Key Challenges and Insights from Founders at Ecom North

Last week, Loop attended the inaugural Ecom North Summit, where direct to consumer (D2C) founders from across the e-commerce spectrum shared their experiences, insights and pain points. The event highlighted common challenges many ecom founders are facing right now – such as scaling, managing risk and navigating omnichannel strategies. 

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The Importance of OmniChannel for Scale

A recurring theme at eComm North was the shift to omnichannel business models. Founder and Loop customer, Dani Kagan, of Mave & Chez, highlighted the challenges of managing multiple channels, especially when trying to scale. Dani shared how her brand had to expand into  retail to meet customer needs, but retail scaling brought logistical headaches, including inventory management and cash flow issues. Yanal Dhailieh, founder and CEO of Peace Collective, also discussed how diversifying beyond D2C and into retail has helped his company manage risks when e-commerce performance fluctuates, emphasizing the importance of not relying on one channel.

“Loop has been a great partner to us to really help us better understand our business cycle, how to incentivize our retail partners to pay early, how to finance our POs and understand our cash flow cycles.” - Yanal Dhailieh, Peace Collective 

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At Loop, something we hear from the companies we work with is that as they scale across different channels, it can be challenging to maintain brand identity across D2C, wholesale, and other retail outlets. This omnichannel challenge is not just about expanding – it’s about doing so without diluting what makes a brand unique.

The Learning Curve for Young Founders

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One of the standout speakers was Aaron from Hush, who shared his experiences as a young founder grappling with the steep learning curve of business processes. His candid reflection on feeling isolated throughout his journey is a reminder that entrepreneurship can be lonely, especially for those starting without a strong network. Aaron’s takeaway: younger founders often lack guidance, and he’s now focused on solving that gap with his latest venture. His personal motto, “Not yet,” underscores his belief that growth and success are a gradual process.

Personalization and Localization
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As e-commerce becomes more competitive, brands are finding that personalization is crucial to standing out. Pratik Patel highlighted how Northbound Supply customizes its marketing based on regional preferences, tailoring visuals and products to resonate with local audiences. This type of localization is becoming increasingly important, especially for brands that operate across multiple regions or countries. Personalization helps brands stay relevant and engage more deeply with their audience, whether through D2C or wholesale channels.

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Managing Relationships with Retail Partners

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Both Yanal and Pratik stressed the importance of maintaining strong relationships with retail partners. Yanal shared how crucial it is to ensure that partners truly believe in your brand to push it forward. Building and nurturing these relationships is vital, especially in B2B wholesale where consistent orders provide stability. Pratik echoed this, advising that founders work closely with buyers, anticipate their needs, and make their job as easy as possible. “Talk to the buyer, see what they need,” he advised, noting that strong relationships can make or break a brand’s success in retail.

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The Rising Costs of Customer Acquisition
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The cost of acquiring customers through digital advertising is becoming unsustainable for many brands. During the panel on Unleashing Your Unfair Advantage, several founders emphasized how expensive Meta ads have become. In sectors like beauty, which are extremely competitive, rising ad costs are a growing concern. Founders are increasingly looking for alternative ways to reach their audience, including leveraging organic growth and building communities to reduce reliance on paid ads.

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The Challenges of Scaling Up
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Finally, risk management was a central theme throughout the summit. From inventory challenges to cash flow issues, founders like Pratik and Yanal shared how they navigate risk at each stage of their growth. Whether it’s starting small with new products, or securing advance wholesale orders to finance production, managing risk is critical to scaling successfully. Founders emphasized the importance of careful planning, minimizing unnecessary risks, and always having a contingency plan in place.

The challenges discussed at eComm North are ones we hear from our customers every day. At Loop, we’re committed to helping founders navigate these obstacles—whether it’s through better understanding cash flow cycles, managing POs, or scaling across channels without losing brand identity. We’re excited to continue supporting our community of founders as they grow their businesses in an increasingly complex e-commerce landscape.

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