Top tip: Include duties and VAT at checkout where possible (known as DDP - Delivered Duty Paid). Nothing ruins customer trust faster than a surprise €40 bill when their order arrives.
One of the biggest mistakes we see US brands make? Thinking you can ship everything from your domestic warehouse and call it a day.
Spoiler: international customers aren’t willing to wait 3 weeks for shipping - especially not when Amazon delivers in two days.
At fulfilmentcrowd, we’ve helped US brands break into Europe without breaking a sweat. Our Netherlands-based fulfilment center is strategically placed to ship into the EU and UK quickly - plus, we handle all the messy stuff (looking at you, EORI numbers).
Need multi-site fulfilment? We’ve got the network to make it scalable. Need batch tracking, multi-language inserts, or branded packaging? That’s all in a day’s work.
You’ve cracked US copywriting. You know your audience. You’re witty, on-brand, and crushing your ad ROAS.
Now forget everything. Because Europe = new audiences, new norms, new rules.
And no - automatic translation won’t cut it. Invest in proper, culturally aware localization for:
Sarcasm might work wonders in New York, but it could fall flat (or worse, offend) in Frankfurt. Know your audience, and test your tone.
In the US, PayPal and credit cards are king. But in Europe?
Offering local payment methods dramatically reduces cart abandonment.
UK shoppers expect next-day. Germans want precision. French customers might be fine waiting a couple of days, but expect elegance and clarity.
Moral of the story? Talk to locals. Or better yet, work with people (like us) who already do.
Want to scare off European customers fast? Make them ship returns all the way back to the US.
Returns are a huge part of the customer journey in Europe, especially in fashion and lifestyle. And they expect them to be:
We help brands set up local returns in the EU and UK, with smart systems that track items, update your inventory in real time, and make the whole process less… annoying. Discover how to optimise your cross-border returns here.
The good news? fulfilmentcrowd’s platform is built to handle this. One dashboard. No switching tabs. No panic-searching your inbox for a tracking number from three weeks ago.
We integrate with Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce and more, giving you total visibility wherever your customers are.
You don’t need to be a massive enterprise to go global. But you do need the right mindset and support.
Here’s what we recommend:
Europe might feel like a maze of red tape, taxes, and tricky translations, but it’s also a massive opportunity. And with the right approach, you can make your mark without losing sleep (or customers).
At fulfilmentcrowd, we help US brands:
So if you're ready to take on Europe - without the drama - let’s talk.