Apparel is one of the categories with highest demand in cross-border e-retail across the world, says the Global Cross-Border B2C E-commerce 2017 report by yStats.Delivery and shipping costs are the main concern preventing more online shoppers from making purchases from out-of-country sellers, according to a survey cited in the report. Third-party research shows that in 2016 more than one-half of shoppers received free delivery on their latest cross-border online purchase.

When it comes to choosing payment methods, cross-border online shoppers consider service fees and purchase value and tend to use credit card and e-wallets more than other payment means. Countries such as the US, China, and the UK are the top destinations for cross-border online shoppers.The report also reveals a clear trend in favour of intra-regional trade, especially in Europe and North America. Large e-commerce marketplaces in these countries are among the major winners of the cross-border growth. In 2016, nearly two-thirds of cross-border online shoppers made their latest international purchase from Amazon, eBay, AliExpress or Alibaba.