Ireland Shipping & Selling eCommerce Guide

Shipping to Ireland can be a great way to grow your eCommerce business. Though a fairly small country, Ireland still offers a vibrant economy, Internet-savvy population and strong revenue growth from online shopping, making it an ideal place to consider expanding your online business cross-border.

Here’s a quick look at Ireland’s robust eCommerce market, including some market insights, popular online marketplaces to consider selling on, import regulations to know and more!

Strong eCommerce Revenue Growth in Ireland

Ireland is a European nation with a population of about 4.8 million and a total GDP of $305 billion. Ireland’s eCommerce industry has shown rapid and consistent growth in recent years as the Irish grow more and more accustomed to shopping online and Internet penetration grows across the country.

Most cross-border online retailers selling in Ireland are based in the neighbouring UK. Although Brexit has resulted in some confusion, the United Kingdom is still expected to be a major eCommerce trading partner with Ireland in the years ahead.

eCommerce growth in Ireland has been positive recently and the buying capacity of online shoppers has increased. Per Statista, eCommerce revenue is estimated to grow annually at a rate of more than 11 percent, indicating that online shopping has a bright future in the country.

In addition, Internet penetration stands at almost 79 percent as of 2019, a figure expected to grow to nearly 83 percent by 2023. Irish online shoppers also spend over $1,774 per year currently.

All in all, Ireland’s strong eCommerce growth and solid Internet penetration make it an excellent marketplace to consider selling in.

Global Online Marketplaces Remain Popular in Ireland

Many of the items bought in Ireland are originally from the UK, though other European countries have a strong presence in the Irish eCommerce market too. Online marketplaces in Ireland include major players like Amazon and eBay as well as a few local marketplaces.

The top online marketplaces in Ireland include:

• Amazon
• eBay
• Asos
• AliExpress
• Argos.ie
• Apple.com

Fashion Leads eCommerce Sales

Fashion is the current top category for online purchases in Ireland, followed closely by toys, hobby and DIY products. Furniture and appliances, and electronics and media are also popular product categories in the country.

Credit and Debit Cards Most Popular Way to Pay

Credit and debit cards are the top online payment methods in Ireland. PayPal is also a very popular option for Irish online shoppers, meaning that those looking to expand their eCommerce business to Ireland should make a point to include these payment options on their online store.

Local Holidays Offer Prime Selling Opportunity

The holidays - specifically, Christmas, St. Stephen’s Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s - are all very popular selling times in the country. Other great times to consider selling online in Ireland include Valentine’s Day in February, Mother’s Day in May and Father’s Day in June.

Shipping to Ireland

Before you start shipping to Ireland, it’s important to better understand the available couriers that ship to the country as well as Ireland’s import duties and regulations. Here’s a closer look at just that!

Some popular local couriers include:

• Irish Parcels
• Parcel Direct Ireland
• DPD Ireland
• Ideal Courier Services

Many international couriers that also ship to Ireland include:

• UPS
• DHL
• FedEx

Ireland also imposes a standard VAT rate of 23 percent with a tax threshold of 22 EUR and duty threshold of 150 EUR. Fashion products are subject to 12 percent import duties while dry foods and supplements also face a 15 percent import duty. However, computers, mobile devices, toys and books face no import duties when shipped to Ireland.

Restricted and Prohibited Items in Ireland

Like just every other country in the world, Ireland has its own import rules and regulations. Here’s a quick look at them!

Restricted items in Ireland:

• Books and periodic publications
• Animal products
• Bees
• Dairy products
• Footwear

Prohibited items in Ireland:

• All products containing DMF
• Counterfeit and pirated items
• Offensive weapons
• Smokeless tobacco
• Indecent and obscene prints

A more comprehensive list of restricted and prohibited items can be found here.

Before shipping to Ireland from the U.S. or elsewhere in the world, be sure to use Easyship’s shipping rates calculator to find the shipping solution that works best for your business. Our Ireland page is another excellent resource to use too!

Ireland: One of Europe's Hidden Gems for eCommerce

Ireland is a lucrative and growing eCommerce market that shouldn’t be overlooked by online merchants looking to grow cross-border. Be sure to sign up for Easyship today for free today and take your online business to the Emerald Isle!