Electronic Shopping and Mail-Order Houses Revenue Benchmarks
The average electronic shopping and mail-order houses business in the United States generates $5.8M in annual revenue, according to the U.S. Census Bureau Statistics of U.S. Businesses (SUSB 2021). There are 53,105 electronic shopping and mail-order houses businesses in the U.S., employing 734,096 workers with an average profit margin of 4.0%.
What Does a Electronic Shopping and Mail-Order Houses Business Actually Do?
E-commerce businesses that sell products online without a physical retail storefront. Includes Amazon FBA sellers, Shopify DTC brands, dropshippers, and traditional catalog sellers.
Who buys: Consumers shopping online across every category.
Average Revenue
$5.8M
per year
Profit Margin
4.0%
industry average
Revenue / Employee
$422K
per year
Total Businesses
53,105
in the US
Est. Owner Income
$233K
small business avg
Labor Cost
14.0%
of revenue
Avg Employee Wage
N/A
per year (BLS)
Market Saturation
16.0
firms per 100K people
How Much Do Electronic Shopping and Mail-Order Houses Charge?
E-commerce businesses earn on markup + shipping profit. Amazon fees and paid ads compress margins.
| Service | Typical range |
|---|---|
Direct-to-consumer (DTC) markup | 3–5x cost typical |
Amazon FBA gross margin (after fees) | 20–35% |
Shopify DTC gross margin | 40–70% |
Dropshipping gross margin | 10–30% |
CAC (customer acquisition cost) | 20–40% of order value |
Ranges based on industry rate surveys and typical published pricing. Actual quotes vary by city, business size, and job complexity.
Complete electronic shopping and mail-order houses business plan
A 12-section data-backed business plan for a electronic shopping and mail-order houses business — executive summary, market analysis, competitive landscape, revenue model, 3-year financial projections, operations, marketing, staffing, funding request. Pre-populated with real Census, IRS, and BLS data on this industry. Free to view.
Cost Structure — Where Every $100 in Revenue Goes
Approximate P&L breakdown for the electronic shopping and mail-order houses industry. Labor share and net profit are grounded in Census SUSB and IRS SOI data. Other lines are split using sector-typical ratios.
| Category | Per $100 revenue | Per typical business | What's in it |
|---|---|---|---|
Cost of goods sold | $62 | $3.6M | Wholesale cost of merchandise purchased for resale. Retail's biggest expense. |
Wages & benefits | $14 | $816K | Payroll for all employees at the business (owner comp not included for small owner-operators). |
Rent & facilities | $8 | $478K | Rent or mortgage on business location plus utilities tied to the space. |
Marketing & advertising | $4 | $239K | Google/Meta ads, SEO, print, referral fees, event sponsorships. |
Other operating costs | $8 | $478K | Utilities, POS fees, shrinkage, insurance, store maintenance. |
Net profit | $4 | $233K | What remains for the owner or shareholders after all business expenses. |
Directionally accurate for a typical business in the industry. Individual businesses vary widely — a franchise may run a very different cost mix from an independent, and older established businesses often have lower labor share than newer ones.
Average Revenue by Business Size
Industry Dynamics (Census BDS 2023)
New Business Rate
17.17%
openings/year
Closure Rate
15.94%
closings/year
Net Job Growth
-7.83%
annual
Businesses Closed
6,606
in 2023
Firm Count Trend
Should You Start a Electronic Shopping and Mail-Order Houses Business?
Startup Cost
$75K – $400K
Break-Even
12 months
5-Year Survival Rate
48.0%
Related Industries
Frequently Asked Questions
- What does a electronic shopping and mail-order houses business do?
- E-commerce businesses that sell products online without a physical retail storefront. Includes Amazon FBA sellers, Shopify DTC brands, dropshippers, and traditional catalog sellers. Consumers shopping online across every category.
- How much do electronic shopping and mail-order houses charge?
- E-commerce businesses earn on markup + shipping profit. Amazon fees and paid ads compress margins. See the pricing table above for typical rates by service type.
- How much does the average electronic shopping and mail-order houses make per year?
- The average electronic shopping and mail-order houses business generates $5.8M in annual revenue, based on U.S. Census Bureau data (SUSB 2021). After expenses, the estimated owner profit is $233K per year at a 4.0% profit margin.
- How many electronic shopping and mail-order houses businesses are there in the US?
- There are 53,105 electronic shopping and mail-order houses businesses operating in the United States, employing a total of 734,096 workers.
- How much does it cost to start a electronic shopping and mail-order houses business?
- Startup costs for a electronic shopping and mail-order houses business typically range from $75K to $400K, with a 5-year survival rate of 48.0%.
Industry Growth & Survival
The electronic shopping and mail-order houses industry is contracting — losing jobs at a net rate of 7.8% per year. More establishments are closing (15.9%) than opening (17.2%), suggesting market challenges.
Approximately 42% of electronic shopping and mail-order houses businesses survive their first 5 years. This is below the national average (~50%) — new entrants face elevated risk of failure. Ensure adequate capitalization. In 2023, 6,606 firms in this industry closed permanently.
Industry Trend (2000–2023)
The electronic shopping and mail-order houses industry has grown 340% since 2000 (from 10,055 to 44,237 firms).
See full historical statistics →Compare Electronic Shopping and Mail-Order Houses revenue with other industries: