Alex Mercer

Ecommerce contributor

Alex has built and scaled three Shopify brands across beauty, food, and home, and consults for early-stage DTC founders on funnel economics, contribution margin, and retention. They write about the difference between a store that pencils and a store that just looks good on Instagram.

Areas of expertise

Shopify operations
DTC unit economics
Conversion optimization
Retention & repeat purchase

Articles by Alex

EcommerceApril 1, 2026· 9 min

Shopify Conversion Rate Benchmarks 2026: What's Good for Your Vertical

Median Shopify conversion rates by vertical, the metrics that matter more than CR (AOV, repeat rate, contribution margin), and a teardown of why most stores miss their forecast.

EcommerceMarch 11, 2026· 9 min

Amazon FBA Fees Explained: A Sellers' Guide to Real Unit Economics in 2026

Referral fees, FBA fulfillment, storage, returns, and ad spend — the line items that turn a 'profitable' Amazon SKU into a money loser, and how to model them honestly.