US market entry for Australian and New Zealand brands.
Australian and New Zealand brands often arrive in the US with real strengths: a direct-to-consumer business that already works, strong creative, and categories Americans associate with the region, such as surf, outdoor, wellness, beauty and wine.
The distance is the hard part. Freight takes weeks, parcels shipped from home now face US duties with de minimis suspended at the time of writing, and your working day overlaps with the US West Coast only in a narrow window. Theory Road runs the commercial launch from the US side: market read, positioning, US storefront, Amazon US, paid media, retail and a team on the ground in US hours, coordinating with your customs broker, 3PL, accountant and attorney.
Questions this page answers
- How do Australian brands expand to the US?
- Do Australian brands need a US 3PL?
- Should we launch in the US on Amazon, DTC or retail first?
- How do we work across the time difference with a US team?
- Does Australian or New Zealand provenance help sell in the US?
- What US rules apply to Australian beauty, wellness and wine brands?
Step 1 of 2
How can we help you get found?
Next: name, email and budget. That’s it.
What the US market asks of you.
The US asks an Australian or New Zealand brand to run a market from the other side of the Pacific. Inventory has to sit in the US so customers get domestic delivery. Advertising, customer service and retail conversations happen in US hours, mostly while your team is asleep. The market is large and regional: what sells in Southern California may not sell in Texas or New England. And US regulators treat some familiar products differently, from sunscreen, which is an over-the-counter drug in the US, to wine, which needs a licensed US importer and approved labels.
What goes wrong is usually distance, not product. Brands ship orders from home and absorb duties and slow delivery. They run US ads from Sydney or Auckland with nobody watching results during US business hours. They lean on the accent and the beach in every ad, which works as color but rarely as the reason to buy. Some sign a US distributor too early, give away margin and control, and lose touch with the customer. Others try every channel at once and cannot tell which one actually works.
We start with a US market read for your category, choose one lead channel with a clear reason, and set a US price that covers freight, duties and 3PL fees. Your customs broker, 3PL and accountant set up importing, inventory and sales tax while we build the US storefront, Amazon US listings and paid media. Our team works US hours from Texas, reviews results daily, and meets your team in the overlap window. Provenance becomes a proof point inside a positioning built for American buyers. Retail follows once direct sales show where demand really is.
- Weeks 1 to 4US market read and positioningCategory demand by region, competitor map, provenance angle tested, and a landed-cost price that holds up in the US.
- Weeks 3 to 10Freight, 3PL and tax setupYour broker, freight forwarder, 3PL and accountant move inventory and set up sales tax while we plan around their dates.
- Weeks 6 to 12Storefront and Amazon US buildUS storefront, Amazon.com listings, Brand Registry, tracking and creative adapted for American buyers, ready as stock lands.
- Months 3 to 6Launch in chosen US regionsPaid search, social and Amazon ads aimed at the regions that fit your category, managed daily in US hours.
- Months 6 to 12Scale and retail conversationsGrow the channels that pay back, then approach US retailers or distributors with real sell-through data.
Where US launches stall.
A narrow working overlap
An Australian early morning lines up with the US West Coast afternoon of the previous day, and the East Coast overlap is shorter still. Decisions, approvals and campaign changes need a rhythm built around that window.
Distance and landed cost
Ocean freight takes weeks and air freight is expensive, and with de minimis suspended at the time of writing, shipping single orders from home adds duties per parcel. Most brands need inventory in a US 3PL.
Provenance that sells
Americans hold warm associations with Australia and New Zealand, but surf, sun and clean living are crowded claims. Provenance has to support a specific product reason to buy, not stand in for one.
Choosing the first channel
US retail, Amazon and direct-to-consumer each need different inventory, pricing and margin. Launching all three at once from overseas spreads budget and attention thin before any one channel proves itself.
What we run for you.
US market read and channel choice
We map US demand by region, the competitors that own search and shelf, and recommend a lead channel, DTC, Amazon or retail, with the margin math behind it.
Positioning for American buyers
We keep your brand voice and use Australian or New Zealand provenance as proof, while rewriting claims, product pages and ads around what US shoppers compare and search for.
US storefront and Amazon US
US dollar pricing, US shipping and returns promises, Amazon.com listings, Brand Registry and advertising, connected to your US 3PL inventory so nothing sells that cannot ship.
Paid media run in US hours
Google, Meta and Amazon advertising managed daily from Texas in US business hours, with a weekly report and decisions agreed in your team's overlap window.
Retail and distribution pipeline
When direct sales show where demand sits, we build the retailer, specialty store and distributor pipeline with sell-through data and a pitch written for US buyers.
US team on the ground
We act as your US commercial team or help you hire one, and we coordinate your customs broker, freight forwarder, 3PL, accountant and attorney around one launch plan.
How US demand gets built.
US rules to plan for.
Customs entry and duties.
De minimis is suspended at the time of writing, so imports need entries and may owe duties. Your licensed customs broker confirms classification under the Harmonized Tariff Schedule and current rules.
Sunscreen, cosmetics and supplements.
Sunscreen is regulated as an over-the-counter drug in the US. Cosmetics fall under MoCRA registration and listing, and supplements follow DSHEA claim rules. Your regulatory advisor or attorney confirms each product.
Wine and alcohol.
Alcohol imports need a US importer holding a federal permit, TTB label approval, and state-by-state distribution rules. Your importer and attorney own this; we plan marketing around their approvals.
State sales tax nexus.
There is no federal VAT. States can require foreign sellers to collect sales tax once economic nexus thresholds are met, and marketplaces collect on their own sales in most states. Your accountant confirms registrations.
Trademark and advertising claims.
Foreign-domiciled USPTO applicants must use a US-licensed attorney, and Brand Registry needs a registered or pending trademark. The FTC governs claims, endorsements and reviews; your attorney reviews product claims.
A good fit
- Australian and New Zealand brands with a working DTC business at home and margin to carry freight, duties and US fulfillment.
- Surf, outdoor, wellness, beauty, apparel and food or wine brands ready to hold inventory in a US 3PL.
- Founders who want a US team working US hours while they keep product and brand decisions at home.
Probably not a fit
- Brands planning to ship every US order from Australia or New Zealand and absorb duties and slow delivery.
- Companies seeking customs brokerage, alcohol licensing, tax filing or legal work; we coordinate with those advisors but do not provide them.
Platforms and categories we launch into.
- Shopify builds, migrations and growth
- Amazon account management
- Amazon Brand Registry and brand protection
- Klaviyo email and SMS management
- Google Shopping and Performance Max management
- TikTok Shop setup, creators and ads
- Outdoor and sporting goods brands
- Beauty and skincare brands
- Supplement brands
- Apparel and fashion brands
- Wineries, breweries and distilleries
- Food and beverage brands
Reading before a US launch.
- E-commerce · Takeaway
US shoppers expect a reply within one business day on email and within minutes on chat, and Amazon measures how many buyer messages a seller answers within 24 hours, weekends included.
E-commerce · 10 min read
US Customer Service Outsourcing and Returns for International Brands.
International brands usually plan the US launch around listings, ads and freight, then discover that American shoppers judge them on how fast they answer, how easy returns are and how disputes get handled. Here is how to set that up properly.
Read - E-commerce · Takeaway
Amazon Global Selling lets a company registered outside the United States open a Seller Central account for Amazon.com without forming a US entity first.
E-commerce · 11 min read
Amazon Global Selling: How to Sell on Amazon US From Abroad.
What it takes for a company outside the United States to sell on Amazon.com: the registration and verification steps, the tax interview, getting paid, a US trademark for Brand Registry, landing inventory at FBA, and the launch sequence we run.
Read - Agency Guide · Takeaway
A US pricing strategy starts at the shelf price the American buyer sees and works backward through every channel margin to the landed cost, not forward from the factory price.
Agency Guide · 11 min read
US Pricing Strategy for International Brands Entering the US.
How to set prices for the US market without guessing: build the landed cost, work backward from the shelf through every channel margin, protect the price with MSRP and MAP, and test before you lock it in.
Read
Questions from founders abroad.
- How do Australian brands expand to the US?
- Most follow the same sequence: a US market read, a landed-cost price, inventory imported in bulk to a US 3PL, a US storefront and Amazon.com presence, then paid media in the regions that fit the category. Your customs broker, accountant and attorney handle importing, sales tax and trademarks. We run the commercial launch and keep those advisors on one plan and timeline.
- Do Australian brands need a US 3PL?
- Almost always, for consumer products. US shoppers expect delivery in days, and with duty-free de minimis suspended at the time of writing, shipping single orders from Australia or New Zealand adds duties and entry work to every parcel. Importing in bulk to a US 3PL or Amazon fulfillment usually improves delivery times and makes landed cost predictable. We help select and connect the 3PL.
- Should we launch in the US on Amazon, DTC or retail first?
- It depends on your category and margin. DTC suits brands with strong creative and repeat purchase, Amazon suits products people already search for by type, and retail suits categories where shoppers buy in store. We usually pick one lead channel, prove it in chosen regions, then add the next. Launching all three at once from overseas tends to spread budget too thin.
- How do we work across the time difference with a US team?
- An Australian early morning overlaps with the previous afternoon on the US West Coast, and New Zealand overlaps a little earlier. We run campaigns and customer-facing work in US hours from Texas, send a written daily summary, and hold decisions for a fixed weekly call in the overlap window. Your team wakes up to results, not questions.
- Does Australian or New Zealand provenance help sell in the US?
- It helps as a proof point. Many Americans associate the region with the outdoors, surf, clean ingredients and quality food and wine. It does not replace a specific reason to buy, and many competitors already use similar imagery. We test provenance-led messages against product-led ones in US ads and keep what wins. Country of origin marking rules still apply to your packaging.
- What US rules apply to Australian beauty, wellness and wine brands?
- Several differ from home. Sunscreen is an over-the-counter drug in the US, cosmetics need MoCRA registration and listing, and supplements follow DSHEA claim rules. Wine needs a US importer with a federal permit, TTB label approval and state distribution compliance. Your regulatory advisor, importer and attorney own these steps at the time of writing; we plan marketing around their approvals.
Let’s plan your US launch.
A short note on where the business is and where it needs to go. A senior partner replies within one business day.