Luxury retailer Nordstrom has just joined the growing list of American companies now shipping directly to Bermuda.The Seattle-based department store, known for its shoes, only has stores in the US right now, but thanks to a partnership with global e-commerce provider FiftyOne, they’re already shipping around the world.Nordstrom hired FiftyOne to provide their website with the technology to allow the international shipping features. A website powered with the FiftyOne technology automatically detects an online shopper’s country of residence, converts US dollar prices into local currency and figures out sales taxes, customs duties and international shipping charges.“We just recently went live with international shipping to Bermuda — last month actually,” Colin Johnson, a spokesperson for Nordstrom, told The Royal Gazette. “Ever since we launched this capability back in 2009, we’ve continued to learn and add more countries and destinations.“We recognised we had an opportunity to better serve our customers in Bermuda and we hope this now will make it a little more convenient to be able to shop with us.”FiftyOne, whose other clients include Nordstrom rivals Macy’s, Saks Fifth Avenue and Bloomingdale’s, also handles all of the customs paperwork for companies.So, when you log on to nordstrom.com, or any other retailer partnered with FiftyOne, the site knows you’re in Bermuda and gives you an exact total. It factors in all duties, taxes, and international shipping rates at checkout. The technology gives guaranteed landed costs (no additional charges at delivery) and allows you to use a Bermuda-based credit card.“Leading retailers in the US rely on FiftyOne to help them enter new markets abroad,” FiftyOne CEO, Michael DeSimone said in a recent statement. “One of the keys to success is localising the experience. Offering shoppers familiar payment options with prices in the local currency improves the user experience.”Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus and Macy’s are just a few of the retailers extending their international presence by shipping to countries worldwide through their partnerships with FiftyOne. In the last year, Barney’s, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdales, J Crew, Williams-Sonoma, Crate and Barrel and Pottery Barn have also started shipping internationally and all ship to Bermuda. Other sites like Ann Taylor and LOFT are expected to start shipping here in the near future.The majority of retailers’ items are available for purchase in Bermuda, but due to varying laws and global vendor partnership restrictions, some products are excluded. These good include oversized items like furniture and vary from company to company.Founded in 1999, FiftyOne has partnered with more than 125 leading brands and retailers, allowing international customers to shop those brands in more than 40 currencies.The Christmas shopping season officially kicked off on Black Friday — the day after Thanksgiving in the US and the company says more global consumers than ever before logged on to shop from US retailers that day through Cyber Monday.“For the first time, FiftyOne saw a majority of its merchants actively market to and engage their international audience,” Mr DeSimone said. “The international opportunity is immense, and FiftyOne partners with American retailers to extend their eCommerce operations, build brand awareness, and grow sales in over 100 countries worldwide.”According to the company, international consumers spent the most money at luxury department stores, spending an average of $337 per transaction.While FiftyOne has been around a while, it wasn’t until November last year, that the company expanded its reach to 17 new countries including the Caribbean and Bermuda. Since then, more and more retailers have been enabled to ship here.Before that, there were only a handful of online retailers who shipped to Bermuda directly — Shopbop.com and Net-a-Porter, among them.While the news of Nordstrom and others now shipping here may come a bit late for Christmas shoppers, there are a couple of deals Bermuda residents might want to take advantage of.One comes from Shopbop.com, which is offering free express international shipping for orders over $100. That means orders placed on or before December 19 would make it to Bermuda by Christmas Eve.The other deal comes from J Crew who is offering free international shipping, free international returns and duty-free shopping through December 30. Prices of items may however, vary from US prices.