The international market presents unprecedented growth opportunities. But, brands and retailers looking to scale globally face key hurdles to global growth. By leveraging technology, your business can develop an effective international market expansion strategy without sacrificing the quality and efficiency that the luxury consumer experience demands. 

With FARFETCH Platform Solutions (FPS), solutions to common challenges—like localized customer service and digital marketing—are tailored to fit your business’ specific needs as you grow your global e-commerce. Together, we can chart your international growth by unlocking better data, seamless logistics, and relating more authentically with your consumers. 

1. Target Consumers Beyond Your Key Market

How do you target an audience in another country? Expanding into broader territories can feel risky, especially in locations where Google is not the dominant search platform. While driving brand visibility is the goal no matter where you’re focusing your business, effectively activating and managing tactics like paid search, social outreach, or local affiliate partnerships in markets like South Korea and Japan presents unique challenges to address and solve. 

FPS navigates these unfamiliar waters for and with your business. Our award-winning Digital Marketing Team that makes up our Demand Generation service operates as an in-house data and analytics agency that brings expert-level localization to your digital marketing. as an in-house digital marketing agency to bring an expert-level approach to your expansion strategy. Backed up by data and analytics, our team are skilled to know the relevant channels and language required to create campaigns that resonate with your target audience.

For American designer Thom Browne, working with FPS led to revenue from international orders nearly tripling from 27% in year one to 72% in year four. By launching paid marketing campaigns that seamlessly align with your SEO strategy and tailoring your CRM to each market, this cross-channel approach allows you to do more than just reach your audience. Together, we work to authentically connect you with your customers at every stage of their retail journey.

2. Establish Consumer Connections in China

China is a benchmark of a company’s international growth. But, unlocking the realities of daily operations and the intricacies of the market present their own set of struggles. And extensive groundwork is required for a brand to establish a social and commercial presence with Chinese consumers. 

What is China localization and how does it work? Take, for example, ever-changing compliance and regulation issues as you prepare to enter this region. Using strategic partnerships and connections—like the ones FPS has spent years cultivating—our deep knowledge of local social and shopping platforms breaks down communication barriers in China. FPS’ China Localization team helps brands configure WeChat Mini-Programs, activate on Tmall, and leverage our long-standing partnership with Alibaba. Whether it’s a native app you are looking to build or strong PR outreach, amplify your message and engage your customer with impact. Benefit from influencer outreach and amplification campaigns that drive results in local markets, all through our partner CuriosityChina.

3. Deliver a Localized Brand Experience 

Internal communications teams carefully craft every element of your brand’s copy—from social posts to email campaigns—to convey a unified message. But, upholding brand values and vernacular through translations is labor-intensive and cumbersome. As your partner, the FPS Site Localization team brings your brand’s elevated tone of voice and luxury perspective to life—regardless of language. 

The challenge of meeting your brand’s communication standards coupled with the demands of scaling is solved by our proprietary AI software deployed across your site. This software is rich in translation experience due to years of machine learning from translating pages on Farfetch.com. 

A one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work for your business or budget, so to best suit your needs we offer a range of different translation and localization services. We’ve helped brands to meet newly-identified demand in countries like China and Korea with our website localization, leading to exponential growth in international orders and revenue.

Oversight by our fashion literate human editor combined with our AI software means that each piece of content is reviewed for grammatical accuracy and tone of voice alignment thoroughly. The breadth of the FPS toolkit is at your fingertips, allowing you to tap into translations quickly and effectively. 

4. Fulfill International Orders Efficiently

Luxury consumers in any location expect an effortless and transparent online experience—one without unexpected duties and taxes. Being able to seamlessly incorporate these costs is essential. Logistics by FPS checks that box. FPS’ calculator tool determines duties and taxes upfront, integrating them on the front end throughout the entire consumer journey wherever possible.

With the FPS International Checkout, our localized checkout experience, global payments are managed, and shoppers see prices in their local currency and copy in their language—another way of building brand loyalty and trust. 

Checkout is just the beginning for Logistics by FPS. Once the order is placed, brands plug into the FPS international carrier network to fulfill their order with competitive rates pre-negotiated by FARFETCH.  

Leverage your stock via global warehouses through FPS Fulfillment in locations like the Netherlands, Hong Kong, and the United States to optimize order allocation with faster shipping and a reduced carbon footprint. And if your business has numerous international warehouses, FPS seamlessly integrates with them to pull stock, update inventory lists and process orders. Based on our own expertise at farfetch.com, we’re able to unlock your international shipping to 190 destinations and open new inventory locations so orders are fulfilled from the most suitable location.

Are global returns a pain point? As part of our logistics module, Logistics by FPS offers your consumers the convenience of self-serve returns. We take care of the administrative work involved with customs for international returns allowing you to deliver an end-to-end luxury experience throughout the consumer journey. 

5. Provide Quality Customer Service Globally

The global footprint of online shoppers makes it hard for brands to meet their needs in real-time without chatbots or losing your brand’s unique point of view. FPS Localized Customer Service acts as an extension of your brand and they’re trained in your tone of voice and immersed in your brand values and history. Together, we’ll make sure you have the resources and capabilities to offer truly global customer service at the level your luxury buyer expects.

Remember the local language offerings we highlighted earlier? They extend to brand website live chats, phone hours, and email correspondence—all from optimized time zones that allow you to offer a tailored experience. And while it’s important to understand details surrounding this season’s inventory, our highly-trained team also follows your predetermined plan for case escalation should an issue arise. 

As a partner, we offer a bespoke suite of solutions and services designed to help you thrive in the luxury marketplace and shape the future of luxury retail. To make this the year your business taps into new markets and works towards globalization, reach out to FPS. Unlock the future of luxury new retail today. 

Interested in learning more? Discover the full breadth of our platform, solutions, and services here.