The only way is wnDirect! well certainly for those wanting to ship to Russia

Jan 28, 2014

According to Morgan Stanley the Russian ecommerce market will grow by 35 percent reaching $36 billion in 2015 and $72 billion by 2020. With such significant growth opportunities it is no surprise that the region has attracted the interest of the global retail industry.

However, recent legislative developments will make sales in this region more difficult. According to the authorities all B2C traffic entering Russia will require more stringent ID checks with immediate effect. As it stands wnDirect is the only carrier already complying with the new requirements and, therefore the only carrier who will be able to process and clear Russia customs.
Stuart Hill, MD of wnDirect said: "We already had the systems and processes in place to effectively collect proof of ID and handle the other customs regulations already built into our system. So it's business as usual for us. In co-operation with our in-country partner, SPSR, we are in a unique position to be able to clear goods into Russia."

wnDirect employs a 'learn first and adapt fast' approach when entering a new region. The research it undertook in Russia enabled it to understand that customs was going to represent a significant hurdle for retailers and, in order to overcome this, set about developing a bespoke technology solution. Developed in partnership with wnDirect's local partner, SPSR, the solution enables end-to-end tracking with all communications delivered in the local language and manages all of the customs and ID requirements.

With the wnDirect solution, a parcel is processed and email is sent to the customer with a link to wnDirect's bespoke ID management portal, which allows the customer to provide the required information on-line. Once the ID information is provided and approved by Customs, the parcels are then released for shipment from wnDirect's UK or US facilities.

From the retailer's perspective the wnDirect system provides full real-time visibility of all orders. The paperless system also provides the retailer with the opportunity to hold the order in the system whilst the various checks are made. If the customer then fails to upload their ID, which happens in a small number of instances, the parcel is returned to the retailer without having to incur transportation costs from Russia.
So for those retailers wanting to get on the inside in Russia the only way is wnDirect