UKTI launches exporting package

UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) has launched an exporting package of support to help British retailers and brands “sell while they sleep” to boost their international trade. The ‘e-Exporting Programme’, announced by trade minister Lord

Livingston at trade show Autumn Fair at Birmingham NEC, has been developed to help businesses of all sizes from across the UK to take advantage of online selling, which is forecast to reach 60 billion pounds by 2018.

The programme aims to ensure that UK companies are best placed to tap into the huge opportunities that exist online and help them grow e-commerce overseas. The growth of technology has dramatically changed consumers’ purchasing habits with Britons now spending approximately 91 billion pounds a year online making the UK one of the world’s leading e-commerce countries.

The UKTI has detailed information for more than 400 of the world’s e-marketplaces, including Tmall China, Amazon China, Japanese e-commerce platform Rakuten and Harper’s Bazaar, which are presented as a cost-effective way for companies, particularly small and medium-sized business to increase their reach in terms of both numbers and geography.

It is hoped that the programme will encourage UK exporters to push forward with their sales strategies to tap into overseas markets.

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 three 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. UK products are great – it’s time to take them to the world.”

UKTI launches ‘e-Exporting Programme’ to support international trade

The ‘e-Exporting Programme’ follows a pilot in November 2013 that introduced British companies to Chinese e-marketplaces including Tmall, Jumei and Asos China. Since the pilot more than 100 UK brands have launched in China through an e-marketplace, including Karen Millen and Cath Kidston.

It is hoped that the full launch of the exporting plan by the UKTI will help approximately 50,000 UK companies to establish online trade channels.

Head of international business development for Debenhams John Scott added: “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 its sales, reach out to customers through their chosen channel and future proof their business model.”

The ‘e-Exporting Programme’ is a continuation of the UK government’s commitment to get more British businesses trading online and meet the UK trade ambition of 1 trillion pounds by 2020. The programme follows UKTI’s ‘Grow Online, Expand Worldwide’ campaign that was launched late last year by Business Secretary Vince Cable.

Image: UKTI