For any online retailer who is shipping internationally, it\u2019s important to know how long shipping will take for each destination they are serving. This enables them to be transparent with their customers, and helps the customer to make an informed decision before they commit to a purchase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this article, we\u2019re going to take a look at long international shipping takes from the UK to the most popular countries, and see how the different modes of transport stack up against each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We\u2019ll also look at factors that might impact the time it takes to ship internationally, and what eCommerce businesses can do to reduce the time it takes to ship orders to overseas customers.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s take a look at how long it takes, on average, for orders from the UK to reach some of the most popular markets around the world. These shipping times will be broken down by mode of transport, and will represent door-to-door (the time it takes for the goods to arrive with the customer, rather than in the destination country).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Remember that the times below represent guidance. Bad weather, peak trading periods, and other factors can result in delays. Also, remember that the regions below cover a wide area, so specifics will vary depending on customer addresses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are many factors that might affect the time it takes for your parcels to reach their international destination. Some are preventable, some can be mitigated against, and some are out of your hands entirely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s logical to assume that the further the end customer is away, the longer it will take for their order to reach them. That\u2019s often the case if you\u2019re comparing two cities thousands of miles apart. For example, it\u2019s safe to assume that an order going to Paris from London will arrive faster than an order going to Brisbane from London.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That said, the relationship between distance and shipping speed is less straightforward. Many other factors come into play, such as carrier efficiency, the location of hubs and depots en route, mode of transport, local infrastructures, laws and customs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, while distance is a factor, it’s not the only determinant of shipping time in international logistics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At certain times of the year, heavy demand results in supply chains and transport routes becoming strained. The period from Black Friday to Christmas, usually referred to in the eCommerce industry as \u2018Peak\u2019, is a particularly busy time. There\u2019s often delays to international shipments during this time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A good way to combat delays due to seasonality is by getting all your stock in well in advance. This means you can keep delivery times to a minimum as you won\u2019t have to rely on ordering in new stock while the supply chain is strained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Carrier services are normally priced based on the timeframe you want an order to arrive within (although there are other pricing factors such as signed delivery, dangerous goods, ambient foods etc.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n In most cases, you\u2019ll pay more for faster shipping, and less for slower shipping. The cost you\u2019re happy to pay or pass over to the customer will depend on how quickly your shipment arrives at the end destination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some carriers are also more efficient than others. For example, one carrier might be the fastest shipping from the UK to the USA, but slower at shipping from the UK to Australia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We\u2019re not in control of Mother Nature. Floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, and volcanic eruptions will all impact the time it takes to ship an order through or to affected regions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even less catastrophic environmental conditions such as intense fog, rain, and high winds can result in delays if they\u2019re serious enough to make delivery routes unsafe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A few other factors that impact the speed of international shipping include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The most obvious solution to speeding up international shipping is to choose the fastest carrier services available. But it\u2019s often undesirable to do this by default, as you\u2019ll likely need to pass the cost onto your customer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Depending on the size and weight of what you\u2019re shipping, express international shipping could cost double, triple, or more than the cost of the order.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This could make your prices less competitive, especially if you\u2019re competing with brands who are closer to your customer\u2019s home country. They\u2019ll likely be able to offer faster shipping at a much lower price.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The operational<\/a> efficiency<\/a> of your fulfilment process has a big impact on your shipping speed both domestically and internationally. That\u2019s because the longer it takes for you to process, pick, pack, and dispatch your orders, the longer it takes for your orders to enter the carrier network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Operational efficiency goes much further than simply pick and pack rates. It\u2019s also about the tech at your disposal to speed up the process, the targets you set your workers, the quality of your inventory management<\/a>, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The most cost-effective way to speed up international shipping is to position your inventory<\/a> closer to your end customer. If you have customers across the world but only ship from one location, it\u2019s impossible to offer quick shipping to everyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But, if you split your stock between fulfilment centres in multiple countries, you have greater capacity and flexibility to offer fast shipping to customers globally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, let\u2019s say you\u2019re a UK-based business with 70% of your customer base in the UK, 20% in the US, and 10% in Australia. If your fulfilment centre is in the UK, 30% of your customers must endure long delivery times and huge shipping costs, and it\u2019s likely that those customers will opt to use a store that\u2019s closer to home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But, if you decided to put 20% of your stock in the US and 10% in Australia, you could potentially match your delivery promise in the UK, while simultaneously growing your presence in those markets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At J&J, we specialise in providing international expansion opportunities to eCommerce businesses. With fulfilment centres in the UK<\/a>, EU<\/a>, USA<\/a> and AUS<\/a> (and there\u2019s more on the way), our 3PL services<\/a> provide eCom brands with a risk-free way to reach customers faster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition to enabling smart inventory positioning, we\u2019ll also pick, pack, and ship your orders on your behalf, giving you more time and energy for other business activities, whether that\u2019s growing your overseas marketing strategy, researching potential markets to venture into next, or developing exciting new products for your customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\nHow long does it take to ship orders from the UK overseas?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
UK to Europe shipping times<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
UK to US shipping times<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
UK to Canada shipping times<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
UK to Australia shipping times<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
UK to China shipping times<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
UK to Middle East shipping<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
Air freight – 3 to 7 days
Sea freight – 20 to 40 days<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\nWhat impacts the speed of international shipping?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Distance<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Seasonality<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Carrier service<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Severe weather and natural disasters<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Other factors<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
How to speed up international shipping<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Choose express delivery options<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Make your fulfilment process more efficient<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Position your inventory more smartly<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Unlock faster intentional shipping with J&J<\/h3>\n\n\n\n