2025 is a Fulfillment Tipping Point for International Brands

For international brands, the United States market has always been a tantalizing opportunity. It's large, diverse, and dynamic. However, entering and winning in a new market calls for more than simply shopping for products overseas. Today, shoppers are not only evaluating products, they’re also judging the entire shopping journey — from click to delivery — and fulfillment is often a deciding factor.

International brands cannot afford to overlook quality fulfillment. From tariffs to shifting consumer demand to the elimination of de minimis exemptions, the U.S. retail landscape is changing rapidly. For brands to succeed, they must act now.

The Perception Gap

A large portion of U.S. consumers misidentify international brands. Nearly half think lululemon and Adidas are American. While 58 percent say a brand’s origin influences their purchase decisions, this awareness gap limits the power of “Made in” branding. Younger generations, however, show higher accuracy with brand identification, signaling an opportunity for international brands to close the gap with well-planned awareness campaigns. Success will depend on segmentation, as baby boomers are least likely to seek out non-U.S. brands, while Gen Z and millennials are far more open, especially in categories like health and beauty, apparel and accessories, and consumer electronics.

Price, Quality and the Appeal of International Brands

The strongest motivators for shopping international brands are price and value (60 percent) and perceived quality (49 percent). Novelty (20 percent) and prestige (19 percent) rank at the bottom, showing that function outweighs status when buying internationally. Additionally, more than half (53 percent) of consumers are open to paying more for a product from an international brand compared to a brand whose origin they're not familiar with.

International and domestic brands need to deliver consistent value and quality at every stage of the customer journey, from click to delivery, to remain competitive and retain loyalty. More than ever, operational consistency reinforces a brand’s ability to justify its price point amid shifting trade deals and high-volume peaks.

Fulfillment is the Great Equalizer

Supply chain disruptions are the new norm, and consumers have become less lenient with fulfillment delays as a result. Nearly one in three (31 percent) expect international brands to match the same three- to five-day delivery, return, and refund policies that they’ve become accustomed to with domestic purchases. Among millennials, that expectation climbs to 37 percent. And because many consumers don’t distinguish between international and domestic brands, the margin for error is razor thin.

Clear return policies (46 percent), transparent pricing at checkout (42 percent), no customs or import fees (39 percent), and free returns (39 percent) define the baseline for trust in a world where supply chain disruptions have become the norm. Fulfillment isn’t just logistics; it’s a brand promise in action.

The bottom line is that this year, fulfillment has become the great equalizer. International brands must meet U.S. shoppers’ expectations on speed, transparency and reliability to unlock growth. Those that don’t will lose ground quickly in a market that offers little room for second chances.

Tom Schmitt is the CEO of Radial, a bpostgroup company, the leader in e-commerce solutions.