Alright, let's shift gears and talk about life beyond Amazon.

Don't get me wrong, Amazon's great, but putting all your eggs in one basket is risky. Plus, there's a whole world of opportunity out there in the broader EU eCommerce landscape.

Why Consider Shopify (or Other Platforms) for EU Expansion ❓

1. Brand Control: You're the captain now. Full control over your brand experience.
2. Data Ownership: Your customer data, your rules. Great for retargeting and building customer relationships.
3. Profit Margins: No Amazon fees eating into your profits.
4. Multichannel Presence: Reduce reliance on a single platform.

Setting Up Your EU Shopify Store ⚙️

1. Choose Your Approach:
   • Single store with multiple currencies and languages
   • Separate stores for each major market
2. Domain Strategy:
   • Use country-specific domains (e.g., yourbrand.de, yourbrand.fr)
   • Or subdomains (de.yourbrand.com, fr.yourbrand.com)
3. Localization Is Key 🇮🇹
   • Translate everything (yes, everything)
   • Adapt content for local markets (it's not just about language)
   • Use local currencies and display prices including VAT
4. Payment Gateways:
   • Offer local payment methods (e.g., SEPA in Germany, Carte Bancaire in France)
   • Consider using a platform like Adyen for comprehensive coverage
5. Shipping and Fulfillment:
   • Integrate with local carriers
   • Consider using a 3PL for efficient cross-border fulfillment

Leveraging Shopify's EU-Friendly Features

• Shopify Markets: Helps manage multiple markets from a single store
• Shopify Payments: Supports major EU currencies and payment methods
• Automatic Language Detection: Directs customers to their local store version