Guide to the Windsor Framework for Ecommerce Brands
Note: The UK Government has announced that it is giving businesses more time to prepare for the new Windsor Framework arrangements, and the deadline to implement these changes has been moved to March 31, 2025. For more information, please see the Government’s statement here.
Starting on 30 September 2024, new regulations under the Windsor Framework will change how parcels are shipped between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
This framework primarily focuses on data about the contents of parcels that ecommerce companies need to provide to their carriers to ensure smooth delivery processes.
Whether your business is already shipping from Zenstores, or you’re looking for a solution to minimise the impact of the Windsor Framework on your business, it’s important to get ahead. To help guide you through these changes, we’ve put together a summary that covers:
- An overview of the Windsor Framework
- How these changes will impact your ecommerce business
- How using Zenstores can help you navigate these changes
What is the Windsor Framework?
The Windsor Framework is a new set of agreements between Great Britain, Northern Ireland, and the European Union. It aims to make trade between these areas simpler and address concerns about how decisions were made under the previous Northern Ireland Protocol.
These agreements have been designed to reduce customs checks and paperwork for ecommerce brands to facilitate smoother trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland while maintaining necessary regulatory standards.
Will my ecommerce business be affected by the Windsor Framework?
If you’re an ecommerce brand that ships between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Windsor Framework is likely to affect you. The Windsor Framework will affect shipping from all ecommerce platforms, including Shopify, WooCommerce, Amazon, eBay, Etsy and more.
The UK has agreed that authorised parcel operators will manage data sharing in batches to monitor and manage risks.
These authorised carriers can send consumer parcels without international customs requirements like declarations and tariffs but will need to provide data on parcel movements to HMRC.
However, as the sender, ecommerce businesses may be required to share the following data with carriers:
- Name and address of sender
- Name and address of recipient
- Place of delivery (if different from the address of the recipient)
- Total value of goods in the parcel
- Weight of parcel
- Number of items in the parcel
- Plain English goods description of each item
- Commodity code (if known)
Navigating the Windsor Framework regulations for GB to NI shipping
To continue shipping within the UK from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, you will need to comply with the regulations set out in the Windsor Framework.
You will need to understand what data your carrier requires and ensure you provide accurate information accordingly. Since requirements may vary by carrier, it’s important to understand their specific guidelines under the Windsor Framework.
How Zenstores simplifies Windsor Framework compliance for ecommerce brands
Zenstores is a delivery experience platform that streamlines your daily shipping operations - preparing your business for growth.
With the upcoming changes set to happen because of the Windsor Framework, we’ve been committed to minimising the impact of these changes for ecommerce businesses.
We’re working with Windsor Framework authorised carriers, such as Royal Mail, DPD, Evri, and Parcelforce, to understand and implement their new policies in line with the Windsor Framework, so that ecommerce brands shipping between Great Britain and Northern Ireland can continue shipping without disruption.
As all Zenstores carrier integrations are managed in-house, we are well set up to implement relevant changes to ensure that:
- Parcels get to their destination on-time.
- The impact on your business’s fulfilment and shipping is minimised.
Additionally, you can use Shipping Rules to automate fulfilment and shipping tasks. This includes selecting the appropriate carrier, choosing the right shipping service, printing fulfilment documentation, sending dispatch notifications, and more.
By setting up automations in Shipping Rules ready for the implementation of the Windsor Framework, you can save time that would’ve been spent handling booking forms and minimise potential errors, so that you can continue focusing on growing your business.
Get prepared for the Windsor Framework with Zenstores
With the Windsor Framework set to be implemented on 30 September 2024, now is the time to prepare your ecommerce business.
From automating your shipping processes, to printing your labels, Zenstores streamlines your shipping management - setting you up to scale whatever changes come your way.
Get started with Zenstores today.