eBay said this week that retail chain-store Target is using its Global Shipping Program to reach international shoppers. It tweeted the news, linking to an article published in Target’s hometown newspaper, the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
The newspaper reported that after Target’s failed expansion into Canada, the retailer is using online channels to expand internationally, including the use of eBay GSP as well as a new international website.
It appears The Star actually broke the news last week, writing, “Target doesn’t seem to have made a big splash about it yet,” referring to Target’s new international site. “You need to know the website address to find it, but fans of the brand are sharing it on Facebook.”
The Star Tribune explains that the new international site at intl.target.com is powered by Borderfree. “Target knows there’s an appetite for its cheap-chic apparel, housewares, and health and beauty products outside of the United States. The company says it gets more than 50 million visits to Target.com every year from people in other countries. But until recently, they haven’t been able to purchase items from Target online.”
Target began a pilot with the eBay Global Shipping Program in November 2014 to make 200,000 products available to shoppers in the UK. And in June, it began expanding that test to the 64 countries in the GSP program.
The newspaper quoted Target’s Chief Innovation Officer Casey Carl saying, “Already we’ve learned that China loves our Legos and that guests in Europe are willing to pay much higher shipping fees for hard-to-find products.”
eBay’s Global Shipping Program has been controversial among its small longtime sellers and, according to a report in the Stamford Advocate, among some international buyers who claim the service charges too much for shipping, customs duties and handling.
