E-commerce and Retail Startups

Startups listed here either won the free throw or have an active Promoted listing, and a person reviews every one. Promoted listings are labeled and are paid placements, not endorsements.

E-commerce and retail startups sell physical or digital goods directly to buyers, through their own store, marketplaces or both. Margins, shipping costs, returns and advertising spend decide whether a store makes money, so the unit economics of a single order matter more than the size of the audience.

Before you scale ads, work out what one customer costs to win and what they are worth over time. The guides and terms below walk through budgeting, brand names and the first-customer problem for product businesses.

Listings

Key terms for e-commerce and retail founders

• Unit Economics
• Customer Acquisition Cost
• Lifetime Value
• Gross Margin
• B2C

Guides worth reading

• Startup Budget: How to Build One and Find Your Runway GuideCreate a startup budget step by step: costs checklist, monthly expenses, a runway formula with worked numbers, and what it really costs to start a business.
• How to Name Your Startup: A Practical Guide GuideHow to name your startup: what makes a good name, how to brainstorm, check if a business name is taken, pick a domain, trademark basics and mistakes to avoid.
• How to Get First Customers: 10, then 100, Without a Budget GuideHow to get first customers for your startup: find early adopters, run cold outreach, do things that don't scale, and reach 10 then 100 with little or no money.

Submit a e-commerce and retail startup

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