Business

An ecommerce site is a business. Our Management & Finance category addresses online payments, funding needs, employee issues, merchant profiles, key metrics, multichannel and omnichannel strategies, cross-border analyses, inventory management, accounting topics, sales taxes, and much more.

Amazon & Marketplaces
Should Merchants Launch Their Own Marketplaces?

September 30, 2021 • Armando Roggio

For manufacturers, distributors, and enterprise retailers, owning a marketplace could be a competitive advantage and a key to business growth.
Business
September 2021 Top 10: Our Most Popular Posts

September 30, 2021 • PEC Staff

Since 2005 we’ve published thousands of articles, webinars, and podcast episodes to assist ecommerce merchants. What follows are the most popular articles that we published in September 2021. Articles from early in the month are more likely to make the list than later ones.
B2B
The Emergence of B2B Raw Material Marketplaces

September 26, 2021 • Armando Roggio

Business-to-business marketplaces are among ecommerce's leading growth trends, yet many industries remain under-served, especially for raw materials.
Business
Lessons from Bankruptcy Drive Ecom Agency Founder

September 24, 2021 • Eric Bandholz

Josh Durham knows the downside of entrepreneurship. He founded an ecommerce company in 2015 and quickly grew revenue. Then it went out of business. Fast forward to 2021, and Durham has bounced back. He launched a successful marketing agency, Aligned Growth Management, that builds on his own early-day lessons.
Inventory
Supply Chain Problems Upend the Global Economy

September 23, 2021 • Marcia Kaplan

Nothing highlighted the United States’ reliance on foreign manufactured goods more than the Covid-19 pandemic.
Business
DTC Brands, Amid Disruptions, Should Seek New Sales Channels

September 23, 2021 • Armando Roggio

Starting a digital direct-to-consumer brand has never been easier. But growing that brand into a successful business may have become more difficult.
Business
Will Supportive Spending Impact Ecommerce?

September 20, 2021 • Armando Roggio

The pandemic changed how shoppers think about life generally and the products they use specifically, according to reports from Google, Accenture, and others. This includes picking brands and products for ethical reasons instead of economic ones.
Business
Should DTC Brands Sell to Mass Merchandisers?

September 17, 2021 • Eric Bandholz

Beardbrand's products are in all 2,000 Target stores. Lindsey Reinders, my business partner, drove that project in 2018. Selling products to mass merchandisers is a goal of many direct-to-consumer ecommerce brands. Has selling to Target worked out for Beardbrand? I asked Lindsey that question and more.
Business
What Makes a Good Ecommerce Brand?

September 16, 2021 • Armando Roggio

Helen Vaid is CEO of Foundry, a business aggregator that buys and grows commerce brands. She believes the explosion of products and seemingly unlimited consumer choice mean brands must do more than merely sell goods and services.
Payments
An Introduction to NFTs

September 15, 2021 • Mike Eckler

Non-fungible tokens are a hot topic. Some claim that NFTs are the future of artwork — viable, profitable investments. Detractors wonder if NFTs are a short-term novelty. In this post, I'll describe NFTs and how they are created, purchased, and sold.
Business
Software Exec Shifts to Bicycle Components, and Thrives

September 10, 2021 • Eric Bandholz

Brian De Groodt launched Dispatch Custom Cycling Components in 2018 after a long career in enterprise software. The company sells bicycle headset caps, which sit atop the stem connecting handlebars to the frame. Customers can customize the caps, adding uniqueness to their bikes.
Business
Will the Creator Economy Embrace Ecommerce?

September 9, 2021 • Armando Roggio

As the so-called creator economy evolves and expands, ecommerce could become a significant revenue channel, helping to create new business models and drive the development of new commerce platforms. The terms "creator" and "creator economy" are a little ambiguous.
Amazon & Marketplaces
Ecommerce Briefs: Amazon v. Walmart, Prime Members, E.U. Sellers

September 9, 2021 • Marcia Kaplan

“Ecommerce Briefs” is my occasional series on news and developments that impact online merchants. In this installment, I’ll focus on Amazon's omnichannel growth and Prime membership, as well as acquisitions of third-party Amazon sellers in Europe.
Shipping & Fulfillment
3 Ways to Reduce Shipping Costs

September 7, 2021 • Elaine Porteous

Lowering shipping costs is a surefire way to improve profits. Same-day delivery, free shipping, standard transit, click-and-collect — all are candidates for cost reductions.
Staffing
Foundr Owner on Burnout, Recovery, Priorities

September 3, 2021 • Eric Bandholz

Nathan Chan seemingly had it all. His business, Foundr, is hugely successful, combining media with entrepreneurship training. He interacts with prominent global founders. Then came burnout.
Business
August 2021 Top 10: Our Most Popular Posts

August 31, 2021 • PEC Staff

Our mission since 2005 is to publish independent content to help ecommerce merchants. What follows are the 10 most popular articles that we published in August 2021. Articles from early in the month are more likely to make the list than later ones.
Business
Hyve Founder: Bacteria Is Helpful for Home Cleaning

August 27, 2021 • Eric Bandholz

Shreya Patel is a biologist and healthcare administrator who seeks to change how folks clean their homes. Products that kill bacteria do more harm than good, she says. And that's why she launched Hyve, a direct-to-consumer seller of household cleaning goods.
Shipping & Fulfillment
Last-mile Delivery Attracts New Services, Providers

August 26, 2021 • Marcia Kaplan

With the holiday shopping season approaching, retailers and carriers are rolling out new delivery services. Smaller third-party providers are also entering the market, as last-mile delivery remains the most troublesome part of the package handling process.
Business
‘Five Forces’ That Make or Break Consumer Brands

August 26, 2021 • Armando Roggio

Creating a consumer brand involves identifying competitive advantages, gaps, and unmet needs. But how is that done? One solution is Michael E. Porter's five competitive forces.
Business
Apparel Merchant Is the ‘Godfather of Memewear’

August 20, 2021 • Eric Bandholz

Ardon Lukas wore a shirt to this interview from his online apparel store, Shirtwascash. It was a velvet tank top with a photo of Elon Musk smoking marijuana during a podcast. "I see my role as broadening people's perspectives," he told me.
Shipping & Fulfillment
Smart Lockers Are Upending Parcel Delivery

August 18, 2021 • Elaine Porteous

The growth in ecommerce has fueled the demand for sophisticated delivery options. Consumers are not always at home or at work to accept packages. Many seek contactless alternatives. Smart lockers are driving much of the innovation in parcel pick-up.
Business
‘Intrepreneurship’ Has Rewards, Says Company Founder

August 13, 2021 • Eric Bandholz

Bryan DeLuca has a name for folks who build brands within large corporations. He calls them "intrepreneurs." He should know. Having co-founded and then sold a successful ecommerce business, DeLuca worked for a traditional retailer, creating brands within the company.
Cross-border Selling
Driven by Covid-19, India’s Ecommerce Surges

August 11, 2021 • Marcia Kaplan

Owing to its large population, India has always been an attractive ecommerce market, even if a relatively small percentage of its residents have access to the internet or adequate income. But ecommerce is now surging in India.
Business
Charts: Plastic Waste from Ecommerce Is Flooding the World

August 10, 2021 • Anna Kayfitz

In a seminal report titled "Amazon's Plastic Problem Revealed," Oceana, a nonprofit ocean-advocacy organization, described the amount of plastic packaging waste generated worldwide by ecommerce generally and Amazon specifically. "Amazon has a plastic problem," the report stated.
Payments
15 Mobile Payment Systems for Merchants

August 10, 2021 • Sig Ueland

Mobile payment systems provide flexibility to consumers and merchants while unifying online and offline operations. Here is a list of mobile payment services for merchants. There are point-of-sale systems, digital wallets, mobile hardware, software for mobile and web applications, and more.
Business
Greenbelly Thrives with Backpacking Meals

August 6, 2021 • Eric Bandholz

Chris Cage founded Greenbelly, a maker of high-nutrition meal bars for backpackers, after leaving his accounting job and traveling the world. That was in 2014. Fast forward to 2021, and the business is thriving.
Business
July 2021 Top 10: Our Most Popular Posts

August 4, 2021 • PEC Staff

Since 2005 we’ve published thousands of articles, webinars, and podcast episodes to assist ecommerce merchants. What follows are the most popular articles that we published in July 2021. Articles from ...
Shipping & Fulfillment
Warehouse Automation Starts with Picking, Sorting, Packaging

August 3, 2021 • Elaine Porteous

Your fulfillment warehouse is growing fast. More orders are arriving in increasingly varied dimensions and quantities. You may be considering additional employees and space. An alternative is improving productivity by automating some manual tasks.
Shipping & Fulfillment
17 Sustainable Packaging Providers

August 3, 2021 • Sig Ueland

Recycled cardboard, cornstarch peanuts, containers made from mushrooms or seaweed, minimal reusable mailers — there are plenty of sustainable packaging options to limit your business’s carbon footprint and drive eco-friendly customer loyalty. Here is a list of sustainable packaging providers.
Business
Entrepreneur Loses $6 Million, Bounces Back

July 30, 2021 • Eric Bandholz

Shakil Prasla recently made a big mistake. An astute ecommerce operator and owner, Prasla purchased in late 2020 Covid-related protective gloves at roughly twice the ultimate selling price. His company, Gloves.com, lost $6 million.