Not all growth looks the same.

In the past, expansion often meant scaling what worked domestically—add more ad spend, launch more SKUs, double down on your top-performing channels. Today, growth has a different shape. For many brands, it’s about being more surgical: entering new regions with intention, testing emerging platforms, and prioritizing efficiency over sheer volume.

Retailers navigating this moment successfully are the ones treating every market as unique, every channel as an opportunity to experiment, and every product feed as a strategic asset.

Adapting your geographic focus

We’re seeing a growing number of retailers in the U.S. and Australia rethink where they invest, especially as some markets slow while others gain momentum.

Regions like the UK, Middle East, and parts of Europe are seeing sustained ecommerce performance—particularly in verticals like fashion, beauty, and home. Brands are responding with focused regional rollouts: launching country-specific storefronts, adapting feeds to local platforms, and tailoring product content to meet market expectations. Others are leaning into “local-first” strategies, emphasizing domestically made products to offset tariff risk or appeal to value-driven shoppers.

What these retailers have in common isn’t their geography—it’s how they use data to decide where to place their bets. Whether expanding internationally or doubling down at home, brands are using insights from search, merchandising, and feed performance to act with more precision.

Rethinking channel strategy

Just as important as where you sell is how you sell. In many regions, traditional paid search is losing ground to more immersive, behavior-based platforms. Emerging channels like TikTok Shop, which is already gaining traction in the UK, France, and Germany, are giving brands a way to reach high-intent shoppers without the high CPCs. These channels open the door for brands to test new surfaces with less friction and faster time to insight. In fast-changing markets, this kind of agility—especially when combined with feed-ready content—is a real growth lever.

Social commerce and marketplace experimentation are no longer limited to early adopters. We’re seeing serious investment in:

• Regional marketplaces with established audiences and built-in demand
  
• Short-form video platforms where product discovery happens organically
  
• Feed-driven surfaces where quality product data gives brands a competitive edge

This isn’t about abandoning legacy channels—it’s about diversifying intelligently and creating feedback loops that make every new channel an insight engine.

What the most adaptable retailers are doing right now

The retailers outperforming peers in today’s climate aren’t necessarily spending more. They’re moving smarter. Some of the most effective strategies include:

• Piloting new SKUs in emerging regions through marketplaces before committing to full rollout
  
• Structuring feeds and product detail pages (PDPs) to align with regional shopping behavior and search trends
  
• Using real-time data to optimize by product, not just by campaign

In changing markets, the ability to move fast—without relying on guesswork—is a competitive advantage. And it’s one that doesn’t require massive team resources—just sharper tools and clearer insights.

Want to explore new channels or regions without overextending?
Request a free site audit or talk to our team about international expansion strategies.

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Other articles in this series:

Retail Resilience: How Smart Ecommerce Brands Are Growing in Uncertain Times