E-Commerce Unit Economics and Cross-Border Margin Model

Acknowledgement: Shared by Peter Bamuhigire, techguypeter.com, +256 784 464178.

Overview

Use this skill to answer the hard question in cross-border e-commerce: does the route make money after all variable costs? It builds a per-market and per-channel model for landed cost, shipping, returns, payment fees, FX, commissions, CAC, gross margin, contribution margin, payback, LTV, and working-capital impact.

The skill is deliberately company-data-led. EAC-specific benchmarks for CAC, AOV, return rates, de-minimis thresholds, and category commissions are often unavailable or unreliable. Do not invent them.

Use When

• Testing the financial viability of a cross-border route or target market.
• Setting pricing, discount, CAC, or channel guardrails for an e-commerce company.
• Preparing a TA plan, business plan, export plan, or investor/partner discussion that depends on margin reality.

Do Not Use When