Growth Marketing · ServiceBOFU
eCommerce growth that survives the P&L
The short answer
eCommerce growth that loses money on every order isn't growth — it's a subsidy. Indian D2C economics are tight: shipping, payment fees, COD returns and discounting can consume most of a product's margin before a single rupee of advertising is counted.
PMG runs eCommerce growth on contribution margin: acquisition bid to what each order actually earns, conversion work that lifts every channel at once, RTO control, and retention that makes customers profitable over time.
The growth levers, in order
- Fix unit economics — AOV, pricing, free-shipping thresholds, bundles and COD rules.
- Fix tracking — purchase events and values that match the store.
- Fix conversion — speed, product pages and checkout.
- Scale acquisition — creative-led Meta, Google Shopping and Performance Max.
- Build retention — post-purchase, replenishment and win-back across WhatsApp and email.
- Expand channels — marketplaces, quick commerce and new geographies.
The D2C scorecard
Why D2C brands stall
- Rising blended CAC as easy audiences run out
- Weak repeat purchase, so every month starts from zero
- Discount dependency eroding contribution
- COD returns silently draining margin
- Scaling spend before conversion and tracking are fixed
The eCommerce growth levers
| Lever | Example actions | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Conversion rate | Faster pages, clearer product info, checkout fixes | Lowers CAC on every channel |
| AOV | Bundles, thresholds, cross-sells | More contribution per order |
| New customers | Creative testing, new channels | Growth in customer base |
| Repeat purchase | Flows, loyalty, replenishment | Higher LTV, better payback |
| Margin | Pricing, discounts, shipping costs | More room to spend on growth |
The weekly D2C scorecard
- Revenue and contribution margin
- Total marketing spend and MER
- New-customer CAC
- Conversion rate by device
- AOV
- Repeat purchase rate (30/60/90 days)
- RTO and return rates
See our D2C growth guide.
eCommerce growth by stage
| Stage | Focus |
|---|---|
| Under ₹50 lakh annual revenue | Product-market fit, first channel, conversion |
| ₹50 lakh–₹5 crore | Creative velocity, retention, marketplaces |
| ₹5 crore+ | New channels, markets, incrementality |
A worked example
A brand grew revenue but not profit. We introduced a contribution-margin dashboard, cut unprofitable discounting, focused acquisition on high-LTV products and strengthened retention. Profitability improved within two quarters.
Before an eCommerce growth engagement
- Back-end sales and margin data
- Channel spend history
- Retention and repeat data
- Inventory and fulfilment constraints
Why teams choose PMG for eCommerce Growth
- Measurement first. Unit economics and clean tracking come before any increase in spend.
- You own everything. Ad accounts, data and creative stay in your name; ad spend goes straight to the platforms.
- Senior hands on the account. The strategist you speak to is the person running it.
- Weekly transparency. Scorecard, change log and test board — every week.
- Short minimum terms. We keep clients with results, not contracts.
- India and international. One Mumbai team running campaigns across Indian cities and overseas markets, Mon–Sat, 7am–9pm IST.
Where we run eCommerce Growth
We manage eCommerce Growth for businesses across India — including Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Bengaluru, Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata and Ahmedabad — and for companies in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Singapore and Germany. Campaigns are planned market by market, with language, currency, platform mix and privacy rules matched to each. See all Indian locations and international markets.
Free growth audit
Get a written audit for eCommerce Growth.
No sales call required. Tell us where to look; a strategist replies within working hours and sends the written audit within 72 hours.
- Tracking check
- Pixels, Conversions API, GA4 events and offline conversions — what is firing, what is double-counted, what is missing.
- Wasted spend
- Search terms, placements, audiences and overlap that cost money without producing qualified leads or sales.
- Conversion path
- Landing page speed, message match, form friction and follow-up time — where interested people drop off.
- 90-day priorities
- The three changes we would make first, with the metric each one should move.
Frequently asked questions
What's the most common reason D2C brands stall?
Rising CAC as they exhaust easy audiences, combined with weak repeat purchase. Both are fixable, but not by spending more on ads.
What should our target contribution margin be?
It depends on your stage and fixed costs, but you need enough contribution after marketing to cover operating costs and fund growth. Model it rather than guessing.
Should we focus on our website or marketplaces?
Both, deliberately. Marketplaces bring discovery and volume; your site brings margin and customer data.
Which should we fix first: conversion or acquisition?
Usually conversion and measurement, because improvements there make every rupee of acquisition more productive.
What's a healthy repeat purchase rate?
It depends heavily on category and purchase frequency. Track your own cohorts and aim to improve them over time.
How long does it take to see results from a growth programme?
Conversion and CRM fixes can show results within weeks; acquisition and brand improvements build over months.
What metrics matter most for eCommerce growth?
MER, new-customer CAC, contribution margin, repeat rate and LTV.
Should we discount to grow?
Selectively — constant discounting trains customers to wait and erodes margin.
How quickly can eCommerce growth improve?
Leaks such as tracking and checkout issues can be fixed within weeks; compounding growth takes quarters.
Do you work with marketplace-heavy brands?
Yes — we plan D2C and marketplace growth together.
Is there a long contract?
No. Minimum terms are short, because we would rather keep clients with results than with contracts.
Will we own the ad accounts and data?
Yes. Everything runs in your own accounts with partner access for PMG, and you can see it all at any time.
What do you need from us to start?
Access to ad accounts and analytics, your margins and order values (or deal values), brand assets, and a decision-maker available for a weekly 30-minute call.
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Free growth audit
Find out where your budget is leaking.
Send us your ad account, analytics or site. Within 72 hours you get a written audit: tracking gaps, wasted spend, and the three moves we'd make first. No pitch deck.