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PITCH GUIDE

E-commerce pitch deck guide

Building a profitable brand

E-commerce investors focus on unit economics, customer lifetime value, and brand strength. Post-2021, profitability and capital efficiency are paramount. Your pitch should prove you can acquire customers profitably.

82+ E-commerce investors
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Key Metrics to Know

Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)

Blended and by-channel cost to acquire customers.

Benchmark: Target CAC:LTV of 1:3 or better.

Customer Lifetime Value (LTV)

Gross margin from a customer over their relationship.

Benchmark: Calculate using actual cohort data, not projections.

Contribution Margin

Revenue minus COGS, shipping, payment processing, and returns.

Benchmark: Healthy brands: 30-50% contribution margin.

Repeat Purchase Rate

Percentage of customers who purchase again.

Benchmark: Strong brands: 30%+ repeat within 90 days.

Return Rate

Percentage of orders returned.

Benchmark: Fashion: 20-30%, Other categories: <10%.

Must-Have Slides

1Unit economics deep dive

Prove profitability at the order level

  • Show fully-loaded contribution margin
  • Break down by channel and product
  • Demonstrate improving economics

2Brand & differentiation

Explain why customers choose you

  • Show brand awareness metrics
  • Demonstrate organic/word-of-mouth growth
  • Explain product or experience moat

3Channel diversification

Reduce platform risk

  • Show revenue breakdown by channel
  • Explain owned channel strategy
  • Address Amazon and marketplace strategy

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • !Relying too heavily on paid acquisition
  • !Ignoring true contribution margin
  • !Underestimating inventory and working capital needs
  • !Not building email/SMS owned audiences
  • !Expanding too quickly internationally

What investors expect

  • Profitable unit economics or clear path to them
  • Strong brand with organic demand
  • Diversified customer acquisition
  • Efficient working capital management
  • Clear differentiation from competitors

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