eCommerce Intelligence
Metrics every online seller needs to know.
49 articles
What Is Average Order Value (AOV)?
AOV is the average amount customers spend per transaction. Increasing it is one of the highest-leverage moves in eCommerce.
What Is Customer Lifetime Value (CLV)?
CLV is the total revenue you expect from a customer over their entire relationship with you. It changes everything about how you think about acquisition costs.
What Is Refund Rate?
Refund rate measures the percentage of orders that are returned or refunded. High rates destroy margin — here's how to track and reduce them.
What Is Conversion Rate?
Conversion rate measures the percentage of visitors who buy. It's the multiplier on all your traffic investment.
What Is the Buy Box?
The Buy Box is the section on Amazon (and similar marketplaces) where customers click to add to cart. Winning it is crucial for marketplace sellers.
What Is Sell-Through Rate?
Sell-through rate tells you what percentage of stock you've sold in a given period. Essential for managing inventory and avoiding markdowns.
What Is Return on Ad Spend (ROAS)?
ROAS measures revenue generated per pound spent on advertising. The essential metric for evaluating paid marketing.
What Is Cart Abandonment?
Cart abandonment happens when a customer adds items to their basket but doesn't complete checkout. Recovery is one of the highest-ROI activities in eCommerce.
What Is Revenue Per Visitor (RPV)?
RPV combines conversion rate and AOV into a single metric. It's the most complete measure of your store's commercial efficiency.
What Is Units Per Transaction (UPT)?
UPT measures how many items customers buy in a single order. Increasing it is one of the simplest ways to grow revenue without new customers.
What Is Gross Merchandise Value (GMV)?
GMV is the total value of goods sold before fees and returns. Learn when it matters and when it misleads.
What Is Dead Stock?
Dead stock is inventory that has not sold and is unlikely to sell. It ties up cash and warehouse space — learn how to manage it.
What Is Product Margin in eCommerce?
Product margin is the profit left after deducting all costs associated with a product. The real measure of a SKU's health.
What Is Price Elasticity in eCommerce?
Price elasticity measures how much demand changes when you change price. Essential for pricing strategy and margin optimisation.
What Is Customer Reactivation?
Customer reactivation brings lapsed buyers back to purchase again. Often more cost-effective than acquiring new customers.
What Is Subscription eCommerce?
Subscription eCommerce delivers products on a recurring basis. Learn the models, economics, and key metrics.
What Is Multi-Channel Selling?
Multi-channel selling means listing and selling across several platforms simultaneously. Learn the benefits, risks, and how to manage it.
What Is a Loyalty Programme in eCommerce?
Loyalty programmes reward repeat buyers to increase retention and lifetime value. Learn which models work and how to measure success.
What Makes a High-Performing Product Listing?
Your product listing is your digital salesperson. Learn the elements that drive discoverability, clicks, and conversion.
What Is Social Commerce?
Social commerce lets customers discover and buy products directly within social media platforms. Learn how it works and why it matters for African businesses.
What Is Cross-Border eCommerce?
Cross-border ecommerce involves selling products to customers in other countries via online channels. Learn the logistics, payments, and compliance involved.
What Is Dropshipping?
Dropshipping is a fulfilment model where the seller never holds inventory. Learn how it works, its margins, and whether it suits African markets.
What Is a Marketplace Aggregator?
A marketplace aggregator consolidates multiple ecommerce marketplaces into a single management interface. Learn how it simplifies multi-channel selling.
What Is Headless Commerce?
Headless commerce decouples the front-end presentation layer from the back-end ecommerce engine. Learn why it matters for scalable online businesses.
What Is Composable Commerce?
Composable commerce lets businesses assemble their tech stack from best-of-breed components rather than relying on a single monolithic platform.
What Is Unified Commerce?
Unified commerce connects every sales channel and customer touchpoint into a single platform with one source of truth. Learn how it differs from omnichannel.
What Is Quick Commerce?
Quick commerce, or q-commerce, promises delivery in under an hour. Learn how this model works and its relevance to African urban markets.
What Is Recommerce?
Recommerce is the buying and selling of pre-owned, refurbished, or resold products through organised channels. Learn why it is growing rapidly.
What Is Live Commerce?
Live commerce combines live video streaming with real-time shopping, letting viewers buy products during a broadcast. Learn how it drives conversion.
What Is Cart Abandonment Rate?
Cart abandonment rate measures the percentage of shoppers who add items to their cart but leave without completing a purchase. Learn how to calculate and reduce it.
What Is Customer Acquisition Cost in eCommerce?
Customer acquisition cost (CAC) measures how much you spend to gain each new customer. Learn how to calculate, benchmark, and reduce your ecommerce CAC.
What Is GMV (Gross Merchandise Value)?
Gross Merchandise Value represents the total value of goods sold through a platform before deductions. Learn why it matters and how it differs from revenue.
What Is SKU Rationalization?
SKU rationalization is the process of evaluating your product catalogue to identify which items to keep, discontinue, or consolidate. Learn how it improves profitability.
What Is a Digital Shelf?
The digital shelf is the online equivalent of a physical store shelf — where your products appear, how they are presented, and how they compete for attention.
What Is Buy Online, Pick Up in Store?
Buy Online, Pick Up in Store (BOPIS) lets customers purchase online and collect from a physical location. Learn how it reduces delivery costs and increases foot traffic.
What Is Endless Aisle?
Endless aisle technology lets in-store customers access the full online catalogue when a product is out of stock on the shop floor. Learn how it captures lost sales.
What Is a Product Information Management System?
A PIM system centralises all product data — descriptions, images, specifications — in one place. Learn how it ensures consistency across sales channels.
What Is an Order Management System?
An order management system (OMS) coordinates the entire order lifecycle from placement through delivery. Learn how it optimises fulfilment across channels.
What Is Last-Mile Delivery?
Last-mile delivery is the final leg of the supply chain — from the local distribution point to the customer's door. Learn why it is the most expensive and complex part of ecommerce logistics.
Marketplace vs Own Website: What's the Difference?
Understand the key differences between selling on a marketplace like Jumia and running your own eCommerce website, and when each approach works best.
Omnichannel vs Multichannel: What's the Difference?
Learn how omnichannel and multichannel retail strategies differ and which approach best suits your business for seamless customer experiences.
Subscription vs One-Time Purchase: What's the Difference?
Compare subscription and one-time purchase business models to understand which revenue approach fits your product and market best.
First-Party vs Third-Party Data: What's the Difference?
Understand the critical differences between first-party and third-party data, their collection methods, and implications for your marketing strategy.
Conversion Rate vs Click-Through Rate: What's the Difference?
Learn the difference between conversion rate and click-through rate, two essential eCommerce metrics that measure different stages of the customer journey.
AOV vs LTV: What's the Difference?
Compare Average Order Value and Lifetime Value to understand which metric matters most for your eCommerce growth strategy.
SKU vs UPC: What's the Difference?
Understand the difference between SKU and UPC codes in inventory management and how each serves distinct purposes in eCommerce operations.
Digital Product vs Physical Product: What's the Difference?
Compare digital and physical products to understand their distinct business models, cost structures, and delivery requirements for eCommerce success.
Direct-to-Consumer vs Wholesale: What's the Difference?
Compare direct-to-consumer and wholesale distribution models to determine the best sales channel strategy for your business growth.
Online vs Offline Retail: What's the Difference?
Explore the key differences between online and offline retail models, their advantages and challenges, and how they complement each other in modern commerce.