Possible problems of international shipping, and how to mitigate.
Shopping abroad can be an exciting way to access unique items that are not available in the country, but shipping costs are often a significant obstacle. When ship internationally, it is not uncommon for shipping costs or unforeseen expenses to make the overall price significantly higher than anticipated. Various factors such as customs duties, import taxes, or additional handling fees can contribute to these higher costs, turning a simple purchase into a costly investment. This begs the question, how can we save money and shop internationally for our favorite brands? By understanding the discount system, it is possible to anticipate and reduce many of these fees by combining them with cheap international shipping.
Sales promotions and their types
What are sales promotions?
Sales promotions are marketing campaign activities designed to increase demand for a product or service in the short term. Their purpose is to attract attention, encourage purchase, and retain customers by offering temporary benefits or bonuses. Such campaigns provide instant benefits, making customers want to buy faster or choose that particular brand. Let’s take a look at the popular types.
Types of benefits for users
Promotions and Seasonal Discounts
Seasonal sales and promotions are often timed to coincide with holidays and special dates when demand for certain categories of goods increases. Seasonal discounts help stores increase sales during certain times of the year and allow customers to purchase desirable items at a reduced price. Black Friday and Cyber Monday are the most famous sales in the United States and other countries, when major retailers such as Best Buy and Walmart offer significant discounts on electronics, clothing, and appliances on that day.
Subscription Discounts
Subscription programs have become popular because of the benefits they offer for a small monthly or annual fee. These include free shipping, access to exclusive discounts, bonuses, and even early access to sales. For active shoppers, these programs can significantly reduce costs and provide access to additional benefits. Examples are Amazon Prime and Walmart+. These subscriptions cost money, but through them, you get access to unique offers and services.
Coupons and Promo Codes
Coupons and promo codes are unique codes that customers can use to get discounts at checkout. They can be found on discount aggregator sites, company newsletters, or even social media. An example of this approach is the British online store ASOS or Amazon.
Loyalty Programs and Accumulative Points
Loyalty programs allow customers to accumulate points for purchases, which can then be redeemed for discounts, gifts, or free products. This incentivizes loyal customers to come back and shop again. Stores like Sephora and Kmart have been using this system for a long time.
Bulk Discounts
Many stores offer discounts on items purchased in large quantities. The more items a customer buys, the lower the cost per unit. This approach is convenient for those who want to start a business. Costco and Sam’s Club give the best wholesale prices on many items, from groceries to household chemicals.
Cashback programs
Unlike traditional discounts, cashback offers the shopper a unique opportunity to “payback” a portion of the funds while maintaining a sense of full value for the product or service. Usually, it is a percentage of the purchase amount, which comes to the buyer’s account either in the form of cash or in the form of points applicable to future purchases. There are special applications that cooperate with well-known stores.
Useful tools for finding benefits
CamelCamelCamel
An extension that will be very useful for online shopping on Amazon’s website, because it adds additional features. Users can easily track the price trends of the items they are interested in, receive notifications of price reductions, and see a full price chart. This not only saves money but also allows you to make more informed buying decisions. The intuitive interface makes its use easy and accessible even for those who are not experienced shoppers.
Honey
Also, a browser extension that allows you to monitor prices, but in addition it monitors a large number of sources for coupons. Thanks to this tool, users can be sure that they will not miss any opportunity to save money by receiving notifications of the best deals and discounts in real-time.
SlickDeals
Unlike the previous examples, this site is unique. It is based on a community where users themselves find interesting offers and post for different categories. The site provides an opportunity to discuss and evaluate offers, which helps to identify reliable sources for shopping. Together with cheap international delivery, you can save enough money to buy something else.
Rakuten
This cashback platform allows users to get some of the money they spend back for purchases at partner online stores. After registering, users select a store on the Rakuten website or app and make a purchase through the platform. The amount of cashback is automatically credited to their account and can range from 1% to 10% of the purchase amount. The essence of its work is very simple: well-known retailers pay money to attract customers, and those in turn share part of this money with you, which allows you to enjoy 3 parties at once.
Conclusion
Discounts and various promotions are a powerful tool to attract customers and the most important thing is to take advantage of this opportunity, especially if you deliver goods with the help of international shippers. Skillful use of relevant services can significantly reduce your costs. This article presents only a small selection of useful apps, but even these can significantly improve your shopping experience. Don’t forget to explore other available tools.
