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 | B2B | Cross-border Selling | Finance | Fraud Prevention | Inventory | Local Business | Payments | Shipping & Fulfillment | Staffing-
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Shipping & Fulfillment
How to Offer Free Shipping without Going Broke
July 11, 2022 • Armando Roggio
Online consumers expect free shipping. But small and mid-size merchants sometimes struggle with the cost. Here are innovative approaches to meet shopper expectations without losing money.
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Business
Guatemalan Entrepreneurs Are Gay, Married, Successful
July 8, 2022 • Eric Bandholz
Hans Schrei launched Wunderkeks, a direct-to-consumer cookie company, from his mom's kitchen in Guatemala in 2012. Amid obstacles, he immigrated to Austin, Texas, with his husband in 2019. Here's their story.
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Payments
Does Ecommerce Need a New Payment System?
July 7, 2022 • Armando Roggio
Ecommerce payments in 2022 largely involve a Byzantine setup of intermediaries. Is now the time for a more efficient method of exchanging value?
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Business
Charts: Global AI Stats and Trends
July 6, 2022 • Adel Boukarroum
The global adoption of artificial intelligence continues. In four charts, we show the leading countries and industries as well as tasks most suited for AI use.
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Business
Ecommerce Product Releases: July 4, 2022
July 4, 2022 • Sig Ueland
Twice monthly we publish a rundown of new products, updates, and services that could help merchants. This installment includes updates on live stream shopping, sales analytics, social commerce, and more.
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Business
Custom Teeth Guards Propel Online Dental Lab
July 1, 2022 • Eric Bandholz
Selling custom-fitted teeth guards would seemingly involve in-person visits from customers. But not for Pro Teeth Guard. It sells made-to-order guards online. Co-founder JP Ji explains.
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Finance
For Global Unicorns, It’s Growth and Volatility
June 30, 2022 • Marcia Kaplan
The availability of private capital allows companies to delay going public. The result? More than 1,000 private companies worldwide are now valued in excess of $1 billion. But it's not always smooth sailing. We explain.
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Fraud Prevention
Charts: Cybersecurity Stats and Trends
June 29, 2022 • Adel Boukarroum
The rise of global cyber fraud has promoted elevated prevention expenditures by businesses and a flurry of funding in cybersecurity firms by investors. We tell the story in this week's charts.
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Business
5 Predictions for the 2022 Holiday Shopping Season
June 27, 2022 • Armando Roggio
Since 2013 senior contributor Armando Roggio has predicted ecommerce sales for the upcoming holiday season. His 2022 predictions consider inflation, which he believes could have multiple impacts.
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Business
Lessons from Shopify 2.0 Upgrade, New Theme
June 24, 2022 • Eric Bandholz
Host Eric Bandholz's company, Beardbrand, recently migrated to Shopify 2.0. Jenny Durre, Beardbrand's in-house designer, managed the entire process. She describes it in this conversation.