Your Amazon business is succeeding in the North American Amazon Marketplace. Now, new year means new business goals. Have you thought about expanding internationally on Amazon to accelerate sales growth and reach new customers? Some brands, such as Bling Jewelry, have doubled their sales by expanding across 10 Amazon marketplaces. But there are many risks and factors to consider from sales and value added taxes (VAT), inventory, shipping, mastering a new keyword language, choosing the right country and market. Let’s walk-through these considerations together.

1. Your First Steps to
Amazon’s Global Marketplace
Considerations before Expanding Your Amazon Business to International Marketplaces in 2019

2. Today’s Logistics
● Session Recording & Slides Will Be Sent Out
● Submit Questions to Our Panelists
● Resources Available as Handouts
● Join in the Poll Question!
Analicia Santaella
Webinar Coordinator

3. Overview
Founded in 2007
Google Premier Partner
500+ Active Retail Clients
Top 50 Fastest Growing Company San Diego
D E L I V E R I N G
L A S T I N G
R E S U L T S F O R O U R
C L I E N T S
Solutions
Retail-focused PPC & Shopping
Amazon Sales Acceleration
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Creative Services
About CPC Strategy

4. Today’s Speakers
Samantha Blush
Marketplace Channel
Analyst
Leo Carrillo III
Marketplace Channels
Manager
Sacha Wilson
Director Tax Technology Solutions
EMEA
Carina McLeod
CEO & Amazon Retail
Consultant

5. About
● Disrupting the status quo of global tax
management since 2004
● Provide a fast, easy and accurate way
to manage transactional tax
calculation, registrations and filing
● Connects to your Amazon data among
600+ other eCommerce and
accounting platforms
● Our cloud-based tax automation
helps businesses of all sizes to:
○ Achieve Compliance
○ Reduce Risk
○ Streamline Processes

6. About eCommerce Nurse
● Amazon consulting agency for sellers & vendors
● Work with brands in Europe and North America
● Started in 2013 as one consultant and
expanded in 2017
● Team of ex-Amazonians
● Experience in marketing, advertising,
copywriting, vendor and seller management
● Founded Vendor Society, content and support
site for Amazon vendors

7. ● Benefits & Challenges of Amazon International Expansion
● Differences across Foreign Marketplaces
● First Steps to Selling Internationally
● Overview of the Amazon Global Selling
● Registration Value Added & Sales Tax
● Advertising Strategies & Considerations
● Q&A
Today’s Agenda

8. POLL QUESTION
Are you selling in Amazon European Markets?

9. Why Expand into Amazon Europe?

10. Top Benefits of International Expansion
1. Reach millions of new customers
2. Access 5 new markets with one account
3. Sell across 28 European countries
4. Sell in less saturated markets
5. Requires limited investment

11. Challenges to Amazon International Expansion

12. Challenges to Anticipate & Plan for
1. Language barriers
2. Localization
3. Product compliance
4. Logistics
5. Sales tax (VAT)
● Work with a native translator to write product
content and manage customer interaction.
● Localize all content specific to that marketplace,
same language different meaning.
● Review country specific laws, EU directives, CE
marking, labelling, and product restrictions.
● Find a freight forwarder to manage international
shipping and customs. Decide how to handle orders.
● Understand tax obligations, register for VAT where
required.
Challenge Plan of Action

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Other Considerations

14. Shipping & Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA)
1. European Fulfillment Network (EFN)
2. Pan European FBA
3. Multi-Country Inventory (MCI)
4. Seller Fulfilled

15. Further Considerations
1. Customer support
2. Product returns
3. International payments
Challenge Plan of Action
● Provide support to customers in their own local
language.
● Must have a returns process in the
marketplace where inventory is stored.
● Factor in different currencies and foreign
exchange costs.

16. What Are the First Steps?

17. Reviewing the Amazon Global Selling Program
1. Decide where and what to sell
2. Review selling criteria/obligations
3. Create a seller account in the chosen market
4. List products
5. Select fulfilment method
6. Ship inventory to chosen marketplace(s)

18. Breaking Down International Finances

19. What is VAT?
VAT is an indirect or transaction tax that is levied on the sale of goods and services
● VAT was first introduced by France in 1954, now used in over 140 countries
● Highly efficient taxation mechanism that puts the onus on companies to collect and remit taxes
on behalf of the tax authorities
● Although it is levied throughout the value chain VAT is ultimately a tax on the end consumer
● VAT in Europe is governed by the 2006/112 Directive but legislated for at a member state level

20. VAT Rates and Product Taxability Explained
VAT Rates
● VAT is an ad-valorem tax or
Value Added Tax (calculated as a
percentage of the value of the supply)
● Standard VAT rates vary widely from about
7% in Singapore to 27% in Hungary but
the average standard rate across the 28
EU member states is around 20%
● The EU permits a ZERO and a REDUCED
RATE for certain items
● Some types of transactions can be
EXEMPT from VAT, such as financial
transactions
Product Taxability

21. When an overseas seller needs to register for VAT
● When shipping orders from US to EU customers - depends on Importer of Record:
○ Customer = no need to register for VAT
○ Seller = will need to register for VAT
■ Responsible for Customs Duties / Import VAT
■ But, can reclaim Import VAT back
● Once you sell to EU customers from inventory stored in EU (e.g. FBA)
● Once you breach distance selling thresholds from one EU member State to others
○ E.g. goods stored in a Dutch warehouse and shipped to other EU customers
○ Distance Sales Thresholds are £35,000 in most countries except £70,000 in UK and
£100,000 in Germany, Netherlands and Luxembourg.

22. Process of VAT Registration and Filing
● Register for VAT- varies by EU country
○ Registration takes 2-6 weeks average
○ Need company info, proof of ID, etc
● Charge VAT on the things you sell
○ Once you have your VAT registration number
○ Need to be able to issue a VAT invoice to a customer if requested
● Reclaim the VAT on most things you buy
○ If you make EU purchases and pay VAT, you can claim these back on your VAT Return
● Submit VAT Returns to the Tax Authority
○ Take the VAT-you-charge-on-the-things-you-sell LESS the VAT-you-have-paid-on-the-things-you-buy...
then pay the difference to tax authority (e.g. HMRC for UK)
○ Can be monthly or quarterly
○ Could also be required to file Intrastat, EC Sales Lists, and other country specific filings

23. VAT Services on Amazon

24. Copyright 2017 - Q4 Amazon Virtual Summit
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Use this slide for bulleted topics
● In odio dolor proin montes ad ac.
Parturient nisl sit purus egestas
● ut condimentum ut voluptate
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● Sodales magna amet orci posuere,
lectus id, fermentum sed bibendum
vitae est tristique odio, erat aptent
justo.
Getting to Know the International Audiences

25. Evolution of Amazon’s European Expansion
2010 2017
Source: Citi Research, Amazon.com (N.B. 2017 locations based on job vacancies posted on Amazon.com on June 30, 2017
● In 2016, Germany & UK
accounted for >17% of
Amazon's total sales
● Prime Now is available in parts
of the UK, France, Germany,
Italy, & Spain
● Prime is available in the UK,
France, Germany, and Italy

26. The Top European Amazon Marketplaces
4

27. Other European Marketplaces to Consider

28. Advertising Abroad

29. Key Differences Advertising Abroad
● Demand
● Search volume
● Cost-per-click
○ Averages lower in European markets
● Keywords
● Ad types not supported:
○ Product Attribute Targeting
○ Enhanced Automatic Targeting
○ Display Product Ads
○ Self Service DSP

30. Advertising Checklist
● Product Detail Page
○ Is your listing optimized for a conversion in
the international market?
○ Ensure your bullets, images, EBC, product
description integrates
● Ad Copy
○ A/B test English & country’s native language
● Competitors
○ Less competition in European markets vs.
American
○ Research the competitors in your new market

31. ● Set up Auto Campaigns to harvest keywords in native language
● Review Search Term Reports from your US campaigns
○ Carry over high-performing keywords for campaigns and content
● Keyword research
○ Best if done by a native speaker
○ If not, third-party tools such as Helium10
● Be mindful of differences in linguistics:
Learning a New Keyword Language
Cookie
=
Biscuit
Sink
=
Basin
Vacuum
=
Hoover
Trashcan
=
Dustbin
Pants
=
Chinos/Trousers

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Schedule Your 1-1
Amazon Advertising
Strategy Evaluation

33. Questions for Today’s Speakers
Samantha Blush
Marketplace Channel
Analyst
Leo Carrillo III
Marketplace Channels
Manager
Sacha Wilson
Director Tax Technology Solutions
EMEA
Carina McLeod
CEO & Amazon Retail
Consultant