The ecommerce profitability blog for Shopify brands.
Guides to contribution margin, MER, CAC payback and paid ads for Shopify and DTC brands, with worked examples and hard-won lessons from the team behind StoreHero.
- Finance
Dead Stock: What It Is, What It Really Costs and 9 Ways to Clear It, Ranked by Margin Recovered
Dead stock is inventory that has stopped selling. Here is what it really costs, how to find it with 5 formulas, and 9 ways to clear it, ranked by how much margin each one recovers.
- Platform
Claude in Excel: How to Build a Profit-First Ecommerce Forecast (10 Copy-Paste Prompts)
Claude for Excel can build a 12-month forecast in an afternoon. How to install it, the prompts that make it start from profit instead of revenue, and the checks that stop it hardcoding numbers.
- Advertising
Meta Product Browsing: Opt Out Before 28 October, or Check What It Does to Your Profit
From 28 October 2026, Meta adds product browsing to your existing ads unless you opt out. Its 3% conversion lift is a count, not a profit figure. Here's what can happen to AOV and margin, and how to opt out.
- Advertising
Should Your Brand Run ChatGPT Ads? The Profit Maths Before You Test
ChatGPT ads now start at $25 a day in about 60 countries. Here's what's confirmed as of October 2026, the break-even maths in dollars, what a readable test costs and a 30-day plan with kill and scale rules.
- Platform
Best AI Tools for Ecommerce in 2026: 21 Tools by Job, With Real Prices and the Profit Maths
21 AI tools for ecommerce sorted by the job they do, from profit analytics and ad creative to support, inventory and agents, with real prices and a test for whether each one pays back.
- Platform
Claude Shopify Setup Guide: How to Connect Claude and ChatGPT to Your Shopify Store
How to connect Claude and ChatGPT to your Shopify store, what you can ask once it's connected, what the AI can and can't see, and 10 prompts to ask first.
- Finance
Contribution Margin Ratio vs Contribution Margin in Dollars: Which to Measure, and Why It Beats ROAS
The contribution margin ratio formula with worked ecommerce examples, plus why you should run your store on contribution margin in dollars, why it beats ROAS, and the one job the ratio is good for.
- Advertising
Ad Account Change History for Meta, Google, TikTok and Klaviyo: See Who Changed What (Free AI Prompt)
Meta, Google Ads, TikTok and Klaviyo all log what changed in your accounts. This free prompt puts that change history next to your sales, so you can see who changed what and what it lined up with.
- Platform
Managing Multiple Shopify Stores? Get One Profit Report Across Every Store (Free AI Prompt)
Regional Shopify stores, Amazon, TikTok Shop, wholesale: every one has its own StoreHero view. The Multi-store report rolls them into one profit report in Claude or ChatGPT, in about five minutes.
- Finance
UK DTC Brands Ranked by Profit: What 20 Sets of Filed Accounts Reveal
We read the filed Companies House accounts of 20 UK DTC brands, from Gymshark and Huel to Adanola and Rapha, and ranked them by how much of every £100 they keep. Half lost money.
- Finance
TikTok Shop Fees 2026: What a $100 Order Is Really Worth
TikTok Shop fees in 2026 start with a 6% referral fee, but creator commission rates, samples, Smart Promotion and returns change the maths. Here's what a $100 order is really worth.
- Platform
Inventory Tracking That Finds Profit: Connect Stock to Ad Spend and Margin
StoreHero isn't an inventory management system. It tracks your stock against profit and ad spend, so you stop overspending on products that are running out and underspending on the ones you can sell.
- Finance
The EU Just Changed the Rules on Shipping. Here’s What Every Ecommerce Brand Needs to Know.
EU shipping rules change on 1 July 2026. Discover how new import duties could affect ecommerce margins, returns and EU fulfilment.
- Platform
Best Profit Tracking Tools for Ecommerce in 2027: 11 Ecommerce Analytics Tools Ranked for Profit
11 profit tracking and ecommerce analytics tools ranked for 2027 on what matters to profit: contribution margin depth, AI and MCP access, inventory, forecasting and price, with honest limits for each, including ours.
- Finance
The Ultimate Guide to Subscription Economics for DTC Brands
Discover why subscription ecommerce outperforms one-time purchases — and how mastering CAC payback, LTV, and cashflow drives DTC profitability.
- Finance
Why Most DTC Brands Outgrow Their Accountant | When to Hire an eCommerce CFO
Learn why growing eCommerce brands outgrow traditional accountants — and how hiring an eCommerce CFO or fractional CFO helps you scale profitably through better cashflow, ad spend, and financial clarity.
- Business
How to Start a Profitable Shopify Store in 2026 (The Profit-First Playbook)
15 years in ecommerce, 7,000+ DTC founders later — here’s how we’d build a profitable Shopify store in 2026: 70% margins, repeat customers, low OPEX, and an unfair CAC advantage.
- Advertising
Why Shopify Brands Need Server-Side Tracking in 2025
Learn how server-side tracking fixes Shopify’s data gaps, improves Meta & Google performance, and gives you more accurate marketing insights.
- Advertising
Building a New Customer Offer That Drives Profit, Not Just Sales
Learn how to build profitable new customer offers for your eCommerce brand. Track CAC payback, margin, and retention with StoreHero’s profitability tools.
- Marketing
Learn how to FORECAST AD SPEND well and GROW your ECOMMERCE store now.
Learn how to forecast ad spend for your ecommerce store in minutes. StoreHero helps you set profit goals, calculate MER, and create accurate 12-month forecasts to stay profitable and on track.
- Marketing
MER & aMER: Smarter Metrics Than ROAS
Learn why ecommerce founders should track MER vs ROAS. Discover how aMER reveals true profitability and how to scale growth effectively.
- Platform
The Complete Guide to Ecommerce Profitability Tracking in 2026
The best guide to DTC profit tracking in 2026. Discover key DTC metrics like CAC, LTV, contribution margin, and the best Shopify profit tools
- Advertising
Meta’s Andromeda Update Explained: What It Means for Businesses
Learn what Meta’s Andromeda update means for ad delivery in 2025. Discover how it changes creative testing, targeting, and campaign success.
- Finance
Measure Customer Value and Calculate CAC Payback to Scale Profitably Now
Learn how to measure Customer Lifetime Value (LTV) the right way, using profit, not revenue. Calculate CAC payback & scale your ecommerce brand profitably.
- Advertising
Forget Multi-Touch Attribution: Profitability Is the Only Source of Truth
Multi-touch attribution and ROAS mislead Shopify and DTC brands. With rising CACs and thin margins, profitability—not ROAS—is the only metric that drives real growth.
- Finance
3 Proven Levers to Unlock Margin Expansion in 2025
Discover 3 simple levers to boost DTC profitability, expand gross margin, and unlock more firepower to scale paid media sustainably.
- Marketing
The Problem with ROAS: why it’s blocking your Shopify growth
Focusing only on ROAS misleads Shopify store owners, as it ignores key costs—meaning a high ROAS doesn’t always equal profit.
- Marketing
Are your repeat customers driving enough profit?
Track repeat customers profitability with AI cohort analysis for your Shopify store and make data-driven decisions to boost growth.
- Marketing
7 Key Metrics That Your Ecommerce Dashboard Should Have
Essential ecommerce dashboard metrics that drive acquisition, boost conversion, enhance retention, and maximize profitability.
- Marketing
How Health and Beauty Brands Can Grow in 2025
Health and beauty brands face rising costs in 2025. Learn strategies improve Black Friday ad profitability, scale effectively, and outperform competitors.
- Marketing
Last-Minute Black Friday checklist to grow your DTC brand
Maximise Black Friday profits with our 17-step eCommerce checklist covering ads, creatives, margins and SMS tactics to help DTC brands grow smarter.
- Marketing
30+ Tactics to Maximize Your Product and Cart Page Performance
Discover actionable tactics to maximize product and cart page performance boost conversion rates, reduce cart abandonment, and drive more e-commerce revenue.
- Platform
StoreHero and Recharge: Elevating Your Subscription Management
Manage your subscriptions and profits like a superhero with StoreHero’s Recharge integration. Discover the powerful benefits of this seamless integration.
- Finance
Contribution Margin Formula: The Complete Guide for Ecommerce (With Worked Examples)
The contribution margin formula, worked through an example DTC order and month: CM1, CM2 and CM3, per unit, ratio, income statement, weighted average and how to set a target from your fixed costs.
- Business
Scaling from Zero to Shark Tank – Jon Blair – StoreHero Interview
Jon Blair shares his entrepreneurial journey and how blending marketing with finance. Gain key insights for scaling in Ecommerce.
- Marketing
Navigating Brand Growth: Smarter Data, Real Results
Fuel eCommerce growth with smarter data. Track metrics like contribution margin and use StoreHero tools to boost ad performance and overall profitability.
- Finance
How and When to Discount: A Strategic Guide for eCommerce Brands
Strategic guide for e-commerce brands on using discounts effectively, managing timing, types, and impact on margins to drive sales and protect profitability.
- Finance
The Brand Founder’s Guide to Improving Margins
Master contribution margin to boost profitability, manage costs, and guide your DTC brand’s growth with actionable tips and strategic financial insights.
- Marketing
The Power of AI for Boosting eCommerce Profitability
Unlock e-commerce profits with AI-powered personalization and analytics, driving higher customer engagement, conversions, and sustainable business growth.
- Finance
Mastering Unit Economics: Key to Ecommerce Success
Master unit economics for ecommerce growth. Learn key metrics like LTV/CAC ratio and CAC payback period. Optimize costs and maximize revenue.
- Finance
Simple Guide to Understanding Contribution Margin for Ecommerce Brands
Introduction to Contribution Margin In the world of online businesses, understanding your contribution margin is a powerful key to success. It involves much more than just factoring the cost of your product.
- Marketing
Increasing AOV to Boost ROAS
Improve e-commerce profitability by raising AOV with bundles, upsells, cross-sells, free shipping, loyalty rewards, and targeted promotions for better ROAS.
- Finance
Understanding E-Commerce Profit Margins
Learn how to determine your businesses financial health and make better decisions to grow profitably with StoreHero.
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