PODCAST: How to streamline global expansion through Amazon
"If your brand isn't currently selling on Amazon... I don't know why it's not", says Gray, director of business development at the startup firm which helps brands expand oversees with its automated regulatory compliance tool.
Speaking to Nikki Hancocks, Editor of NutraIngredients Europe, in this podcast Gray explains that many brands are nervous about getting onto Amazon but he said it's less complicated than many think and the rewards are huge.
"Amazon Germany is even bigger than Amazon UK so if you are a UK brand currently only selling in the UK, even if you just went to Germany, that's a huge opportunity for you.
"Likewise, if you are a German brand only selling in Germany you can almost double your sales by launching in the UK.
"The other exciting thing about Amazon in Europe is they are only about 10% of ecommerce sales... they haven't got to that saturation point like they have in America where they are like 40% of ecommerce sales.
"So the growth opportunity on Amazon in Europe is absolutely huge."
Discussing the nutraceuticals sector specifically, he says this market is behind others in terms of the number of brands currently using the platform, and this makes it an even bigger opportunity.
"When you search for a product on Amazon, especially in the vitamins and minerals category, the products that come to the top, broadly speaking are top selling products on the site, but they're not necessarily products you're used to seeing as consumers.
"That suggests to me there's a massive opportunity for the brands doing well domestically in brick and mortar to get on Amazon and accelerate their growth locally and across Europe."
He explains that Amazon has a 'European fulfilment network' with which they try to make it as easy as possible for brands to grow internationally.
Part of that network is their partnership with Rubicon Bridge. This allows the brand to input their product formulations, automatically check them for compliance in the six major European marketplaces and automatically generate the mandatory copy needed for those six market places.
Gray explains: "It removes hurdles and timeframes and indeed the investment that used to be required - it's a complete game changer in that regard."
