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.

Inventory
Charts: Global Supply Chain Trends 2022

September 28, 2022 • Adel Boukarroum

Controlling costs and minimizing risks are among the top challenges of supply chain executives worldwide. Here's our look at a recent survey by a leading research firm.
Shipping & Fulfillment
5 Ways to Upgrade to Eco-friendly Ecommerce

September 27, 2022 • Pete Bruckshaw

In 2022, sustainable selling is not just good for the environment. It also drives sales. Here are five steps to go green.
Payments
Charts: Global Payments Trends and Outlook

September 21, 2022 • Adel Boukarroum

Funding decreased in Q2 2022 for payment technology companies. Nonetheless, much innovation is afoot. We tell the story in this week's charts.
Cross-border Selling
Southeast Asia Tops Worldwide Ecommerce Growth

September 15, 2022 • Marcia Kaplan

There are 10 countries in Southeast Asia. Five of them have the fastest ecommerce growth rates on the planet. Here are the numbers — sales, growth %, and leading providers.
Business
Charts: Trends in Technology, AI for 2022

September 12, 2022 • Adel Boukarroum

The adoption of artificial intelligence and other technologies is accelerating global productivity. We look at the latest trends, using four charts.
Amazon & Marketplaces
Ecommerce Briefs: FBA Increases Fees; Walmart Expands Healthcare

September 9, 2022 • Marcia Kaplan

Amazon Prime and Walmart+ compete for subscribers; FBA imposes holiday fees; Walmart extends healthcare initiatives.
Finance
Charts: Global Fintech Trends Q2 2022

September 7, 2022 • Adel Boukarroum

Global investments in privately held financial technology firms slowed in Q2 2022. We tell the story in four charts.
Business
The Ultimate Brand in Tattoo Skincare

September 2, 2022 • Eric Bandholz

What began as a side hustle for a group of graduates became a multi-million dollar DTC company. Mad Rabbit's Drew Fallon explains the journey in this week's Ecommerce Conversation.
Inventory
Stagnant Sales Are Creating an Inventory Glut

September 1, 2022 • Marcia Kaplan

Recession fears combined with supply-chain excesses have created a dramatic increase in unsold inventory. We explain.
Business
Charts: U.S. Retail Ecommerce Sales Q2 2022

August 30, 2022 • Adel Boukarroum

Ecommerce was 14.5% of total U.S. retail sales in Q2 2022. We tell the story in three charts.
Business
Live Events Lift Chisos Boots, a DTC Brand

August 26, 2022 • Eric Bandholz

Ninety percent of Chisos Boots' revenue is online. But the company still runs a physical store and hosts in-person events. Both are essential for building the brand and community.
Business
Inflation May Lead to Early Christmas Shopping

August 25, 2022 • Armando Roggio

With prices on the rise, many consumers are tightening their budgets. Some may start holiday shopping earlier while costs are lower.
Staffing
Charts: CEO Pay for Top Ecommerce, Public Companies

August 24, 2022 • Adel Boukarroum

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy collected total compensation in 2021 of roughly $212 million. Shopify's Tobias Lutke earned $20 million. Here's a rundown of CEO compensation at select U.S. public companies.
Inventory
Charts: Global Manufacturing Outlook 2022

August 17, 2022 • Adel Boukarroum

Owing to the pandemic, CEOs of large worldwide manufacturing companies are focused on supply chain resiliency. We tell the story in this week's charts.
Business
New U.S. Law to Spur Electric Vehicles, Clean Energy

August 16, 2022 • Marcia Kaplan

The new Inflation Reduction Act impacts U.S. taxation, healthcare, and climate change. The bill's clean-energy incentives will likely produce more electric delivery vehicles and charging stations.
Shipping & Fulfillment
3 Ways to Offset Shipping Rate Increases

August 15, 2022 • Armando Roggio

The U.S. Postal Service has announced a temporary increase in holiday shipping rates. Such increases from all carriers are inevitable. Merchants should adopt a shipping strategy to manage costs over the long term.
Finance
Charts: Retail Banking Trends 2022

August 10, 2022 • Adel Boukarroum

Consumers' preference for digital tools is upending retail banking. In this week's Charts, we look at the evolution of banking — from traditional branches to mobile alternatives.
Finance
AWS Boosts Amazon’s Q2 2022 Results

August 7, 2022 • Marcia Kaplan

Amazon reported mixed results for Q2 2022. Product sales fell, but revenue from Amazon Web Services and subscriptions grew (a lot). We dive into the details.
Business
Charts: Ecommerce in U.S. Grocery Industry

August 3, 2022 • Adel Boukarroum

A survey from McKinsey found that many U.S. consumers prefer online grocery shopping, but grocers feel unprepared for the transition. We tell the story in this week's charts.
Business
Ecommerce Product Releases: August 2, 2022

August 2, 2022 • Sig Ueland

This installment of "Ecommerce Product Releases," our twice-monthly rundown of new services that could help merchants, includes updates on social commerce, live stream video, fulfillment, and more.
Finance
The Details of Shopify’s Massive Q2 2022 Loss

July 31, 2022 • Marcia Kaplan

Having posted a massive $1.2 billion loss in Q2 2022, Shopify effectively reset its financial outlook. Longtime contributor and analyst Marcia Kaplan looks at the details.
Business
Spiceology Founder Pivots to CPG Startups

July 29, 2022 • Eric Bandholz

Having successfully launched Spiceology, Pete Taylor semi-retired in 2019, contemplating his next venture. Fast forward to 2022, and that company is Midas Brands, a DTC seller of consumer packaged goods.
Business
No Ecommerce Company Is an Island

July 28, 2022 • Christopher Dobroth

Trusted partnerships with affiliates, vendors, and more make or break an ecommerce business. That's according to Chris Dobroth, a longtime merchant.
Payments
Charts: Cryptocurrency Trends in Ecommerce

July 27, 2022 • Adel Boukarroum

Less than 20% of U.S. consumers have used cryptocurrencies for retail purchases. Most of those shoppers are younger and plan on increasing the use. We tell the story in this week's charts.
Amazon & Marketplaces
FBA Seller, Tired of Storage Fees, Launches 3PL

July 22, 2022 • Eric Bandholz

Mark Taylor is a former Fulfillment-by-Amazon seller weary of paying expensive long-term storage fees. His solution is Warehouse Republic, a 3PL serving mainly Amazon sellers, which he launched in 2018.
Finance
Charts: Global State of Venture Capital Q2 2022

July 20, 2022 • Adel Boukarroum

Global investment funding declined materially in the second quarter of 2022. Our analyst tells the story in four charts — total deals, top regions, and more.
Shipping & Fulfillment
How to Price Shipping and Handling Fees

July 18, 2022 • Armando Roggio

Today's consumers expect free shipping for most items. But it's not always obvious for merchants to know when and how to offer it. Here's our all-new update for analyzing shipping costs and free delivery.
Amazon & Marketplaces
Prime Day 2022 Recap: Sales, Categories, More

July 18, 2022 • Marcia Kaplan

Amazon's Prime Day has evolved into an industry-wide event. Since 2017 we've published an annual analysis and recap. Our 2022 installment looks at U.S. growth, average order values, and more.
Business
Ridge Wallet CEO on Influencer Turmoil, iOS 14.5

July 15, 2022 • Eric Bandholz

The year 2021 produced dramatic escalations in influencer marketing rates and upheaval in Facebook ad performance. Both are critical marketing channels for Ridge Wallet, the maker of metal-clad billfolds.
Business
Charts: Ecommerce Penetration of Global Retail

July 13, 2022 • Adel Boukarroum

Ecommerce continues to rise across all global retail sectors. In four charts, we tell the story.