How Ukrainian businesses can easily establish exports to Switzerland: A working model for Ricardo.ch

When Ukrainian brands plan to enter the international arena, their attention is usually focused on the markets of the USA and the EU countries. However, one of the wealthiest and most stable markets in the world, Switzerland, often remains overlooked. And the key to this demanding audience lies through the country’s main online platform – Ricardo.ch.

This is not just a website, but a national phenomenon. For Ukrainian businesses offering quality products, Ricardo can be a path to an incredibly affluent audience. In this article, we will outline a realistic strategy for entering this market and explain the key role that proper logistics plays in it.

Why the Swiss Market is Attractive for Ukrainian Exports

• High purchasing power: Switzerland consistently ranks at the top globally for income levels, ensuring high demand for quality and premium products.
• Demand for niche products: Swiss consumers value uniqueness, handmade goods, and products with a story, which is a strong point of Ukrainian brands.
• Limited international competition: Due to high entry barriers on Ricardo.ch, local sellers dominate, creating an opportunity for prepared foreign companies.

High prices, demand for exclusivity, and relatively low competition make Switzerland a very promising market. However, to access these advantages, there are several serious challenges to overcome.

The Main Barrier: Why the Direct Shipping Model Doesn’t Work?

Only users with a verified address in Switzerland and registered as residents can sell products on Ricardo. This applies to both individuals and companies. During registration, Ricardo verifies the details through a postal address and SMS confirmation, which is only available for Swiss numbers.

Unlike global marketplaces, Ricardo.ch is focused on the domestic market. The direct model of “ordering in Ukraine → individual shipment to a customer in Switzerland” is practically impossible due to the platform’s requirements for sellers (having a Swiss address, bank account).

Working Strategy: B2B Supply Model via Local Partner

The only realistic path for Ukrainian businesses is to establish a local presence in Switzerland.

How it works:

• Partnership in Switzerland: You find a partner (distributor, representative, or fulfillment center) who will store your products and ship orders within the country.
• Organizing B2B shipments to Switzerland: You create a commercial shipment of goods (e.g., 100 clothing items or 50 decor items) and send it as a single shipment to your partner’s address. This is where GlobalPost plays a key role.
• Sales on Ricardo.ch: Your partner lists the products on the platform under a local account, offering fast local delivery.

GlobalPost Services for Entering the Swiss Market

At the second, most important stage — organizing the commercial shipment — GlobalPost acts as your key logistics partner. Our turnkey service includes:

• Customs brokerage and export clearance: We prepare the full package of documents for export from Ukraine, including export declaration (EX-1), invoices, and certificates, and correctly classify goods according to the UKT ZED codes.
• Organizing international transportation: We organize the delivery of your commercial shipments (including palletized cargo) by air or road transport.
• Processing transit documents (T1): When shipping through the EU, we can accept the cargo at our warehouse in Warsaw and process the T1 declaration for further transit to Switzerland.
• Customs clearance in Switzerland: Our partners assist with customs clearance directly in the destination country.

Learn more about opportunities for small and medium businesses on our business page.

Which Products Have the Greatest Potential

This strategy works best for high-value-added products where quality and uniqueness justify the complex logistics:

• Niche clothing, footwear, and accessory brands.
• Art items, collectibles, and antiques.
• Craft goods and unique home decor.

Additionally, this model is perfect for B2B sellers looking for distributors in Switzerland, as it allows delivering samples or the first batch of products for presentation.

Conclusion

Entering the Swiss market through Ricardo.ch is a complex but strategically justified step for a prepared business. The key to success is having an experienced logistics partner who thoroughly understands the rules for working with non-European markets. GlobalPost is exactly that partner. We specialize in exports from Ukraine, document preparation, customs support, and fast delivery to Switzerland. We work “turnkey” so you can focus on brand development — not logistics.

Stay tuned for updates on our blog! In the next article in our Swiss market series, we will thoroughly review the platform Tutti.ch. We will explain how it differs from traditional marketplaces and when it can be useful for Ukrainian entrepreneurs.

Planning to export to Switzerland? Contact us for a detailed consultation on all aspects of B2B delivery and customs clearance.

If you are working as an individual rather than a company, learn more about export solutions for private clients.