13 Ecommerce Brand Success Stories [2023]
Here are some real life success stories of starting a ecommerce brand:
1. Better Sheets ($100K/year)
Andrew Kamphey came up with the idea for Better Sheets while working on a web app and realizing the creative potential of Google Sheets. Seeing a gap in the market for tutorials on using Google Sheets for businesses, he launched Better Sheets with a landing page, free and paid videos, and quickly gained traction, making $2,291 in revenue in just one month.
How much they make: $100K/year
How much did it cost to start: $109
Current team size: 0
Better Sheets is a Google Sheets tutorial providing screencasts to small businesses, earning $2,291 from 134 sales in May, with sales being mainly driven by AppSumo.
2. Hagan Ski ($1.08M/year)
After growing up in a flat region of Minnesota, the founder developed a passion for skiing and an admiration for brands that focused on quality and specialty products. Years later, after a career in the military and coaching endurance athletes, he combined his love for skiing with business and launched Hagan Ski Mountaineering, a company dedicated exclusively to backcountry ski touring. With a focus on performance and durability, Hagan has gained recognition and seen 50% annual growth in recent years, appealing to both devoted backcountry skiers and specialty retailers.
How much they make: $1.08M/year
How much did it cost to start: $10K
Current team size: 1
Hagan is a ski mountaineering gear company that has 50% annual growth and focuses solely on backcountry ski touring, resulting in the worldβs widest selection of mountaineering skis.
Learn more about starting an ecommerce brand:
Where to start?
-> How much does it cost to start an ecommerce brand?
-> Pros and cons of an ecommerce brand
Need inspiration?
-> Examples of established ecommerce brand
-> Marketing ideas for an ecommerce brand
Other resources
3. On Cloud Faith ($60K/year)
Jonathan Waldmann, his then-girlfriend Ilona, and her mother Sonja started their business in 2012, initially selling handmade Gimp bracelets and headbands on Etsy. They later transitioned to crystalized wedding apparel and eventually expanded their product categories to include travel shirts, party shirts, bridal shirts, and engagement shirts. They have made an impressive $7.2 million in sales since their inception with a starting investment of $5,000.
How much they make: $60K/year
How much did it cost to start: $5K
Current team size: 11
This case study follows the story of a successful online business that has made 7.2 million dollars in sales since 2012, with profits of around 30-45%, and the founders share insights on lessons learned and tools used.
4. BowTied Opossum ($72K/year)
BowTiedOpossum is a paid Substack newsletter that provides actionable advice on running digital businesses, helping aspiring entrepreneurs navigate the industry with real-world experience and insights.
Opossum, the founder of BowTiedOpossum, initially started as an anonymous Twitter account providing actionable advice on eCommerce. After gaining a following, he decided to monetize his expertise by launching a paid newsletter on Substack. Within 9 months, he grew the newsletter to $3k in monthly revenue and plans to focus on organic search and link building for future growth.
How much they make: $72K/year
How much did it cost to start: $0
Current team size: 0
BowTiedOpossum founder shares how he grew his anonymous paid newsletter to $3k per month in 9 months using Twitter as his main acquisition strategy.
5. CaliConnected ($840K/year)
Nassir Silwany, Co-Founder of CaliConnected, came up with the idea for the online headshop marketplace after realizing that the cannabis equipment industry was untapped by large retailers like Amazon. With his background in the retail industry and knowledge of the cannabis industry, Nassir saw an opportunity to create a trustworthy and customer-friendly platform for smokers looking for quality smoking accessories.
How much they make: $840K/year
How much did it cost to start: $5K
Current team size: 2
California-based online headshop marketplace CaliConnected has grown its inventory to over $40m and generated nearly $2m in lifetime sales while operating without paid search advertising, instead focusing on SEO and affiliate marketing through platforms such as Affiliatly and Moz.
6. Countryside Amish Furniture ($3M/year)
Mel Stutzman, the founder of Countryside Amish Furniture, came up with the idea for his business by combining his furniture expertise, Amish business connections, and entrepreneurial ambitions. After experiencing setbacks with previous furniture companies, he realized the importance of being conveniently accessible to target markets and decided to create a digitally-based operation that could sell throughout the country. Today, Countryside Amish Furniture generates millions in sales by partnering with Amish artisans to offer thousands of made-to-order furniture options to buyers across the continental US.
How much they make: $3M/year
How much did it cost to start: $120K
Current team size: 0
Countryside Amish Furniture is a highly successful e-commerce retailer generating millions in sales annually by partnering with Amish artisans to offer thousands of made-to-order, high-quality wooden furniture options and prioritizing customer communication and SEO strategy.
7. Bluebird Provisions ($635K/year)
After being told he would never run again due to a foot injury, the founder of Bluebird Provisions Bone Broth healed his foot and got back to winning ultra marathons using bone broth. Fueled by his conviction to share this healing elixir, he quit his job and started Bluebird Provisions. Now, the brand is the fastest-growing bone broth brand in North America, with monthly revenues of $49,000 and a 5000% increase in customer base since its inception.
How much they make: $635K/year
How much did it cost to start: $30K
Current team size: 1
Bluebird Provisions Bone Broth is North America's fastest-growing bone broth brand, doing 49,000 per month and growing 50% YoY, with 5000% growth in customer base since starting, thanks to an SEO-focused strategy, email marketing, referrals, and Amazon.
8. Mouqy ($480K/year)
Mouqy was founded by Daren Low, who recognized the increasing demand for affordable eyewear during the Covid-19 pandemic. Leveraging his experience in the digital world, Daren created Mouqy to offer high-quality, fashionable eyeglasses at affordable prices. With a focus on practical content marketing and providing a seamless user experience, Mouqy has seen early success and aims to become a go-to resource for all eyewear needs.
How much they make: $480K/year
How much did it cost to start: $200K
Current team size: 12
Mouqy founder Daren Low discusses how he leveraged his experience in digital marketing to create a retail brand offering quality eyewear at affordable prices, with 172 unique frames currently available and targeting 1,000 frames by year's end, with the company's core online store running on Shopify and lead generation from content on WordPress CMS with performance enhanced by Gatsby and Zendesk for customer support.
9. Celer ($30K/year)
Sarah Anderson, the founder of Celer Ergonomics, came up with the idea for her athletic training brand after experiencing overuse injuries throughout her running career. With a background in engineering and kinesiology, as well as a passion for biomechanics, Sarah developed the RunCeler strap, a functional resistance band worn while running to promote improved running form and decrease the risk of injury. With four published patents and 20% month-over-month growth, Celer is focused on expanding its presence in the fitness community, particularly among runners.
How much they make: $30K/year
How much did it cost to start: $14.5K
Current team size: 1
Celer Ergonomics, a small 2-person start-up out of NYC, has developed the RunCeler strap, a functional resistance band worn over the sock and shoe while running to promote improved running form, reducing the risk of injury and improving performance, with 4 published patents and growing 20% month over month.
10. Voonik ($34.2M/year)
Navaneetha Krishnan and Sujayath Ali founded Voonik to revolutionize the fashion shopping experience in India. With over 1 million downloads and a million transactions per month, their app caters to both men and women, offering customized clothing options based on physique, personality, lifestyle, and budget.
How much they make: $34.2M/year
Current team size: 210
Voonik- India's fastest-growing fashion shopping app, offers a personalized shopping experience for women with over 1M downloads, more than a million transactions completed each month and desktop website launched in March 2013.
11. Be Kind Apparel ($5.4K/year)
to look. We wanted it to be clean, simple, and user-friendly. We wanted our logo to be prominent and for customers to easily navigate through the different product options. It took us about a week to design and build the website, and we made sure to include high-quality product photos to showcase our clothing.
How much they make: $5.4K/year
How much did it cost to start: $3.6K
Current team size: 1
Be Kind Apparel is an ethical and sustainable Irish leisurewear brand that focuses on spreading kindness and supporting mental health, selling tee shirts, hoodies, and sweatshirts in a variety of colors and sizes with recycled materials being used in production and 5% of profits donated to local charities, making a profit of 450 euros per month.
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