Becoming an expat can be summed up in two words – exciting and frightening. Leaving your home, family, friends, and a life that you know for a strange country is a decision that takes extensive thought and an emotional toll. And with this comes cultural and language differences, loneliness, and fears of an unknown future. While the thought of new foods, culture, and habits may be exciting to some, after a while, the excitement wears off and expats begin yearning for the comfort of home. This becomes even more difficult as expats are unable to find familiar stores, foods or even clothing items to bring them a little piece of home. Faced with these challenges and those of having to deal with normal day-to-day problems like the cost of living, education or just commenting in a new country, many seek these options through various e-commerce sites that offer even just a little nostalgia. Thanks to the e-commerce boom, American expats are spoilt for choice when it comes to online shopping, and in this article, we discuss some of the best options available.
1. MyUS
MyUS is a shipping service that ships to over 220 countries and territories for a much lower price. International shoppers are given a personal MyUS address to use when placing orders, and purchases are then sent to MyUS, who ships it on to the customer. With a service like MyUS, customers worldwide can finally shop online for products from US and UK stores, without fear of paying high shipping-rates. Your items from different stores are combined in one package, and then sent to you, wherever you are in the world. They pack every shipment by hand, so your valuable purchases are protected.
2. Amazon
Amazon is not only one of the big 5 in the tech industry, but, without a doubt, is the world’s largest e-commerce site, and sells just about everything that one can think of. With Amazon, a taste of home is just a keyboard away as you browse through their variety of household, clothing, furniture, gourmet food, and jewelry range, just to mention a few. Amazon provides an excellent shopping experience because they aim to personalize every customer experience through their recommendations and stellar service. And it’s all topped off with an amazing rewards program offered through the Amazon Rewards Visa Signature Card, giving its loyal clients benefits in the form of cashback, discounts, and much more.
3. Ali Express
Another giant in the international online shopping industry, Ali Express is located in China but sells to customers all over the world. Variety is the name of the game, and you can shop anything under the sun from underwear to kitchen utensils. Amazing discounts are constantly on offer to frequent buyers, and with prices this low plus the option of free shipping, there is no reason not to use this site. Ali Express makes your shopping experience fun with games and competitions dotted throughout the website, and, contrary to popular thought, its stores are engaging and quite responsive.
4. Social Media
Various social media platforms offer the added benefit of a marketplace through which either pre-loved or brand new items are advertised within a locality. This adds a new opportunity for expats to meet each other while meeting their personal needs. The most common is the Facebook Market place which offers a diverse range of items from clothing to decor, making it ideal for introductions.
5. eBay
A popular shopping portal, eBay is most well-known for its online auctions and customer-to-customer sales. Although extremely diverse in its product offerings, these are generally dictated by what its users have to offer. With this being said, thousands of transactions are performed daily, and eBay is the place to shop for those looking for items to bring them a true sense of home.
Making the big move to a far-off place is never easy, and the transition itself into a new life can pose its challenges. As overwhelming as it may seem, the change can be made a little more easily with accessible online shopping sites such as eBay and Amazon, which can provide for your every physical need, and those emotional needs too. A sense of nostalgia is just a click away.
