Shipping provider DHL is partnering with ecommerce platform BigCommerce in a move that is geared toward helping US brands send goods to international customers.
The tie-up, announced this week, will provide B2C and B2B brands that use BigCommerce to set up and manage an online store with access to the following:
- Discounted rates from DHL Express, a service that reaches 220 countries and territories.
- Logistics professionals who can assist with the ins and outs of shipping internationally, and identifying new growth opportunities in world markets.
- DHL’s on-demand delivery tool, which provides customers with notifications and offers flexible delivery options.
"As the needs of small startups, mid-market businesses and large enterprises continue to evolve and heighten, we will be able to further support B2B and B2C BigCommerce merchants by offering quick, reliable and expedited shipments that will help maximize their cross-border potential,” said Greg Hewitt, CEO at DHL Express in a statement.
The takeaway: Brands that work with platforms like BigCommerce can often plug into opportunities to offer services from carriers for delivery. DHL itself is already offered through Amazon, Shopify and WooCommerce. With this move, BigCommerce is adding an offer that provides a way to reach other countries, as well as a wider array of services.
Going global: Providing international growth has been a growing focus of ecommerce providers as they look to help brands capitalize on opportunities in other countries. Up to a certain level, there is opportunity to expand that
doesn’t require standing up physical operations across borders. In other recent partnerships, Shopify
recently released a suite of tools, called Shopify Markets Pro, to provide management of international business necessities like compliance, conversions and shipping. In June, Global-e
acquired the cross-border commerce business Borderfree, which localizes domestic websites for specific countries. In turn, Pitney Bowes is now providing cross-border ecommerce logistics for Global-e clients. For its part, DHL has looked to invest in its network in recent years to meet ecommerce demand, and the partnership announced this week is one sign of its capabilities.
