Phillip Fechner from InterCultural Elements in the fynax podcast "Thanks for Shopping"

Overcoming linguistic and cultural barriers to trade

Helping online retailers maximize their cross-border business potential: That is the goal and mission of InterCultural Elements (ICE). Founded in 2007 and based in Leipzig, the company offers all-round knowledge for the international expansion of its customers and removes language, technical and cultural hurdles in the process. Phillip Fechner, Business Development Manager at InterCultural Elements, caught the eye of fynax managers Saravanan Sundaram and Nadja Müller during an appearance on the main stage at Amazon SellerDay in Leipzig, whose sponsor fynax was. The problems he described there for many retailers in cross-border online trading and the solutions presented by the company were reason enough to invite him as a guest on the latest episode of "Thanks for Shopping" to welcome.

ICE was born out of the founders' experience with the high hurdles of international selling. Most e-commerce retailers who want to expand into international markets and marketplaces are probably aware of the legal hurdles. However, the linguistic and intercultural barriers to selling your own products and services abroad should not be underestimated. ICE's aim is to provide targeted assistance in such cases. Today, the company has expertise in 30 marketplaces in 40 countries and offers retailers its own services - including Amazon account activation, account management support, multilingual online marketing and customer service - in ten languages.
"The aim," emphasizes Phillip Fechner, "is to be a one-stop store for e-commerce". There are now 40 employees working for InterCultural Elements, whose expertise is just as international and thematically diverse as the name suggests.

Fechner emphasizes that the company has by no means reached the end of the road. After all, 15,000 completed projects and remarkable customer satisfaction speak for the high demand for customized support in the international expansion of e-commerce retailers. "We can't pull up a product that is not suitable for sale. Nobody can do that," summarizes Fechner. "But we can help retailers to maximize sales abroad for a product with sales potential."

Find out all about the company's wide range of services, why Amazon is both a blessing and a curse, and everything about the in-house E-Commerce Academy in the latest episode of "Thanks for Shopping". Listen in!