GLBE: 2025 growth sets up a strong 2026 for sales teams
Global-E Online (GLBE) reported steady momentum in 2025, supported by consistent trading patterns, new merchant onboarding, and rising cross-border e-commerce demand. Looking ahead to 2026, the focus is clear: expand across APAC, optimize the product, and use AI to accelerate sales. That creates real openings for sellers who can position value around international growth and conversion impact.
Why this matters for sales
- Stable 2025 performance signals budget confidence and room for new initiatives in 2026.
- APAC expansion means net-new logos, regional upsells, and fresh partnership plays.
- Product optimization gives you new angles to solve conversion, checkout, and localization friction.
- AI-driven sales acceleration points to shorter cycles, tighter targeting, and better win rates.
- A healthy pipeline plus untapped market potential equals room to overperform quota if you execute.
Action playbook for 1H-2H 2026
- Prioritize APAC segments: start with enterprise and upper mid-market brands with clear international traffic but low non-domestic conversion. Lead with a "first 90 days to first sale" plan.
- Localize the pitch: highlight local payments, languages, duties/taxes at checkout, and shipment transparency. Tie each capability to a conversion lift, not features.
- Partner early: co-sell with e-commerce platforms and agencies already active in APAC. Swap customer stories and run joint webinars for fast pipeline generation.
- Land-and-expand: propose a phased rollout (1-2 priority markets), then expand to 5+ once the KPI pack hits target.
- Bring AI to the workflow: use AI for account research, outreach personalization, objection handling, and next-step suggestions. Keep a playbook and templates your team can reuse.
Pipeline themes that resonate
- International conversion lift: fewer cart abandons through better pricing, duties clarity, and local checkout flows.
- Speed to new markets: launch internationally without a long IT queue or complex tax setup.
- CAC efficiency: win more from existing traffic by improving cross-border UX instead of only buying more ads.
- Merchandising clarity: cleaner catalog and pricing logic across regions to protect margins.
Metrics buyers will care about
- Conversion rate by market and device
- Average order value and cross-border GMV share
- Time-to-first-sale in new markets
- Refund/return rate tied to duties/taxes confusion
- Checkout performance: payment success rate and page speed
Conversation starters you can steal
- "I noticed your international traffic is strong, but the checkout looks domestic-first. What would a 0.5-1.0 point conversion lift do for your Q3 plan?"
- "If we could launch you into two APAC markets in 60-90 days with clear duties and local payment options, which SKUs would you start with?"
- "Most teams overspend on acquisition. Would you trade 10% of that budget for a cross-border conversion program if we can show payback in a quarter?"
De-risk the deal
- Run a limited-scope pilot with tight KPIs and clear exit criteria.
- Use a sandbox or staging store to validate pricing, tax, and translation logic.
- Align success plans with operations: SLAs, fraud checks, and returns handling included.
- Share weekly rollup metrics so buyers see proof before they scale.
Next steps
- Map your top 50 accounts with international traffic and low non-domestic conversion. Prioritize 10 for a pilot narrative.
- Create three APAC-ready email sequences with localized proof points and a clear 30-minute "conversion audit" offer.
- Build an AI-assisted outreach workflow to speed research, personalization, and follow-ups.
Useful links
Context: Insights reflect GLBE's 2025 performance and 2026 focus areas shared around APAC expansion, product optimization, and AI-enabled sales acceleration.
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