AU → US Expansion — The 5 Things That Surprise Operators

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You've decided to expand to the US. You set up Stripe US. You order inventory to ShipBob Florida. You launch Meta ads. Then you discover the 5 things AU operators didn't anticipate: CPM differences (US is 2-3x AU), returns culture (10-15% vs AU's 4-7%), sales tax friction (Module 9.6 implications), shipping speed expectations (US customers expect 1-3 day delivery), and holiday calendar (BFCM is much bigger in US). Today: the realities AU operators face on US expansion.

Surprise 1: US Meta CPMs are 2-3x AU

AU Meta CPM benchmarks 2026:

AU consumer products: A .20-2.80
AU specialty/competitive: A