Sales tax is the United States’ tax on sales, and its particularity is that it is not national: it varies by state, county and even city. The obligation to collect it depends on “nexus”, the economic link your business has with each state (by sales volume or physical presence). Understanding in which states you have an obligation, at what rate, and configuring it correctly in your store is essential to operating without tax risk. It is one of the biggest differences from selling in Europe with VAT.
Expand Your Ecommerce
to the United States
The United States is the world’s largest ecommerce market and the expansion goal of countless international brands: an immense volume, a consumer used to buying online, and a strong appetite for brands with identity. But it is also one of the most competitive markets, with particularities of its own that catch out anyone who arrives unprepared, from state-by-state sales tax to the shipping expectations set by the Amazon standard.
At STRAT we help ecommerce brands expand to the United States, integrating paid media, email marketing and Shopify under a strategy adapted to the market’s demands.
Why it is worth selling in the United States
The United States is home to the largest ecommerce market on the planet, with a consumer who buys online with complete ease, a high average order value and an enormous openness to new brands. Product with a strong brand identity (fashion, beauty, gourmet food, design) has a distinctive appeal in a market that values the authentic and the premium, and international brands with a differentiated proposition are well received. On top of that, the payment, logistics and technology infrastructure is very mature, which makes it easier to operate once the particularities are resolved. It is a demanding and competitive market, but with a volume potential no other country matches.
Qué hay que saber para vender en Estados Unidos
Estados Unidos parece un mercado familiar, pero tiene particularidades que hay que dominar para no llevarse sorpresas. Es competido y exigente, y el consumidor tiene expectativas altas. Estos son los factores que hay que entender y resolver antes y durante la expansión.
Sales tax: the state-by-state tax
The most characteristic tax particularity, and the one that surprises people most. The United States does not have a national VAT, but a sales tax that varies by state, county and even city, and whose obligation depends on the concept of "nexus" (an economic link with each state). Understanding when you have an obligation to collect sales tax, in which states, and how to configure it correctly in your store is essential to operating without tax risk. It is one of the biggest particularities of the US market.
Logistics, customs and shipping expectations
The US consumer has shipping expectations set by the Amazon standard: fast and, ideally, free. Competing with cross-border international shipping can be a challenge in times and costs, which is why many brands consider local storage or fulfilment (3PL) as they grow. You have to define the logistics model, the inbound customs handling and the shipping policy well, so as to meet expectations without destroying the margin.
Payment methods
The market is dominated by the credit card and digital wallets (Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal), with very high adoption of buy-now-pay-later solutions like Affirm, Afterpay or Klarna, especially at mid and high order values. Offering the methods the consumer expects, including instalment payment, is important to maximise conversion in a market where consumer credit is very normalised.
Competition and acquisition cost
The United States is one of the most competitive and expensive advertising markets in the world. Acquisition costs on Meta and Google are among the highest anywhere, and competing requires a clear value proposition, very solid creatives and very fine profitability management. Entering without measuring the real POAS and without clear differentiation is the fast track to burning budget. Efficiency in acquisition is more critical here than in any other market.
Legal framework and consumer protection
The United States has a demanding legal framework on consumer protection, privacy (with regulations like California's), returns policies and product liability. The US consumer's returns expectations are high (easy, free returns are almost a standard), and policies must adapt to that reality to compete.
Cultural and market particularities
The US consumer responds to direct, benefit-driven communication and to social proof. Reviews, testimonials and ratings carry an enormous weight in the buying decision. On top of that, it is a huge, diverse market, with notable regional differences. Adapting the message, the (American) English and the value proposition to local expectations is key to connecting.
Why expand to the United States with STRAT?
We are not a generalist agency that also dabbles in internationalisation. We work exclusively with ecommerce and have supported brands in their expansion to the United States, with real knowledge of its particularities: we know how to manage sales tax by state, compete in the world’s most expensive advertising market and adapt the buying experience to the demands of the US consumer.
We apply that experience with a team officially certified by Meta, Google, Shopify, Klaviyo and Omnisend, integrating acquisition, retention and technology into a single strategy adapted to the market. In a market this competitive and expensive, measuring every decision in POAS is not an option, it is the only way to scale without losing money.
How we help your brand sell
in the United States
We apply to your US expansion the three pillars that define an ecommerce's growth, adapted to the demands of the world's most competitive market. We do not manage isolated channels, we build a complete system of acquisition, retention and conversion designed to compete in the United States.
Paid Media for the US market
We design and manage campaigns on Meta Ads (Facebook and Instagram), Google Ads and TikTok Ads adapted to an expensive, competitive market: a differentiated value proposition, high-level creatives, very fine profitability management and an absolute focus on the real POAS. In a market where acquisition cost is high, efficiency and differentiation are the key to scaling without losing money. We tune the strategy to the high competitive level of the United States.
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Email Marketing and Retention
We build the retention channel with Klaviyo and Omnisend adapted to the US market: flows in American English, adaptation to local seasonality (Black Friday, Cyber Monday, the Christmas season, which in the United States are maximum commercial peaks) and repeat-purchase strategies that raise LTV. In a market with high acquisition cost, retention is even more decisive: it is what pays back the CAC and makes the expansion profitable.
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Shopify Development and CRO
We get your Shopify store ready to sell in the United States with Shopify Markets: correct state-by-state sales tax configuration, local payment methods (wallets and buy-now-pay-later like Affirm or Afterpay), adaptation of the experience and the shipping and returns policies to the US consumer's expectations, and conversion optimisation to compete with local brands. A store that does not meet the US experience standard starts at a disadvantage.
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Do you want to expand your ecommerce to the United States?
Frequently Asked Questions
Not necessarily to start. Many brands begin the expansion via cross-border international shipping, which lets you validate the market with controlled investment. However, since the US consumer expects fast, cheap shipping (the Amazon standard), as volume grows it usually makes sense to consider local fulfilment (3PL) or storage in the country to improve times and costs. We help define the model according to your stage.
The United States is one of the most competitive and expensive advertising markets in the world, with acquisition costs among the highest anywhere. Competing requires a clear value proposition, very solid creatives and very fine profitability management measured in real POAS. It is not a market to enter without differentiation or margin control, but with the right strategy, its volume compensates for the higher acquisition cost.
The market is dominated by the credit card and digital wallets (Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal). On top of that, buy-now-pay-later (Affirm, Afterpay, Klarna) has very high adoption, especially at mid and high order values, because consumer credit is very normalised. Offering these methods, including instalment payment, helps maximise conversion and compete with the local consumer’s expectations.
Very high, set by the Amazon standard: the consumer expects fast and ideally free shipping, and easy, free returns. Competing with cross-border international shipping can be a challenge on times, which is why many brands consider local fulfilment as they grow. Shipping and returns policies must adapt to these expectations so as not to start at a disadvantage against local brands.
Usually not without adapting it. The United States requires a store in American English, with sales tax configured by state, the local payment methods, and an experience and policies adapted to the US consumer’s expectations. It is not just translating, it is adapting the tax, logistics and experience operations to the market. We get your Shopify store ready to meet everything the market demands.