How to expand your brand from New Zealand to Australia
Last updated: 29 Aug 2025
Ready to take your NZ business to Australia? Here’s your complete roadmap to entering the Australian market
Key takeaways
- Validate demand in Australia by understanding local customer preferences and market drivers
- Plan for GST, customs and logistics costs in advance
- Choose the right marketplaces and local fulfilment partners to ensure fast delivery and customer satisfaction
- Localise your brand and marketing to connect with Australian audiences more effectively
- Use WorldFirst and its partners to streamline payments, compliance and funding as you scale
Expanding into Australia is a smart move for many New Zealand-based businesses that want to go global. The market is geographically close, culturally aligned and full of opportunities, especially for online sellers, retailers and importers.
But successful expansion takes more than just shipping products from one country to another. It’s about creating a market entry strategy that can help you stand apart from the existing players in the market.
This guide walks you through each key step of the journey, from planning and logistics to marketing and scaling–plus introduces helpful partner companies that can support you along the way.
Table of Contents
1. Validate the market and understand local demand
Before entering the Australian market, it’s crucial to assess whether your product or service meets local consumer needs.
Australia’s e-commerce sector has seen significant growth. In 2024, an estimated 17 million customers in Australia used online shopping websites every month–which is a 45% increase from 2020. It’s forecasted that this number will reach 23.14 million by 2029.
For customers in Australia, free delivery is the main driver behind e-commerce purchases. Other drivers include discounts, cashbacks, a hassle-free return policy, loyalty rewards and a seamless online checkout experience.
Here’s a WorldFirst partner who can help you with this:
- She-com: The company provides training programs focusing on e-commerce growth, helping brands tailor their offerings to the Australian audience. You get real world coaching from e-commerce experts who have transformed their own startups into successful brands.
2. Sort out pricing, taxes and compliance
The Australia–New Zealand Closer Economic Relations Trade Agreement (ANZCERTA), often referred to as the CER Agreement, eliminates tariffs on goods originating from either country, as long as they meet the rules of origin, which require at least 50% of the product’s content to be sourced from either Australia or New Zealand.
However, there are still other costs and fees you need to account for when you’re pricing your products correctly when expanding into Australia:
- Goods and Services Tax (GST): Australia charges a 10% GST on most goods and services. GST may also be payable at the border when importing goods into Australia.
- Customs and import fees: While tariffs are eliminated under ANZCERTA, customs clearance costs still apply. For shipments over AUD $1,000, permits may be required and you may incur customs brokerage fees.
- Logistics and warehousing costs: Shipping goods to Australia can be expensive and you’ll need to factor in costs like freight, warehousing (if using a local fulfillment partner) and last-mile delivery within Australia.
- Compliance costs: Products must meet Australian regulations, which could mean additional costs for testing, certification, labelling changes, or packaging updates to comply with local standards.
- Currency exchange fees: If you’re converting AUD to NZD, consider the impact of currency exchange rates and potential bank or payment provider fees.
- Insurance: Depending on your shipping arrangements, you may need cargo insurance and public liability insurance to cover your goods and operations in Australia.
Here are some of WorldFirst partners who can help you with this
- Avalara: Avalara helps businesses expanding into Australia by automating GST calculations and Business Activity Statements (BAS). It also streamlines customs declarations and duty calculations, ensuring compliance with Australian tax laws so companies can enter new markets faster and with less risk.
- Hello Clever: Hello Clever allows e-commerce businesses in Australia to offer real-time payment solutions like PayID, PayTo and card processing to their customers. With easy integration into platforms like Shopify and Magento, it also helps reduce fraud and chargebacks.
3. Get your logistics and fulfillment right
Shipping from New Zealand to Australia typically involves sea or air freight, with transit times ranging from a few days to over a week, depending on the method.
Once in Australia, last-mile delivery is crucial; partnering with local couriers can ensure prompt delivery to customers. You should also have a reliable returns process is also essential to meet customer expectations and maintain trust.
Here are some of WorldFirst partners who can help you with this
- Zappy: Zappy helps e-commerce businesses expand into Australia by offering fast, scalable fulfilment and same-day shipping solutions. With fully integrated logistics services and real-time inventory management, Zappy helps brands deliver faster, reduce operational costs and create a seamless post-purchase experience.
- G2 Ecommerce: G2 Ecommerce simplifies international expansion for brands entering Australia by providing end-to-end e-commerce solutions. From warehousing, order fulfilment and freight forwarding to customer service, the company acts as your local partner to streamline logistics, reduce lead times and optimise customer experience.
- Wefulfil: Wefulfil works as a one-stop dropshipping and fulfilment platform. They handle product sourcing, order processing, inventory management and local shipping, helping businesses reduce complexity and deliver products faster to Australian customers.
- 24 Customs: 24 Customs makes Australian customs clearance fast and simple for e-commerce businesses expanding from overseas. They automate the entire import declaration process, including self-assessments and permit management, ensuring goods are cleared quickly and compliantly.
- ECOF Service: ECOF Service supports businesses entering Australia with expert freight forwarding, customs brokerage and third-party logistics (3PL) solutions. They manage every stage of the supply chain, from international shipping to final delivery, helping companies navigate Australian import regulations.
4. Choose the right sales channels
Selecting the right sales channels for your brand is key to reaching your target audience. In Australia, popular online marketplaces include Amazon, eBay, Kogan and Trade Me. Amazon is the most popular, followed by eBay.
Kogan.com is known for its wide range of products and competitive pricing. Trade Me, while based in New Zealand, also has a presence in Australia and can be a valuable platform for certain product categories. Understanding the strengths and customer bases of each marketplace will help you in choosing the most effective channels for your products.
Here are some of WorldFirst partners who can help you with this
TEMU Australia: Recently launched, Temu Australia allows e-commerce businesses to list products on the online marketplace with no monthly fees or commissions. This low-cost model enables brands to reach Australian consumers without high overheads, making it easier to scale quickly and test new products with minimal risk.
TikTok Ads: TikTok Ads help brands expand into Australia by connecting them with millions of active users through highly targeted, engaging short-form videos. With advanced audience targeting, dynamic ad formats and seamless e-commerce store integrations, TikTok Ads can help drive sales in Australia’s mobile-first market.
Sell Global: Sell Global helps e-commerce brands successfully launch and grow on Amazon Australia. The company allows e-commerce sellers with strategic consulting, marketing support and marketplace entry services.
- Open 15+ local currency accounts and get paid like a local
- Pay suppliers, partners and staff worldwide in 100+ currencies
- Collect payments for free from 130+ marketplaces and payment gateways, including Amazon, Etsy, PayPal and Shopify
- Save with competitive exchange rates on currency conversions and transfers
- Lock in exchange rates for up to 24 months for cash flow certainty
5. Localise your brand for Australia
Adapting your brand to resonate with Australian consumers is important. While New Zealand and Australia share similarities, there are distinct cultural and linguistic differences. For instance, local slang can impact how your brand is perceived. Additionally, product preferences may differ; a product popular in New Zealand might not have the same appeal in Australia.
Here’s a WorldFirst partner who can help you with this
TwentyTwenty: TwentyTwenty helps brands expand into Australia by managing their presence across 50+ marketplaces like Amazon, eBay, The Iconic and Bunnings. Acting as your dedicated marketplace team, they handle everything from strategy, organic listings, advertising and promotions.
6. Build a marketing strategy
Develop a comprehensive marketing plan that includes digital advertising, influencer partnerships and content marketing to reach and engage your target audience.
Here are some WorldFirst partners who can help you with this
- Vanirr Group: It’s an international trade and marketing firm based in Australia that specialises in branding, marketing and localization services for businesses operating between China, Australia and Japan.
- The Uptick: It’s a growth-focused marketing agency helping brands boost their e-commerce performance in Australia. It specialises in digital strategy, paid advertising, SEO and marketplace marketing to drive sales and increase brand visibility.
- Speecommerce International: It offers comprehensive marketplace and e-commerce support to brands expanding into Australia and Southeast Asia. Their services include marketplace management, cross-border logistics, customer service and growth strategy execution.
- Totalyty: Totalyty helps e-commerce businesses streamline their marketplace presence by offering end-to-end services—from product listing creation and optimisation to digital marketing, fulfilment and account management. It can help brands with selling and marketing on major platforms like Amazon, Catch and eBay.
7. Secure funding for growth
Securing adequate funding is essential for a successful market entry. Explore financing options such as loans, grants, or investor partnerships to support your expansion efforts. You should also ensure that your financial planning accounts for initial setup costs and ongoing operational expenses.
Here are some WorldFirst partners who can help you with this
- Choco Up: Choco Up provides revenue-based financing and growth solutions to brands expanding into Australia. Without requiring equity or personal guarantees, Choco Up offers fast, flexible funding to help businesses invest in inventory, marketing and scaling operations. Their analytics platform also gives companies real-time insights to optimise cash flow and fuel growth.
- Quantiva: Quantiva offers end-to-end warehousing, order fulfilment and logistics solutions to businesses. It enables brands to reduce operational complexity, cut costs and improve customer experience.
Final step: Protect your margins with smarter international payments
For many New Zealand businesses expanding into Australia, the real costs of cross-border trade go beyond shipping and duties. They are buried in your financial transactions.
You collect sales in AUD, possibly pay Chinese suppliers in CNY or Australian suppliers in AUD and eventually convert proceeds back to NZD. Along the way, you’re hit with high FX conversion fees, double conversions and bank charges—each one silently cutting into your profit margins.
That’s where WorldFirst can help.
WorldFirst’s multi-currency account is built for businesses like yours—selling across borders and sourcing from global suppliers. It simplifies your international payments and helps protect your bottom line by reducing costly currency conversions.
With WorldFirst, you can:
- Open local receiving accounts in 15+ currencies, including AUD, NZD, USD, CNY and more, without needing a local entity or address
- Receive payments from Australian customers directly into your AUD receiving account and hold payments to pay agencies or partners in Australia without requiring in conversions
- Pay Chinese suppliers in CNY from the same platform without first converting to NZD
- Access competitive foreign exchange rates to reduce conversion costs (up to 0.6% for major currencies)
- Use forward contracts to lock in exchange rates and protect your profit margins
- Make fast, low-cost international transfers or pay multiple suppliers in 90+ currencies
By streamlining the way you collect, convert and pay, WorldFirst gives you more control over your cash flow—and more room to grow.
Disclaimer: The information contained is general only and largely our views. Before acting on the information you should consider whether it is appropriate for you, in light of your objectives, financial situation or needs. Although information has been obtained from and is based upon multiple sources the author believes to be reliable, we do not guarantee its accuracy and it may be incomplete or condensed. All opinions, estimates, mentioned products/services and referenced material constitute the author’s own judgement as of the date of the briefing and are subject to change without notice. WorldFirst shall not be responsible for any losses or damages arising from your reliance of such information.
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