Sainsbury's & Argos solved customs compliance and reduced carrier dependency across China

ITD Global's team on the ground in China standardised factory documentation and introduced FedEx International Priority — eliminating customs delays and giving Sainsbury's & Argos genuine courier flexibility for the first time.

Last updated 22 July 2026

At origin

Compliance solved

standardised factory documentation

DHL → FedEx

Courier flexibility unlocked

no more single-contract pricing

2 brands · 2 offices

Single logistics partner

HK + Shanghai, both brands

At a glance

Industry: Retail / Global Sourcing
Market: China (HK + Shanghai) → UK
Carriers: FedEx International Priority (replacing DHL Express)
Key Feature: China-based compliance team + factory templates
Services: Multi-brand routing, sample + parcel shipping

The stack behind this story

Shipping

International Import

Carriers

FedEx

The Challenge

Sainsbury's and Argos source from hundreds of factories across China through two offices in Hong Kong and Shanghai, with no standardised process for managing international shipments. Factories were unclear about which parcels and samples belonged to which brand, leading to mislabelling, misrouting, and customs delays. The team was managing all international express through DHL Express with no benchmarking, no visibility over costs, and no alternative service options — paying more than they needed to with no specialist support to challenge it.

The Solution

ITD Global placed their own team on the ground in China and took ownership of the compliance process end-to-end. We reviewed factory paperwork, identified the gaps, and created a standardised documentation template built for a multi-brand environment — giving each factory a clear process for identifying which shipment belonged to which brand. We also introduced FedEx International Priority as a more commercially competitive option, giving Sainsbury's and Argos genuine courier flexibility backed by a single logistics partner managing everything from China to the UK.

The Result

Customs compliance owned and solved at origin — the standardised factory template removed the ambiguity that had been causing customs holds. Multi-brand clarity built into the process so shipments moved through the right channels every time. Movement away from a single DHL Express contract unlocked more commercially appropriate FedEx International Priority rates. And one accountable logistics partner now manages everything across both brands and both offices.