208. Why Most Brands Fail at Cross-Border E-Commerce ft. Carol Shih

In this episode of Commerce Untold, host Eitan Koter sits down with Carol Shih, founder of Qode Space, a boutique Shopify agency, and Doraemi, a cross-border consultancy helping international brands enter and grow in the US market.Carol has a background that spans LVMH, Alibaba, and years of working with fashion and beauty brands across multiple continents. She brings a direct, no-nonsense perspective to what it actually takes to succeed in cross-border e-commerce.They get into why so many international brands, including some doing billions in Asia, struggle the moment they try to enter the US. Carol explains that the product is rarely the problem. It usually comes down to self-awareness: knowing your weaknesses before you start spending.The conversation covers what a proper Shopify audit looks like, why pouring money into traffic before your store is ready is one of the most common and expensive mistakes brands make, and how to think about brand positioning before touching paid ads or picking a sales channel.They also talk about the shift toward AI search and what brands need to do now to stay discoverable, why TikTok Shop has changed the beauty category faster than most brands expected, and how Gen Alpha is about to reshape shopping behavior in ways most businesses are not prepared for.Carol also shares how she leads her two businesses, why transparency and community sit at the core of her team culture, and why her ideal clients are usually brands that have already made the expensive mistakes.If you are thinking about cross-border e-commerce, expanding into the US market, or trying to get more out of your Shopify store, this episode is worth your full attention.Website: https://www.vimmi.netEmail us: [email protected] website: https://vimmi.net/commerce-untold/Eitan Koter's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eitankoter/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VimmiVideoCommerce/featuredGuest: Carol Shih, Founder, Qode Space and DoraemiCarol Shih's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shihcarol/Qode Space: https://qodespace.com/Watch the full Youtube video here:https://youtu.be/ptO--lEfDegTakeaways:Self-awareness is the most overlooked step in cross-border e-commerce expansionDominating your home market does not mean you will succeed in the USA slow, buggy website with spelling errors destroys trust before a sale can happenAmazon drives volume but builds no brand loyalty or long-term competitive edgeShopify store performance must be audited before investing in paid trafficAI search (GEO) is the next layer brands need to prepare for alongside SEOTikTok Shop has already surpassed Sephora in beauty salesGen Alpha will reshape shopping behavior within the next four yearsGreat teams are built on transparency, community and psychological safetyThe best clients to work with are the ones who already understand where they failedChapters:[00:00] Introduction: Meet Carol Shih[01:05] From Taiwan to Australia to the US: The Third-Culture Founder[02:30] Biggest Mistakes Brands Make When Going Global[04:31] The Self-Awareness Problem: You Can't Fix What You Won't See[05:58] What Cross-Border Consulting Actually Looks Like in Practice[07:57] Founder-Led Content and Building Long-Term Authority[09:38] Lessons from Alibaba: Speed, Competition and Work Culture[12:26] The Shopify Audit Process: How to Build a High-Converting Store[14:36] AI in E-Commerce: What Is Real Right Now[16:40] AI Search, GEO and the Click-Less Future[18:04] Go-to-Market for International Brands: Amazon vs TikTok vs DTC[22:10] Beauty, Fashion and Lifestyle: Why Carol Keeps Landing Here[23:46] K-Beauty, Gen Z and the TikTokification of Shopping[25:18] Gen Alpha Will Change Everything: Here Is What to Watch[27:10] Leadership, Team Building and Running Two Companies[30:46] Leading With Transparency as a Founder and a Parent[32:01] Carol's Ideal Client: Brands That Have Already Failed[34:05] Where to Find Carol Shih