Full Figured Questions - International Shopping

I recently recived and email from a young lady that lives in Argentina who will be traveling to Miami, Fl in order to find trendy clothes in size 30-32. I sent her a list of stores off the top of my head that included Catherines, Fashion Bug, and Lane Bryant. One of the problems she is faced with when it comes to shopping for plus size fashion is that even though most major and minor merchants have websites not all ship internationally.  Of those that do ship overseas in some cases there is a problem with the translation of money from one country to another and other issues.

One thing that I never considered when I started this blog is the problems that plus size women in other countries face when dealing with shopping.  If the example of the young lady in  Argentina is a snapshot of what is happening around around the world, the global plus size fashion issue is worse than what we as Americans including myself normally focus on.

In the years of blogging that I have experienced it never really occurred to me the problems that larger men and women in other countries have with purchasing an everyday item that I take for granted.  In the United States the problems of shopping for plus size clothing has caused the launching of independent websites such as Kathy’s Curvy Corner  and Belle Avenue to meet the needs of the community.  Though websites like these ship worldwide most webmasters and bloggers in the United States including my own tend to post information that benefits people in this country, but it is obvious with the email that I received that my audience and the audience of many other sites live in other countries.

A few things to consider when shopping in one country but you live in another:

1. Does the merchant ship to your country - This should be the first thing that you find out before getting all excited and pull out your credit card.  If the merchant has a US and international version of there site then they ship worldwide. If not check the Customer Service section of there site for shipping details.
2. Exchange Rate - Most sites that ship around the world will have a money exchange chart on their site.  If one is not available The Universal Currency Converter is one that I use often when dealing with currency exchange.
3. Size - When dealing with sizes there is no standard which makes shopping very confusing. A size 22 in the US is a size 24 in the UK and a size 50 in other parts of the world. Be sure to pay close attention to these numbers to avoid confusion.
4. Taxes and Shipping - A full understanding of the merchants shipping and handling and tax structure is very important. Its very possible that you could end up in some cases paying as much as half the cost of the item in tax and shipping and handling. These fees should be listed on their website if not contact the merchant.
5. Return Policy - When doing any type of shopping online be sure you are familiar with the companies return policy. Most merchants will have their return policy clearly stated in the customer service section of their site. If not contact the merchant directly to find out there policy to avoid delays if the items have to be returned.

Problems with shopping in the plus size community is a global issue.  I will do my part to find more websites and companies that allow customers to shop no matter where they are in the world.  If there is anyone that knows of any plus size websites or even brick and mortar locations that ship worldwide email me at owner@fullfigureplus.com or leave a comment along with your thoughts on this issue.