7 Online Retail Store Business Success Stories [2023]

Hagan makes ski mountaineering gear—exclusively. We focus without distraction on alpine ski touring. We don’t make downhill skis, clothing, hiking boots, or running shoes.

Our focus on high-performance ski mountaineering gear is recognized and appreciated by devoted backcountry skiers and has 50% annual growth in recent years. Hagan is Pure Ski Mountaineering.

Back in 2012, we were on vacation down in Florida and Ilona had come to us and said that she had an idea. She found a new website called Etsy where you can make items and sell them (previously it was mainly only for vintage goods). As crazy as it sounds we began by selling Gimp bracelets and headbands that we would make by hand. It was extraordinarily time-consuming and the profit was not great. So she was on the lookout for ideas.

The second problem that we discovered was that people didn’t read. No matter how simply you put the information that they either requested or that you required 7 out of 10 times you would have to message back requesting (or giving) the same information again. That was extraordinarily time-consuming.

Howdy! My name is Michael Spencer Gillis and I am the founder and CEO of Pedal Electric. I started the company two years ago, in Q4 of 2019, right before the world changed as we know it.

It’s a vital focus at Pedal Electric to value our supporters, fans, and customers. Without our community, we simply would have no reason to take a step further in innovation, creativity, and curation. Our world is constantly shifting and facing unknown parallels which is why we are thrilled to contribute a sustainable alternative to daily transportation.

Greetings! I am Mel Stutzman, the owner of Countryside Amish Furniture, an eCommerce retailer of authentic, wooden furniture made-to-order by Amish artisans. We partner with carefully chosen workshops that employ traditional woodworking techniques and natural materials (like responsibly harvested North American hardwoods and full-grain leather).

We offer thousands of made-to-order furniture options to buyers across the continental US, generating millions in sales.

We're taking a break for the holidays, so we bring you this favorite from the last year: Patagonia. In 1973, Yvon Chouinard started the company to make climbing gear he couldn't find elsewhere. Over decades of growth, he has implemented a unique philosophy about business, leadership and profit. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That", we check back with Brett Johnson of Firedrops — cayenne pepper lozenges.