Ep. 69 Selling vs Expanding Internationally: What It Really Takes to Win in the UK & Europe

What does it actually take to grow an eCommerce brand in the UK and Europe?In this episode of The eCom Growth Show, Danan Coleman sits down with Drew Cooper, Head of Sales at Expandly, to break down the real difference between simply selling internationally and truly expanding into overseas markets.If you are an eCommerce founder thinking about entering the UK or Europe, this conversation covers the operational and strategic realities most brands underestimate. Drew shares what it takes to build a sustainable international expansion plan, including how to think about VAT, customs, compliance, localization, fulfilment, inventory placement, customer experience, and marketplace readiness.They also unpack one of the biggest mistakes brands make: assuming cross-border shipping is the same thing as real international expansion. From testing demand to deciding when to place stock in-region, this episode is packed with practical advice for brands that want to scale the right way.In this episode, you’ll learn: • The difference between selling cross-border and expanding internationally • When shipping from your home country stops being the best model • Why localization matters more than most brands think • Common mistakes with VAT, customs, and compliance • Why the UK is often the smartest first step for US brands • How fulfilment speed and returns impact conversion in Europe • What founders should do before committing to UK or EU expansionWhether you sell on Amazon, Shopify, or both, this episode will help you better understand what international growth really requires before you invest time, money, and inventory into a new market.🔗 Connect with Drew Cooper Website: https://expandly.com Email: [email protected] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drew-cooper-27361995 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andycooper9 Facebook: https://facebook.com/TheEcommExperts👤 About Drew CooperDrew Cooper is the Head of Sales at Expandly and works with eCommerce brands navigating the operational and commercial realities of international expansion. He helps brands enter the UK and European markets with the right approach to marketplace strategy, localization, compliance, VAT, logistics, and fulfilment.⏰ Timestamps00:00 Intro00:05 Welcome to the episode01:03 Who is Drew Cooper?02:20 Why localization matters in the UK and Europe05:40 Selling internationally vs expanding internationally08:31 When cross-border shipping stops making sense11:17 Is there a revenue benchmark before expanding?13:35 Why the UK is often the best first step14:58 The Netherlands, Germany, and EU market entry considerations16:09 Common mistakes with VAT, customs, and compliance22:45 How customer experience changes with local fulfilment26:08 First practical steps before expanding into Europe29:49 When it makes sense to pull back from Europe30:20 Expandly’s free discovery call31:32 How to connect with Drew#TheeComGrowthShow #InternationalExpansion #EcommerceGrowthKEEP IN TOUCH:🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danancoleman📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ecomgrowthshow👥 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheeComGrowthShow 🐦 X (Twitter): https://x.com/eComGrowthShowYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@eComGrowthShowDanan Coleman is an expert in the Amazon field. He's been actively selling on Amazon since 2010 and in the SaaS and Service network for Amazon sellers since 2018. After helping companies like ManageByStats and Carbon6 scale and be sold, he started his eCom Triage [https://ecomtriage.com] to help sellers with solutions to complicated and seemingly impossible tasks like removing negative reviews and detecting critical and detrimental changes to your product detail pages. He also consults both brands and agencies in the Amazon space.