How Made by Mary Boosted International Sales 90% with Shopify

Overview

Made by Mary started in 2013 as a creative outlet for new mom Mary Moody. She designed simple, personalized jewelry pieces to celebrate life’s key moments. As her brand gained traction domestically, demand emerged from around the world. But long shipping times and surprise customs fees undercut early orders and left shop managers juggling refunds and support tickets.

The Challenge

International buyers waited two to four weeks for delivery. When packages finally arrived, extra taxes and duties came due at the door. Customers who didn’t know they’d owe fees would often abandon the box, file complaints, or demand a refund. With only 1% of sales coming from overseas, this tiny slice of revenue was causing a huge support burden.

The Solution

Made by Mary was already on Shopify when they learned about Shopify Managed Markets. They enabled local currency checkout with duties and taxes calculated and collected upfront. Shipping labels and discounted rates were handled within Shopify Shipping. Fraud screening, import compliance, and market-specific controls all ran under the same account. No extra integrations, no maintenance—just one platform to click and go.

The Results

With duties baked into checkout and fast label printing, orders ship the same day. International shipping dropped from up to 30 days to just three or four days. Surprise fees disappeared. Support tickets from overseas buyers fell by half. Conversion rates jumped as much as 180%, and order volume rose 90%. The brand even unlocked new regions like Europe and Singapore without extra overhead.

Made by Mary now focuses on designing and marketing rather than chasing packages. International buyers are happier, repeat orders have started to trend upward, and internal teams have reclaimed time previously spent on customer service. It’s the kind of smooth expansion every ecommerce merchant wants.