Financial expertise and consulting
E-Commerce Specialists

Financial Operations for Scaling E-Commerce

Master inventory accounting, marketplace reconciliation, and unit economics with CFO partners who understand e-commerce operations. From DTC brands to Amazon FBA sellers, we provide the financial infrastructure online retailers need to scale profitably.

Financial expertise and consulting
Industry Challenges

E-Commerce Accounting Challenges We Solve

Online retailers face unique financial complexities from inventory costing to marketplace fee reconciliation.

Inventory & COGS Accounting
Real-time inventory valuation across multiple warehouses
COGS allocation with landed costs (freight, duties, storage)
Write-offs for damaged, obsolete, and slow-moving inventory
FBA inventory reconciliation with Amazon's systems
Multi-Channel Reconciliation
Daily sales reconciliation across Shopify, Amazon, eBay, Walmart
Marketplace fee tracking (referral fees, FBA fees, storage)
Returns, refunds, and chargebacks accounting
Payment processor settlement timing (Stripe, PayPal, Shop Pay)
Sales Tax & Nexus Compliance
Economic nexus tracking across 45+ states
Marketplace facilitator tax vs. seller-collected tax
International VAT/GST compliance (UK, EU, Australia)
Sales tax audit defense and historical liability exposure
Cash Flow & Inventory Planning
Cash runway forecasting with seasonal inventory buys
Working capital requirements for growth scaling
Inventory financing and factoring reconciliation
13-week cash flow modeling for rapid growth brands
Our Expertise

Comprehensive E-Commerce Financial Services

From bootstrapped DTC startups to 8-figure Amazon sellers, we provide specialized accounting for online retail.

Inventory Management
Perpetual inventory tracking
Landed cost calculation
Inventory valuation (FIFO, weighted avg)
Dead stock & obsolescence reserves
Marketplace Accounting
Amazon Seller Central reconciliation
Shopify payout matching
eBay managed payments tracking
Walmart Marketplace fee analysis
Sales Tax Compliance
Economic nexus monitoring
State registration & filing
Exemption certificate management
Sales tax audit defense
Unit Economics
SKU-level profitability
Contribution margin analysis
CAC & LTV by channel
Cohort analysis & retention
Cash Flow Management
13-week cash flow forecasting
Inventory purchasing optimization
Working capital planning
Vendor payment scheduling
Growth CFO Services
Financial modeling for fundraising
New channel expansion analysis
International expansion planning
M&A due diligence support
E-Commerce Metrics

Retail KPIs We Track & Report

Monitor the operational and financial metrics that drive e-commerce profitability and growth.

Revenue Metrics
GMV & Net Revenue
Average Order Value (AOV)
Revenue per Channel
Subscription MRR (if applicable)
Profitability
Gross Margin % (with landed costs)
Contribution Margin by SKU
EBITDA Margin
Net Profit Margin
Customer Economics
CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost)
LTV (Lifetime Value)
Repeat Purchase Rate
Customer Retention %
Operational Efficiency
Inventory Turnover Ratio
Days Inventory Outstanding
Cash Conversion Cycle
Operating Cash Flow
Unit Economics

Know Your True SKU Profitability

Most e-commerce businesses don't know which products are actually profitable once you factor in all costs. We provide SKU-level profitability analysis with fully loaded COGS including landed costs, storage fees, and shipping.

35%
Avg SKUs Unprofitable

We identify money-losing products hidden by incomplete cost tracking

12%
Margin Improvement

Clients improve gross margin by eliminating losers and focusing on winners

Real-Time
Profitability Dashboard

Daily updates showing contribution margin by SKU, channel, and cohort

Client Success

38% Margin

Trusted by Leading E-Commerce Brands

"Rich and the aquifer team helped us significantly improve our financial infrastructure. This allows us to focus on scaling faster, while feeling confident we have the right financial systems in place."

"Rich and the aquifer team helped us significantly improve our financial infrastructure. This allows us to focus on scaling faster, while feeling confident we have the right financial systems in place."

"Rich and the aquifer team helped us significantly improve our financial infrastructure. This allows us to focus on scaling faster, while feeling confident we have the right financial systems in place."

Our Clients

"Rich and the aquifer team helped us significantly improve our financial infrastructure. This allows us to focus on scaling faster, while feeling confident we have the right financial systems in place."

"The Aquifer team has been incredibly insightful in approaching our finance stack, making them an invaluable partner for our business. They work with us rather than around us and continue to lend their expertise in the world of web3 accounting."

"Aquifer was instrumental in helping GDA scale by providing financial infrastructure & processes, financial advisory seed + Series A rounds, corporate accounting & tax support, and any other ad-hoc projects. The team brought a strong sense of co-founder ownership."

The Aquifer Difference

Strategic Partners Who Speak E-Commerce

We don't just reconcile Shopify payouts. We become integrated partners who understand your CAC, inventory turns, and marketplace dynamics—speaking the language of modern online retail.

E-Commerce-First Expertise

We specialize exclusively in online retail, understanding nuances from FBA fees to landed costs that generalist accountants miss.

Sales Tax Compliance Built-In

Proactive nexus monitoring, automated multi-state filing, and audit defense keep you compliant in 45+ jurisdictions.

Unit Economics Mastery

Real-time profitability tracking by SKU, channel, and customer cohort—showing exactly where to focus for growth.

Our Team

Meet Your CFO Partners

Our experienced CFOs bring decades of expertise across various industries to help your business thrive

Rich Zhou
CEO & Founder
Terence Papadacos
COO & Manager of Accounting
Alexander Williamson
Senior Manager of Accounting
Ron Armstrong
Senior Business Analyst
Witton Leung
Financial Modeling Expert
Lydia Yu
Manager of Accounting
Mhilanie Belleza
Manager of Accounting
Want to learn more about our team and expertise?
View Full Team Bios
Common Questions

E-Commerce Accounting FAQ

How do you handle multi-channel sales reconciliation?
What's your approach to inventory accounting and COGS?
Can you help with sales tax nexus and compliance?
How do you calculate true SKU profitability?
What e-commerce metrics do you track and report?
Do you help with Amazon FBA reconciliation?
How do you handle international e-commerce accounting?
Can you improve our cash flow and working capital?
Let's Get Started

Ready to Scale Your E-Commerce Brand?

Get a free e-commerce financial audit. We'll analyze your SKU profitability, sales tax exposure, and unit economics—providing actionable insights to improve margins.

Free Audit ($2,000 value)
E-Commerce Expert Call
Custom Growth Plan