This article will explore how to ship certain items in the post, the relevant rules & what you can send, including sending foods, drinks & other perishable items.
Our UK shop and ship service helps international buyers access goods and products from UK based sellers, along with some additional features and benefits. Many UK sellers do not ship across the globe which can restrict what items people can access, but with our shop and ship service, the restrictions are removed and anyone can access UK based products.
Shop and ship quite literally means that you shop and then we ship the products to you. There are a few extra steps that can be taken to improve the functionality of the service, but below is a breakdown of the process you’ll follow:
Many UK sellers have limitations over the locations they’ll ship to, meaning that in many cases, you won’t be able to use your home address or a virtual address located outside of the UK to receive items. When you sign up for any of our address and mail plans, we’ll provide you with a courier point address that can be used for receiving parcels. You can also opt to sign up for a designated parcel address which offers the same functionality, but is more suited towards users that expect to primarily receive letters.
Your courier point address will be based in the UK, meaning there are no limits on which UK sellers will ship here. The address you're given will be unique to you and isn’t shared with anyone else.
When you have your virtual courier point address, you can start shopping online in the UK at your favourite brands or outlets.
Whether it’s from luxury brands that aren’t available overseas, from an independent seller on a marketplace platform such as Etsy, or there are UK snacks and drinks you can’t get enough of; just enter your courier point address during the checkout process and your goods will be shipped to our secure mail sorting facility.
When your goods are shipped, we'll receive them at our mail sorting facility where they’ll be stored for 30 days free of charge. We’ll notify you to tell you that something has arrived for you, and from any remote location, you can manage your shipment using our platform or mobile and tablet app. You have complete control over what happens next, and you’ll be able to manage your parcels on a case-by-casis at any time.
Shop and ship can be useful for a range of different reasons, from expats who want to access their favourite UK produce, to international fashionistas that have an interest in UK clothing brands; the reasons this service is used varies person by person.
If you’re shopping for gift occasions, such as birthdays, national holidays or other celebrations, purchasing a UK product can be a unique gift to offer someone and expand the options you have.
Luxury UK brands and products hold worldwide renown for their quality and are recognised as premium goods across the globe. Whether it’s a treat for yourself or a gift for someone else, our UK shop and ship service offers you a secure way to facilitate shipping these items to your home.
Access to exclusive UK products such as food brands and items from boutique stores may not be possible or could be expensive to deliver if you’re overseas. Through our service, you’ll be provided with an easy way to get items posted to your front door at a competitive price, meaning you won’t have to go without or pay over the odds.
Our customers across the globe utilise our UK shop and ship service for different reasons and various products, some of the most common being:
As the leading UK provider of virtual addresses and online mail management services, opting to utilise our infrastructure for your shop and ship needs offers several other advantages:
You cannot use our shop and ship or any other service to receive or forward any prohibited or restricted goods. This is as per the guidelines of the couriers we work with, and if you’re unsure of what this means, please visit our prohibited goods and restricted items page.
Getting started is easy; just follow the below steps and start accessing the UK market from wherever you are in the world: