How GoSend is taking unique advantage of being in Delaware

Here’s how you can tell you’re looking at a company near its inception: virtually everything is done in the same room. A large room, in the case of the Wilmington startup GoSend, which is the brainchild of CEO Rich Rodgers.
The international shopping facilitator (shipping service is far too basic a description) is getting bigger every day, with a customer base that is located entirely overseas, where shopping online can be an exercise in costly frustration.
“Say you’re in the U.K., and you want to shop on the Ralph Lauren website,” explained Rodgers. “Usually, it will re-route you to a local site, where the selection goes way down, and the prices go way up.”
Not to mention the exorbitant international shipping prices.
With only a tiny fraction of U.S. retail sellers offering international shipping, and international shipping costs that are through the roof, this is a service that is poised to tap a massive, under-the-radar market. Popular items include designer clothing, shoes and, up until last week, Halloween costumes.
But here’s GoSend’s unique, place-based proposition: The startup simplifies international shopping by giving members a virtual locker with a tax-free Wilmington address. Customers order on U.S. retail sites, have their orders shipped to their virtual locker and, within 60 days, arrange to have items shipped at a fraction the cost.

“It’s like Amazon Prime for international shoppers,” Rodgers said.
GoSend’s small but growing staff does everything from process packages to curating deals for their members, who pay a monthly fee for a virtual locker and special shipping deals.
There’s more to GoSend than just receiving and re-shipping, though.
“We’ve created our own packing optimizer software that virtually consolidates packages and estimates the lowest rate possible,” said Rodgers. Between the software, the company’s bulk shipping discounts and the tax-free address, GoSend averages costs that are about half of its few U.S. competitors, all of which are in other states.
By this time next year, Rodgers plans to move the receiving and processing end of the business to a larger warehouse space, and devote the current office space entirely to staff such as developers, marketers, curators and designers. GoSend is currently looking to hire developers and graphic artists.