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.

Business
Sutro Pivots from Drinking Water to Swimming Pools

April 1, 2022 • Eric Bandholz

Ravi Kurani is an engineer who launched Sutro, a water sensor manufacturer, in 2012. His initial go-to-market strategy failed. So he pivoted.
Business
How to Use SUMIF, SUMIFS in Google Sheets

March 30, 2022 • Armando Roggio

Analyzing total site traffic by channel for a specific period can seem daunting. But Google Sheets SUMIF and SUMIFS functions make the process straightforward.
Finance
Charts: Financial Stats of 6 Ecommerce Companies

March 29, 2022 • Adel Boukarroum

The pandemic-induced shift to online shopping has been a financial windfall for many ecommerce companies and related vendors. We look at six of them here.
Business
13 New Ecommerce Books for Spring 2022

March 28, 2022 • Sig Ueland

Once a quarter we publish a rundown of new business books that could help ecommerce merchants. This installment includes titles on analytics, podcasting, events, direct-to-consumer, more.
Business
‘People Development’ Drives AppSumo to $80 Million in Revenue

March 25, 2022 • Eric Bandholz

Ayman Al-Abdullah was CEO of AppSumo from 2015 to 2021. Annual revenue grew from $3 million to $80 million. How, exactly, did he do it?
Business
Charts: Average Order, Cart Abandons, More

March 23, 2022 • Adel Boukarroum

This week's ecommerce charts excerpts research from leading vendors on average global order values, cart abandonment rates, and industry opportunities for agencies and individuals.
Business
Are Apparel Brands Achieving Sustainability?

March 22, 2022 • Marcia Kaplan

Apparel companies are among the most environmentally damaging worldwide. But many are making efforts to improve. We cite examples in this piece.
Business
14 Marketplaces to Buy and Sell Websites

March 21, 2022 • Sig Ueland

Buyers and sellers of websites and other digital assets have plenty of marketplaces to facilitate transactions. Here's a rundown of 14 options ranging from full-service merger-and-acquisition providers to bare-bones listing services.
Business
How Merchants Combat Inflation without Raising Prices

March 20, 2022 • Armando Roggio

Inflation could be an opportunity for merchants to improve their businesses. Subscriptions, updated products, new markets, heightened productivity — all are potential alternatives to raising consumer prices.
Business
For Fragrance One, It’s Selling without Smelling

March 18, 2022 • Eric Bandholz

Fragrance One is a direct-to-consumer seller of colognes and perfumes — entirely online. Sales are booming despite buyers never smelling the fragrances.
Business
Lessons from 16 Years in Ecommerce

March 17, 2022 • Christopher Dobroth

Christopher Dobroth has worked in ecommerce since 2006. He's held management and operational positions across many industries. Here are his three lessons for success.
Business
Charts: Future of B2B Events

March 16, 2022 • Adel Boukarroum

The pandemic appears to have reset priorities of B2B event attendees and vendors. Both now value digital experiences as much as in-person, according to a recent survey.
Business
Ecommerce Product Releases: March 15, 2022

March 15, 2022 • Sig Ueland

Twice monthly we publish a rundown of new services, updates, and collaborations that could help merchants. This installment addresses social commerce, shipping, virtual fitting, more.
Business
Q&A: Anastasia Zhuk, Ukraine Agency Owner

March 13, 2022 • Kerry Murdock

The Whidegroup is an ecommerce agency in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, near Crimea. Its co-owner, Anastasia Zhuk, describes in this interview the war's impact on her business, family, and life.
Business
Fox Rocks on LinkedIn

March 11, 2022 • Eric Bandholz

Judi Fox began networking on LinkedIn in 2009. She now, in 2022, has 39,000 followers and advises companies and professionals on marketing strategies for that platform.
Business
How the Ukraine War Impacts Ecommerce

March 10, 2022 • Armando Roggio

Human suffering from the Ukraine war is far more important than economic impacts. Nonetheless, business leaders should contemplate the potential effects on their companies.
Shipping & Fulfillment
Charts: Global Parcel Shipping Volume, Transit Times

March 9, 2022 • Adel Boukarroum

Parcel shipping volume worldwide will grow dramatically. Statista estimates the volume to double by 2026. We chart that growth, transit times, and more in this piece.
Business
Fortnite Maker Pivots to the Creator Economy

March 7, 2022 • Armando Roggio

In acquiring Bandcamp, Epic Games hopes to capitalize on the so-called creator economy, wherein writers, coaches, and others sell their services directly to consumers.
Business
Indonesia, an Overlooked Ecommerce Market

March 6, 2022 • Marcia Kaplan

Indonesia has the fourth largest global population and a sizeable ecommerce economy. Yet Western merchants often overlook the opportunity to sell there.
Business
Stryx, a DTC Brand, Prepares Rollout in Target Stores

March 4, 2022 • Eric Bandholz

Stryx is a pioneering direct-to-consumer seller of men's cosmetics. The company is soon to launch its products in 950 Target stores. The decision comes with risks.
Business
Charts: U.S. Retail Ecommerce Sales Q4 2021

March 2, 2022 • Adel Boukarroum

Fourth-quarter 2021 U.S. retail ecommerce sales increased but at a lower percentage than in-store growth. Thus the percentage of ecommerce to total U.S. retail sales decreased in Q4. We explain in three charts.
Business
Ecommerce Product Releases: March 2, 2022

March 2, 2022 • Sig Ueland

Our latest rundown of new services that could help ecommerce merchants includes mobile payments, product recommendations, fulfillment, and more.
Business
February 2022 Top 10: Our Most Popular Posts

February 28, 2022 • PEC Staff

Of the roughly 40 articles we published in February, readers preferred topics related to content marketing, SEO, influencer marketing, and B2B ecommerce — to name a few.
Business
The Fallacy of Data-driven Decisions

February 27, 2022 • Armando Roggio

The notion of data-driven decisions implies the data is perfect and the decision is unaffected by external influences. Neither is true.
Business
Consumers in a Pandemic Need Murphy Beds

February 25, 2022 • Eric Bandholz

Lori Wall Beds launched 10 years ago in a garage. Annual revenue now exceeds $10 million. Owner Brenden Marquardt describes going from a side hustle to a thriving direct-to-consumer company.
Finance
Charts: Global Retail Tech Funding 2021

February 23, 2022 • Adel Boukarroum

2021 was a record year for global funding of retail technology. In this installment of our weekly charts, analyst Adel Boukarroum breaks down the numbers.
Business
A Model for Choosing Products to Sell

February 22, 2022 • Armando Roggio

Commodities typically have lower profit margins than manufactured goods or transformational products. For merchants, understanding the difference could determine success or failure.
Business
17 Podcasts for Online Merchants in 2022

February 21, 2022 • Sig Ueland

Since 2011 we've published a periodic rundown of helpful podcasts for ecommerce merchants. Our 2022 update includes shows for new entrepreneurs, seasoned owners, executives, and more.
Business
Apparel Brands Face Environmental Scrutiny

February 20, 2022 • Marcia Kaplan

The global apparel industry is among the most environmentally damaging. Eighty percent of clothing fiber ends up in landfills. Consumers are taking notice.
Business
BK Beauty, Avoiding Facebook, Thrives with Affiliate Marketing

February 18, 2022 • Eric Bandholz

Paul Jauregui launched BK Beauty, a direct-to-consumer cosmetics brand, with Lisa, his wife, in 2019. Unlike many DTC brands, BK Beauty does not rely on Facebook advertising.