UPS to the Rescue

My last post generated quite a bit fuss, which is always a good thing. I received several emails and even another blogger posted commentary on the challenges for US retailers to ship overseas. Part of it was my own fault. Sometimes, when I write, I forget that my sense of humor and/or sarcasm doesn't always get conveyed. For example when I wrote a general statement that "retailers don't get shipping abroad." Of course some do, Apple is one of them, but many don't and I pointed out a few that surprisingly don't.

While I poked at a few of my favorite retailers, I came across one that actually DOES ship internationally - Lucky Brand Jeans. These guys are owned by Liz Clairborne and they have 150 stores in the US. They ship to about 15 countries including Switzerland. So I pulled out my credit card and ordered a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. Lucky, smartly, outsourced logistics to UPS and the international shipping fee for my order - $20. $20 to ship a small box from California to Switzerland. Not bad. The order was placed on April 2 and it arrived on April 15. No extra tariff's for me, no hassle, UPS dropped the box off at my office. No questions asked. So why again is this so complicated for the Gap and JCrew?