Fortnum & Mason is resuming its exports to the European Union after more than two years.
The luxury food and drink retailer had stopped its popular online delivery service to the EU in March 2021 due to Brexit-associated “customs challenges”.
Before the UK left the EU, deliveries to the continent represented over 15% of all of Fortnum’s online sales.
But when the bloc introduced full border checks on all UK exports, Fortnum’s was one of many businesses that reduced or stopped trade altogether due to higher paperwork costs.
CEO Tom Athron told The Grocer earlier this year the company intended to resume exports to the continent this year in time for the peak Christmas period.
Fortnum’s is now officially delivering to 15 countries from a new dedicated fulfilment centre in Genk, Belgium, to avoid as much costly post-Brexit red tape as possible.
The retailer said shipping from the EU enabled it to “navigate post-Brexit issues with customs to provide a consistent and reliable service for our customers”.
The website features a curated range of some of its most popular products, including The Taste of Fortnum’s Hamper, Christmas pudding and Toffolossus Biscuits, with a view to expand the range ahead of Christmas 2023.
Fortnum & Mason’s Tom Athron wants the grocer to remain relevant – but not through cutting prices
“Fortnum & Mason is a brand that is loved the world over, and so I am delighted to be launching our new EU website, to allow customers across Europe to shop with us once again,” Athron said.
“Outstanding customer service is vitally important to us at Fortnum’s, and our new EU-based fulfilment centre will allow us to navigate the post-Brexit export challenges to provide a robust delivery service to our customers in the EU.
“We are excited by the opportunities that our new EU website brings, as our online business continues to grow, both at home and internationally.”
The move is part of the company’s wider international, having earlier this year opened a new retail shop in Hong Kong International Airport. There are also plans to open a store in Dubai International Airport in the coming months, as well as further expand in the US, its second-biggest market after the UK.
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