Getting your products into an international retailer is an exciting accomplishment and opens up your sales opportunities to a whole new global market! Preparing to do business internationally, however, poses a set of challenges for your brand that you must take into account when pursuing and working with these retailers. Learn which elements of your products and brand you need to consider when preparing to do business with international retailers.
Packaging
When expanding to international retailers, you want to ensure that all elements of your product packaging translate to whatever country or region you are expanding to — literally. When it comes to any language differences, consider whether you need or want to translate any part of your packaging, branding, or product information. Additionally, you need to make sure that your packaging meets any specific requirements that other countries or retailers may have.
Need help updating your packaging? Check out these service providers who specialize in packaging design.
Labeling
In conjunction with any updates to your product packaging, you must also consider labeling when going global. Certain countries, locations, or retailers may have different expectations and laws when it comes to labeling products, especially regarding ingredients and nutrition labels. For example, Canada is in the process of making updates to its nutrition label requirements, so a non-Canadian food or beverage brand would need to take these changes into account when planning to do business with a Canadian retailer.
Be sure to do your research when expanding to international retailers so your labels are compliant with any mandates and you’re ready for retail.
Need help updating your labeling? Check out these service providers who specialize in labeling.
Distribution
A major factor to consider when bringing your products to an international market is your distribution. When a retailer in another country decides to source your products, they will need to know which distributors you work with and your distribution capabilities. For some retailers, it’s required that you work with certain distributors in their country or distribute to that specific location. Not all retailers require you to work with a particular distributor, however, and some retailers will be happy to work with you to expand your distribution and get your products in their stores.
These details will be worked out between you and the retailer, but either way, it’s extremely important for international retailers to see which distributors you work with on your RangeMe profile, so be sure your product profiles are up to date with your list of distributors. Learn how to update your product distribution information on RangeMe here.
Insurance
Finally, you need to have the right kind of insurance when working with international retailers. Insurance requirements can vary from country to country, and because insurance is such a vital part of being able to do business with retailers, it’s especially necessary that you have the correct insurance types based on retail location. For example, if you are bringing products to market in the U.S. and you operate in another country, you can create a U.S. entity of your brand and obtain U.S. insurance, or you can get insurance in your own country that has “no U.S. exclusion.”
Because different countries have different rules when it comes to business insurance, it’s important to be familiar with the specific insurance requirements of the international market you are entering.
Need help updating your insurance? Check out these service providers on RangeMe who specialize in insurance.
As retail becomes increasingly global, make sure you’re prepared to do business with international retailers by considering any strategic updates you may need for packaging, labeling, distribution, and insurance when expanding to new markets.
If you need assistance with your product packaging, labeling, or insurance, you can use RangeMe Services to find a qualified service provider who can help you get ready to work with international retailers and grow your business.