Member Article

Online exporting package to be launched by Government

UK Businesses will have access to a new suite of services to help boost their international trade through UKTI’s new e-Exporting Programme.

Trade Minister Lord Livingston will launch the government support package on Monday 8 September 2014 at the Autumn Fair at the NEC in Birmingham.

The new services are intended to support UK companies take advantage of online selling, forecast to reach £60 billion by 2018.

UKTI has detailed information for more than 400 of the world’s e-marketplaces, to help companies plan their sales strategies

UKTI’s new e-Exporting Programme has been created to ensure UK companies are best placed to tap into the huge opportunities that exist online.

The growth of technology has dramatically changed consumers’ purchasing habits with Britons now spending approximately £91 billion a year online making the UK one of the world’s leading e-commerce countries.

UKTI is working with a number of international e-marketplaces including Tmall China, Amazon China, Japanese e-commerce platform Rakuten and Harper’s Bazaar.

Operating through these e-marketplaces presents a ‘cost-effective’ way for companies – particularly small and medium-sized businesses – to increase their reach in terms of both numbers and geography.

The programme encourages UK exporters to reach out to the generation of digitally-capable consumers who are increasingly influenced through online channels.

The programme is the first of its kind in the world – UKTI is the only organisation to hold the operational information of global B2C and B2B e-marketplaces with the central aim of using the information to revolutionise exporting.

Trade Minister Lord Livingston said: “The UK leads the world in cross-border online sales, but there is still much more we can do to help British business seize this huge opportunity with forecasts of 3 billion online consumers in just 3 years.

“Trading online is a great way to start exporting to a new country, enhance distribution in an exciting market and effectively sell while you sleep.

“This is why we are launching the UKTI e-Exporting Programme to help businesses thrive abroad in some of the world’s largest markets.”

Head of international business development for Debenhams John Scott said: “Debenhams has worked closely with UKTI and is glad to see government react to how digital has transformed the retail sector with the e-Exporting Programme.

“We encourage more British brands to engage with online channels as Debenhams has done in order to increase their sales, reach out to customers through their chosen channel and future proof their business model.”

The e-Exporting Programme is a continuation of the government’s commitment to get more UK businesses trading online and meet the UK trade ambition of £1 trillion by 2020.

The programme follows UKTI’s ‘Grow Online, Expand Worldwide’ campaign that was launched late last year by Business Secretary Vince Cable.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Clare Burnett .