Ecommerce KPI Glossary for Modern Companies
Sep 29, 2025
Tracking the right ecommerce Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are essential for ecommerce companies to monitor performance, optimize operations, and align cross‑functional teams. Below is a comprehensive ecommerce KPI glossary for modern businesses covering everything from revenue metrics to customer behavior and operational efficiency.
Here is our comprehensive ecommerce KPI glossary with corresponding formulas (use ‘Command + F’ to find a metric quickly):
Revenue
Definition: Total sales revenue generated by the eCommerce business in a period.
Formula: Total Sales Revenue
Net Revenue
Definition: Revenue after deducting customer‑facing allowances.
Formula: Gross Revenue − Discounts, Returns, and Allowances
Average Order Value (AOV)
Definition: The average dollar amount spent each time a customer places an order.
Formula: Total Revenue / Total Number of Orders
Revenue Growth Rate
Definition: The week‑over‑week, month‑over‑month, or year‑over‑year change in revenue.
Formula: ((Current Revenue − Previous Revenue) / Previous Revenue) × 100
Gross Merchandise Value (GMV)
Definition: The total value of all items sold through the platform before deductions.
Formula: Total Value of Items Sold
Revenue per Visitor (RPV)
Definition: Average revenue generated per unique visitor.
Formula: Total Revenue / Total Website Visitors
Customer Lifetime Value (CLV)
Definition: Predicted net profit attributed to the entire future relationship with a customer.
Formula: Average Order Value × Purchase Frequency × Customer Lifespan
Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)
Definition: Average cost to acquire a new customer.
Formula: Total Marketing Spend / Total New Customers
Marketing ROI
Definition: Return on marketing investment.
Formula: (Revenue from Marketing − Marketing Spend) / Marketing Spend × 100
Cost per Lead (CPL)
Definition: Average cost to generate a marketing lead.
Formula: Total Marketing Spend / Total Leads Generated
Click‑Through Rate (CTR)
Definition: Percentage of ad or email impressions that result in clicks.
Formula: (Clicks / Impressions) × 100
Impressions‑to‑Sale Conversion
Definition: Percentage of ad or display impressions that convert into sales.
Formula: (Number of Sales / Number of Impressions) × 100
Customer Retention Rate
Definition: Percentage of customers who make repeat purchases.
Formula: (Customers Retained / Total Customers) × 100
Email Open Rate
Definition: Percentage of marketing emails opened by recipients.
Formula: (Emails Opened / Total Emails Sent) × 100
Email Click‑Through Rate
Definition: Percentage of marketing emails clicked by recipients.
Formula: (Clicks from Emails / Total Emails Sent) × 100
Repeat Purchase Rate (RPR)
Definition: Proportion of customers who place more than one order.
Formula: (Number of Repeat Customers / Total Customers) × 100
Churn Rate
Definition: Percentage of customers lost over a period.
Formula: (Customers Lost / Total Customers at Start) × 100
Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT)
Definition: Average satisfaction rating given by customers.
Formula: Sum of Scores / Total Number of Responses
Net Promoter Score (NPS)
Definition: Measure of customer willingness to recommend your store.
Formula: % Promoters − % Detractors
Customer Complaints Ratio
Definition: Rate of complaints relative to orders placed.
Formula: Number of Complaints / Total Orders
Website Traffic
Definition: Total number of visitors to your eCommerce site.
Formula: Total Number of Visitors to the Website
Bounce Rate
Definition: Percentage of visitors who leave after viewing only one page.
Formula: (Visitors Leaving After 1 Page / Total Visitors) × 100
Conversion Rate
Definition: Percentage of visitors who make a purchase.
Formula: (Purchases / Total Website Visitors) × 100
Cart Abandonment Rate
Definition: Percentage of shoppers who add items to cart but don’t complete checkout.
Formula: (Abandoned Carts / Total Carts Created) × 100
Checkout Abandonment Rate
Definition: Percentage of shoppers who start checkout but don’t finish payment.
Formula: (Abandoned Checkouts / Total Checkouts Started) × 100
Session Duration
Definition: Average time visitors spend on the site per session.
Formula: Total Time Spent on Website / Total Sessions
Page Load Time
Definition: Average time for a page to fully render for users.
Formula: Average Time Taken to Load a Page
Inventory Turnover Ratio
Definition: How quickly inventory is sold and replaced.
Formula: Cost of Goods Sold / Average Inventory Value
Stockout Rate
Definition: Frequency of out‑of‑stock occurrences.
Formula: (Out‑of‑Stock Items / Total Items Sold) × 100
Backorder Rate
Definition: Proportion of orders delayed due to stock shortages.
Formula: (Backordered Items / Total Orders) × 100
Order Fulfillment Time
Definition: Average time from order placement to shipment.
Formula: Total Time to Process Orders / Total Orders Fulfilled
Perfect Order Rate
Definition: Percentage of orders delivered without errors.
Formula: (Orders Fulfilled Without Errors / Total Orders) × 100
Return Rate
Definition: Percentage of orders returned by customers.
Formula: (Number of Returned Orders / Total Orders) × 100
Damaged Goods Rate
Definition: Percentage of shipped items damaged in transit.
Formula: (Damaged Items / Total Shipped Items) × 100
On‑Time Delivery Rate
Definition: Proportion of orders delivered by the promised date.
Formula: (On‑Time Deliveries / Total Deliveries) × 100
Shipping Cost per Order
Definition: Average shipping expense per order.
Formula: Total Shipping Costs / Total Orders
Order Delivery Time
Definition: Average duration from shipment to customer receipt.
Formula: Total Time Taken for Delivery / Total Orders Delivered
Lost Shipment Rate
Definition: Percentage of shipments that fail to reach customers.
Formula: (Lost Shipments / Total Shipments) × 100
Delivery Accuracy Rate
Definition: Percentage of orders delivered correctly as placed.
Formula: (Correctly Delivered Orders / Total Deliveries) × 100
Gross Margin
Definition: Profitability after accounting for cost of goods sold.
Formula: ((Revenue − Cost of Goods Sold) / Revenue) × 100
Operating Margin
Definition: Profitability after operating expenses.
Formula: Operating Income / Revenue × 100
Net Profit Margin
Definition: Overall profitability after all expenses.
Formula: Net Profit / Revenue × 100
Average Cost per Unit
Definition: Average production or procurement cost per item sold.
Formula: Total Cost of Goods Sold / Total Units Sold
Return on Investment (ROI)
Definition: Efficiency of capital deployed.
Formula: (Net Profit / Total Investment) × 100
Customer Profitability
Definition: Net profit contributed per customer.
Formula: Revenue Generated by Customer − Cost to Service Customer
App Downloads
Definition: Total installs of your mobile app.
Formula: Total Number of App Installs
Daily Active Users (DAU)
Definition: Unique app or site users per day.
Formula: Number of Unique Users Using the App Daily
Monthly Active Users (MAU)
Definition: Unique app or site users per month.
Formula: Number of Unique Users Using the App Monthly
App Retention Rate
Definition: Percentage of users returning after initial install.
Formula: (Users Retained After Install / Total Installs) × 100
App Crash Rate
Definition: Stability of your app measured by crash frequency.
Formula: (App Crashes / Total Sessions) × 100
Carbon Footprint per Order
Definition: Environmental impact measured per order.
Formula: Total Carbon Emissions / Total Orders
Packaging Waste Rate
Definition: Proportion of non‑recyclable packaging used.
Formula: (Non‑Recyclable Packaging Used / Total Packaging) × 100
Sustainable Product Ratio
Definition: Revenue share from eco‑friendly product lines.
Formula: (Revenue from Sustainable Products / Total Revenue) × 100
In Closing;
The KPIs in this ecommerce KPI glossary are the lifeline of any ecommerce business. By tracking the right metrics—from top‑line revenue and customer behavior to fulfillment efficiency and sustainability—you gain actionable insights that drive smarter decisions, stronger performance, and lasting growth. Whether you’re optimizing marketing spend, reducing returns, or improving delivery accuracy, this KPI glossary ensures alignment across your teams and clarity on what matters most.
Manually tracking and analyzing these KPIs without this ecommerce KPI glossary across disparate systems can be time‑consuming and error‑prone. That’s where Brev.io comes in.
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