Mercury

My team speaks with ecommerce founders daily, and we’ve been hearing a lot of the same things. Ecommerce founders are consistently facing cashflow headwinds, but are optimistic about profitability. Mercury’s new 2025 Ecommerce Holiday Report shows the same story: 1️⃣ Rising logistics costs are top of mind 52% of the 750 ecommerce founders we surveyed said shipping and freight costs are having the biggest impact on their holiday planning. 2️⃣ Consumer behavior feels less predictable this year 44% of respondents pointed to shifting consumer confidence as a major factor shaping their holiday sales season. A lot of teams are building more flexibility into promotions because of this, but that comes at an impact to their cashflow. 3️⃣ Macro uncertainty is influencing how teams budget and forecast Another 44% told us that broader economic uncertainty is weighing on their peak-season strategy. But despite these pre holiday headwinds, the ecommerce founders we speak with are feeling optimistic. Our report found the same to be true: 73% of respondents said profitability increased in the past 12 months and 88% are feeling optimistic about their business prospects in 2026. Whether you’re planning for Black Friday / Cyber Monday or prepping for the aftermath - we’d love to hear what you’re navigating right now. Full report in comments!

Tariffs and broader macro pressures have pushed costs up and added uncertainty for ecommerce businesses. Yet these companies are finding ways to adapt, especially through AI. In Mercury’s new 2025 Ecommerce Holiday Report, we found that heavy AI users are 5x as likely to report significant profitability gains compared with non-AI users. Across our own credit portfolio, we’re seeing founders use AI-driven efficiencies to free up cash flow and reinvest it into growth plays like marketing and bulk inventory purchases. The environment may be challenging, but the level of resourcefulness and optimism from ecomm builders right now is unmistakable.

As Mango Puzzles heads into its third holiday season, I’m already noticing early signs that the way customers discover products is changing. 👀 According to Mercury’s latest ecommerce report, many teams are feeling this shift too. A large majority (86%) believe AI-generated search will expand their visibility and help them reach customers they couldn’t reach before. Svetlana Lovoukhin and I are seeing this firsthand in our own acquisition mix. More shoppers are turning to tools like ChatGPT to find holiday gifts or puzzles tailored to specific groups, such as older adults. With peak season approaching, it’ll be fascinating to watch how these discovery trends continue to evolve.

You’re ready to scale for the holidays. But your cash flow says: “Not yet.” 💸 We’re here to help with Mercury Working Capital: → Up to $1M loans → No personal guarantee → No hard credit pulls It’s capital designed for ecommerce founders — accessible terms, no surprise payments, and holistic underwriting that looks at all your revenue. Whether it’s restocking inventory or doubling down on BFCM ad spend, now you can execute holiday sales without hesitation. See if you’re eligible: https://lnkd.in/gw3zJ6Xr *Mercury’s Venture Debt and Working Capital loans are originated by Mercury Lending, LLC (NMLS: 2606284) and serviced by Mercury Servicing, LLC (NMLS: 2606285). Mercury Lending and Mercury Servicing are wholly-owned, separately managed subsidiaries of Mercury Technologies, Inc. At this time, we are unable to offer working capital loans to businesses operating in California.

Ecommerce founders: ramping up ad spend on Meta, TikTok, or Google this peak season? 🤑 Here’s a way to make your budget go further: New Mercury IO credit cardholders get 2.5% cashback* on ad spend, up to $3K — for the first 120 days after signup. IO is built for performance marketing: → Virtual cards for every campaign or platform → Built-in controls to prevent overspending on ad campaigns → One dashboard for everything money in/money out If paid ads are your biggest expense this season, they should come with a return. Apply by Oct 31 at the link in our comments to get rewarded ⤵️ *The IO Card is issued by Patriot Bank, Member FDIC, pursuant to a license from Mastercard®. The 2.5% cashback promotional offer must be claimed by 10/31/2025. It applies to eligible purchases made within 120 days of your IO account activation date, capped at $3K earned. See here for the full promotion details: https://lnkd.in/gS6ugfGh