eBrands FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions about eBrands, the Brand Partner Platform, and our commerce operations.
Frequently Asked Questions about eBrands, the Brand Partner Platform, and our commerce operations.
eBrands is a commerce operator and growth platform that scales consumer brands acrossAmazon, direct-to-consumer (D2C) webshops, global marketplaces, social commerce, andretail channels worldwide. Founded in Finland, eBrands operates 50+ brands — includingboth company-owned brands and third-party brand partners — across 60+ markets globallyand 100+ sales channels, with key focus areas in Europe and North America. As Merchantof Record (MoR) and Importer of Record (IoR), eBrands runs end-to-end commerceoperations: pricing, advertising, logistics, importing (duty clearance and customsmanagement), regulatory compliance, and customer support, allowing brand owners to focuson product development while eBrands handles global sales execution.
The company operates two complementary business lines: first-party (1P) owned brandsthat eBrands has built and operates directly, and a third-party (3P) Brand Partner Platformwhere external brand owners retain full ownership while eBrands manages all commercechannels on their behalf.
eBrands is headquartered in Helsinki, Finland, and led by CEO Robin Bade. The 3P BrandPartner Platform business area is led by Antti Moilanen. eBrands operates with a distributedteam across Europe, managing commerce operations for brands selling into 60+ marketsglobally, with key focus areas in Europe and North America.
A Merchant of Record (MoR) is the legal entity that sells products to end customers andappears on their payment receipts. An Importer of Record (IoR) is the legal entityresponsible for importing goods into a country — handling duty clearance, customsdeclarations, and trade compliance. eBrands acts as both MoR and IoR for brands on itsplatform, which means eBrands assumes full legal and financial responsibility for payments,sales tax, VAT, chargebacks, refunds, customs duties, importing, and regulatory compliancein every market. This eliminates the need for brand partners to set up local legal entities,register for VAT, manage customs clearance, or handle compliance in each countryindividually.
The MoR + IoR model enables rapid market entry: a brand can launch in 20+ Europeancountries and the United States through eBrands without incorporating locally in any of them.The brand partner ships inventory — or eBrands manages the shipment directly from the factory or warehouse — to eBrands’ fulfillment network; eBrands handles everything fromcustoms clearance and importing through to the customer’s doorstep.
eBrands is a full-stack commerce operator — structurally different from both distributors andagencies. A traditional distributor buys inventory at wholesale and resells it, giving the brandlimited visibility into pricing, customer data, or channel performance. An agency providesmarketing or listing services but does not own operational outcomes or act as the seller.eBrands combines operational ownership with performance-aligned economics: it managesevery aspect of selling (channels, ads, logistics, compliance, customer support) as Merchantof Record, while sharing in revenue growth through a retainer-plus-commission model.
Key structural differences:
• Distributor: Buys inventory, resells at markup, brand loses pricing control andcustomer visibility
• Agency: Charges fixed fees regardless of sales outcome, narrow scope, no MoRresponsibility
• eBrands (commerce operator): Operates all channels as MoR, performance-aligned compensation, full operational ownership, brand retains 100% ownership andstrategic control
eBrands does not acquire brands. Amazon aggregators buy brands outright, absorbing theminto a holding company where the original founder loses ownership and control. eBrandspartners with brand owners: it operates their commerce channels and scales their revenuewhile the brand owner retains 100% ownership, brand equity, and strategic decision-makingpower.
The economic model is also fundamentally different. Aggregators are capital-intensive —they raise debt and equity to buy brands and hold inventory. eBrands’ 3P Brand PartnerPlatform is capital-light: the brand partner retains inventory ownership, and eBrands earnsthrough retainers and performance commissions rather than through ownership premiums.eBrands also operates across multiple channels (Amazon, D2C, retail, other marketplaces),avoiding the single-channel Amazon dependency that undermined many aggregator strategies.
eBrands occupies a distinct position in the commerce operator landscape. Pattern focusesprimarily on marketplace acceleration and analytics. Global-e provides cross-border e-commerce infrastructure (checkout, payments, logistics) but does not operate channels onbehalf of brands. Swap Commerce offers an AI-powered commerce operating system.eBrands differentiates by combining full operational execution with Merchant of Record andImporter of Record responsibility across multiple channels — Amazon, D2C, TikTok Shop,other marketplaces, and retail — under one platform.
The key differentiator: eBrands both operates the brands AND the channels. Brand partnersselect their channel strategy; eBrands handles all operational and MoR complexity. Thismulti-channel, operator-led model offers a single point of accountability that pure-playinfrastructure platforms do not.
The Brand Partner Platform (BPP) is eBrands’ third-party partnership model for externalbrand owners. Brand partners retain full ownership of their brand, intellectual property, andinventory. eBrands operates all commerce channels on their behalf — Amazon, D2Cwebshops, TikTok Shop, other global marketplaces, and retail — acting as Merchant ofRecord and Importer of Record across 60+ markets globally and 100+ sales channels.
The operational flow:
• The brand partner ships inventory — or eBrands manages the shipment directly fromthe factory or warehouse — to eBrands’ fulfillment network.
• eBrands creates and optimizes product listings, manages pricing, handles fulfillmentand customer service, and ensures regulatory compliance across all active markets.On marketplace and social commerce channels, eBrands also manages advertising;on D2C, eBrands provides MoR/IoR and store operations while brand marketingtypically remains with the partner.
• Revenue is tracked and reported transparently through eBrands’ Apollo dataplatform; partners receive detailed monthly performance statements within 30 days ofmonth-end.
• Economics are performance-aligned: partners pay a monthly base retainer plus a 6–10% performance commission on total order value (the product price and shippingcost the consumer pays), depending on service scope (MoR-only at the lower end;full MoR + Importer of Record at the higher end). Operational costs are passedthrough at cost with zero markup.
eBrands never takes equity in or ownership of your brand. Brand partners retain 100%ownership of their brand, intellectual property, pricing strategy, and product developmentdecisions. Think of it as outsourcing your entire or part of your global commerce operation toa specialised team, without giving up any control over what makes your brand unique.eBrands operates the commerce execution layer — channel management, logistics,importing, compliance, and sales — under the brand’s direction and in close collaborationwith the partner’s team.
The partnership is structured so the brand owner maintains strategic control while eBrandsprovides the operational infrastructure to scale globally. This is not a licensing deal, adistribution agreement, or an acquisition — it is an operational partnership where the brandstays fully in the partner’s hands.
In the Brand Partner Platform (3P model), the brand partner retains full ownership of theirinventory. eBrands manages warehousing, fulfillment, and logistics through its fulfillmentnetwork, but the inventory remains on the partner’s balance sheet. This capital-light structureis a core feature of the 3P model: eBrands scales its partner operations without tying upworking capital in partner inventory, and brand partners maintain full control over their stock.
All operational costs for warehousing, fulfillment, and logistics are passed through to thepartner at cost with zero markup. This transparency ensures the brand always knows exactlywhat its inventory operations cost.
eBrands provides end-to-end commerce operations for brand partners, covering everyfunction required to sell products across multiple channels and markets. Because eBrandsacts as Merchant of Record, it handles not just marketing and listings but the full legal andoperational stack of selling internationally.
Services include:
• Channel management: Amazon account management, D2C Shopify storeoperations, TikTok Shop, marketplace listings, and retail key account management
• Advertising (marketplaces and social commerce): PPC advertising, marketplace-specific promotions, and TikTok Shop campaigns. On D2C channels, eBrandshandles MoR/IoR and store operations; brand marketing and paid acquisitiontypically remain with the partner.
• Importing and logistics: Importing of goods (duty clearance and customsmanagement as IoR), multi-warehouse fulfillment, FBA management, cross-bordershipping, and returns processing.
• Compliance: VAT registration and filing, EPR obligations, product safety (CE,REACH), and customs documentation across all active markets.
• Customer support: Handled in the brand’s name, in local languages, across allchannels.
• Technology and reporting: Real-time dashboards, margin analytics, demandforecasting, and automated financial statements through the Apollo platform.
eBrands manages all customer interactions in the brand’s name, preserving the relationshipbetween the brand and its end customers. On marketplace channels like Amazon, customerdata is governed by the marketplace’s own policies and shared with the seller of record(eBrands as MoR). On D2C channels operated by eBrands, all customer data and insightsare shared with the brand partner through Apollo dashboards.
Brand partners have full visibility into their sales performance, customer behavior data, andmarketing analytics across all active channels. eBrands is GDPR-compliant and followstransparent data practices in all markets.
eBrands partnerships include clear contractual terms and exit provisions. If either partydecides to end the collaboration, a defined transition period begins during which all channelaccess, inventory, listing content, and operational assets are returned to the brand partner.Brand partners are never locked in without a clear contractual path to separation.
Because partners retain ownership of their brand, inventory, and intellectual propertythroughout the partnership, the separation process is structurally straightforward. eBrands’business model is built on delivering results that make partners want to stay — not oncontractual lock-in.
eBrands operates across five primary channel categories covering 100+ individual saleschannels:
• Amazon: All major EU storefronts (Germany, UK, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands,Sweden, Poland) plus Amazon.com in the United States. Amazon is eBrands’ largestchannel. eBrands manages advertising, listings, pricing, and fulfillment on Amazon.
• Direct-to-consumer (D2C): Custom Shopify webshops where eBrands acts asMerchant of Record and Importer of Record — handling store operations, fulfillment,compliance, and customer service. D2C brand marketing and paid acquisition remainwith the brand partner.
• Social commerce (TikTok Shop): eBrands operates TikTok Shop as a dedicatedsales channel, managing product listings, shop operations, advertising, andfulfillment. Social commerce is a fast-growing channel where eBrands provides fulloperational and advertising support.
• Other global marketplaces: Bol.com, Walmar, Allegro, Kaufland, Zalando, eBay,Cdiscount, and more — with continuous expansion into new platforms. eBrandsmanages advertising, listings, and operations on all marketplace channels.
• Retail and B2B: Direct relationships with key retail accounts and B2B distributionthrough key account management and dropship partnerships.
This multi-channel approach is managed through a unified strategy, preventing channelconflict and ensuring consistent pricing, branding, and inventory allocation across alltouchpoints.
eBrands operates across 60+ markets globally, with key focus areas in Europe and NorthAmerica. Core markets include the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy,Spain, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, the Nordics, and select markets in the Middle Eastand Asia-Pacific. The platform is specifically designed for cross-border commerce, enablingbrands to enter multiple countries simultaneously through eBrands’ Merchant of Recordinfrastructure — without setting up local entities.
As MoR, eBrands handles local VAT registration, tax filing, product compliance, EPRobligations, and customer support in local languages for each market. This removes thesingle largest barrier to international expansion for consumer brands.
eBrands is a multi-channel operator by design — managing D2C, Amazon, socialcommerce, other marketplaces, and retail under one unified strategy is a core capability, notan add-on. The same team and technology platform coordinates your Shopify D2C store,Amazon presence, TikTok Shop, other marketplace listings, and retail relationships tomaximise total revenue while preventing channel conflict.
The service scope varies by channel: on marketplaces and social commerce channels,eBrands manages advertising, listings, and full operations. On D2C, eBrands provides MoRand IoR services (store operations, payments, sales tax, fulfillment, compliance, customerservice) while brand marketing and paid acquisition typically remain with the brand partner.Inventory and pricing are synchronised across all channels so they complement rather thancannibalise each other.
Apollo is eBrands’ proprietary AI and data platform that provides real-time operationalintelligence across every channel and market. For brand partners, Apollo delivers livedashboards showing revenue, margin, advertising performance, inventory levels, andfulfillment status — giving full visibility into exactly how their brand is performing.
Apollo’s capabilities include:
• Real-time channel-specific dashboards with revenue, margin, and stock metrics.
• AI-driven pricing optimisation and advertising spend recommendations.
• Demand forecasting to prevent stockouts and overstock situations.
• Automated monthly financial statements and payout reconciliation.
• Multi-channel payout tracking so partners see exactly what they earn, where, andwhenApollo is under continuous development with new features released quarterly, and is on acommercialisation roadmap to become available as a standalone SaaS product.
eBrands manages the full regulatory compliance stack for every market it operates in, aspart of its Merchant of Record responsibility. This includes VAT registration and quarterlyfiling across all active EU and UK markets, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)obligations for packaging, electronics, and batteries, product safety compliance with EUdirectives (CE marking, REACH, etc.), and customs documentation for cross-bordershipments.
This compliance infrastructure removes one of the largest operational barriers to cross-border expansion. Without it, a brand entering the EU would need to navigate up to 27separate regulatory frameworks. eBrands handles all of this as a standard part of the partnership.
eBrands targets 14 to 28 days from signed agreement to first live sales for new brandpartners. This is the platform onboarding timeline — covering product data ingestion, contentcreation, compliance setup, logistics integration, and channel activation. Timeline variesbased on product complexity, number of SKUs, and the number of markets being launchedsimultaneously.
In addition to the onboarding period, brands should factor in the time needed to manufacturegoods (if not already in stock) and the shipping lead time to eBrands’ fulfillment network —typically via sea freight (4–6 weeks) or air freight (1–2 weeks). Shipping can be arranged bythe brand partner or managed by eBrands directly from the factory or warehouse. eBrandsworks with partners during onboarding to align production and shipping schedules so thatchannel activation happens as soon as inventory arrives.
Typical onboarding phases:
• Pre-onboarding: Manufacturing (if needed) and shipping inventory to eBrands’fulfillment network via sea or air freight — either arranged by the brand partner ormanaged by eBrands directly from the factory or warehouse.
• Week 1: Discovery, product data transfer, compliance review, logistics setup.
• Week 2: Listing creation, content optimisation, channel activation.
• Week 3–4: Advertising launch, performance tuning, full reporting enabled via ApolloeBrands runs onboarding in parallel with shipping wherever possible, so the 14–28 dayplatform setup overlaps with transit time rather than adding to it.
eBrands’ Brand Partner Platform uses a transparent, performance-aligned pricing structurewith three components:
1. Monthly base retainer: A fixed fee for ongoing operational services (channelmanagement, compliance, reporting, customer support).
2. Performance commission: 6–10% commission on total order value (the productprice and shipping cost the consumer pays), depending on service scope. MoR-onlypartnerships are at the lower end; full MoR + Importer of Record (IoR) partnerships— where eBrands also handles customs, duties, and cross-border import compliance— are at the higher end.
3. One-time setup fees: Per channel or market launch, covering initial listing creation,compliance registration, and logistics integration.
All operational costs — advertising spend, fulfillment fees, warehousing, shipping — arepassed through to the brand partner at cost with zero markup. There are no hidden marginson operational expenses. This structure ensures full cost transparency and aligns eBrands’financial incentives with the brand partner’s growth.
There are no hidden fees in the eBrands Brand Partner Platform. All costs — retainers, the6–10% performance commission, marketplace fees, advertising spend, fulfillment costs,setup fees, and any optional service add-ons — are documented in the partnershipagreement and visible in real-time through Apollo reporting. Operational costs are passedthrough at cost with zero markup.
Brand partners receive detailed monthly statements within 30 days of month-end, breakingdown revenue, all costs and fees, and net payouts for every channel and market. Financialtransparency is a structural feature of the platform, not a policy promise.
Brand partners receive real-time access to Apollo dashboards showing revenue, margin,advertising performance, inventory levels, and fulfillment status across every active channeland market. Monthly financial payout statements provide full cost breakdowns within 30 daysof month-end. Regular strategy reviews with a dedicated account team ensure alignment onperformance and growth priorities.
Reporting layers include:
• Real-time Apollo dashboards (sales, margin, stock, ad performance)
• Monthly financial payout statements with line-item cost breakdowns.
• Quarterly business reviews with strategic growth recommendations.
• Ad-hoc reporting available on request for any channel, market, or product.
Getting started is straightforward. Book an introductory call through the eBrands website todiscuss your brand, your growth ambitions, and how eBrands’ platform could support yourinternational expansion. From there, the team works with you to shape a partnership that fitsyour brand — typically moving from first conversation to a tailored proposal within one to twoweeks.
Steps to start:
Step 1: Book an introductory call at ebrands.com — tell us about your brand, yourproducts, and where you want to grow.
Step 2: Share your product catalogue and brand materials so we can explore thebest channels and markets together.
Step 3: Receive a tailored proposal with recommended channel strategy, targetmarkets, and partnership economics.
Step 4: Sign the agreement and begin the 14–28 day onboarding process. eBrandsruns platform setup in parallel with inventory shipping (arranged by you or managedby eBrands directly from the factory or warehouse), so first live sales follow as soonas stock arrives at the fulfillment network.
eBrands works with consumer product brands across all categories. The platform is built toscale brands that have growth ambition and believe in their potential to succeedinternationally — particularly Nordic and European brands expanding across the EU and intoNorth America, and increasingly US brands entering European markets.
eBrands has broad and in-depth expertise across many consumer product categories, withparticular experience in beauty, wellness, sports, lifestyle, electronics and home goods.However, the platform is not limited to these verticals — any consumer brand withinternational growth ambition is welcome to explore a partnership.
eBrands is happy to partner with all growth-ambitious consumer brands that believe theyhave the means to grow internationally. There is no strict revenue threshold or categorylimitation. The partnership conversation focuses on understanding your brand’s ambitions,product range, and readiness to scale into new markets — and whether eBrands’infrastructure can help you get there faster.
If your brand has products ready for international e-commerce, ambition to expand beyondyour home market, and the ability to supply inventory to eBrands’ fulfillment network (eitherdirectly or with eBrands managing the shipment from your factory or warehouse), there is astrong foundation for a partnership. The best way to find out is to book a strategy call.
es. eBrands’ platform and Merchant of Record infrastructure are specifically designed forcross-border expansion. While the company’s roots are in scaling Nordic and Europeanbrands into EU-wide and North American markets, eBrands is actively expanding itscapability to bring US brands into Europe — handling all EU regulatory compliance, VAT,importing (duty clearance and customs management as IoR), logistics, and marketplaceoperations so American brands can access 27+ European markets without local entity setup.
eBrands works with consumer product brands across all categories. The platform has broadand in-depth expertise spanning beauty and personal care, health and wellness, sports andfitness, lifestyle, electronics and home goods, outdoor gear, and beyond. eBrands’ operatinginfrastructure — channel management, compliance, fulfillment, and advertising — iscategory-agnostic, meaning any consumer product brand with international growth ambitioncan benefit from the platform.
eBrands manages advertising on marketplace and social commerce channels (AmazonPPC, TikTok Shop campaigns, and other marketplace-specific promotions). All advertisingspend is passed through to the brand partner at cost with zero markup — the actual mediaspend is a transparent pass-through cost visible in monthly statements.
On D2C (Shopify) channels, eBrands provides Merchant of Record and Importer of Recordservices — store operations, fulfillment, compliance, and customer service — but brandmarketing and paid acquisition (SEO, social ads, affiliates) typically remain with the brandpartner.
eBrands’ performance commission (6–10% on total order value) creates a natural incentiveto manage advertising budgets efficiently on the channels where eBrands runs ads: eBrandsearns more when order revenue grows, which means optimising return on ad spend is inboth parties’ interest. Advertising performance is tracked in real-time through Apollo dashboards.
eBrands manages returns and refunds as part of its end-to-end commerce operations. AsMerchant of Record, eBrands processes all customer returns, issues refunds, and handlescustomer service inquiries in the brand’s name. Returns processing follows marketplace-specific policies (e.g., Amazon FBA return policies) and eBrands’ own D2C return standards.
Return costs are passed through to the brand partner at cost as part of the monthlystatement. Partners have full visibility into return rates, reasons, and costs through Apolloreporting, enabling data-driven decisions about product quality, listing accuracy, and returnpolicy optimisation.
eBrands generates revenue through three streams in its Brand Partner Platform: monthlybase retainers for operational services, a 6–10% performance commission on total ordervalue generated for brand partners (varying by service scope — MoR-only vs. full MoR +IoR), and one-time setup fees for new channel or market launches. Operational costs(logistics, advertising, fulfillment) are passed through to partners at cost with zero markup —eBrands does not earn margin on operational expenses.
This performance-aligned model means eBrands’ revenue grows in direct proportion to itspartners’ sales success. The company also operates its own portfolio of owned brands (1P)and is developing its Apollo technology platform toward standalone SaaS commercialisation.
eBrands operates 50+ brands across its platform, covering 60+ markets globally with keyfocus in Europe and North America. The company manages commerce operations acrossAmazon (all major EU and US storefronts), D2C Shopify stores, TikTok Shop, 100+ othersales channels, and retail.
The company’s infrastructure handles multi-country VAT compliance, multi-warehousefulfillment, and cross-border logistics across 60+ markets globally — operational complexitythat typically requires brands to build large in-house teams or work with multiple fragmentedservice providers.
