Polar Analytics

Thrilled to share that Polar has raised $18 million, a significant milestone in our journey to unlock growth for millions of consumer brands with Data. Our journey began with an ambition inspired by Polaris, the North Star. We wanted to provide independent brands with clarity and direction so they could compete in retail’s fast-paced landscape. Today, we're closer to that goal, supporting a new generation of brands that deserve to be seen and celebrated. The Data Challenge Today, brands face a “data blind spot.” The loss of third-party cookies and fragmented data channels have made it more complicated than ever for brands to understand their customers and make strategic decisions. Data can feel overwhelming—but that’s where Polar steps in. Our Impact So Far Three years in, we’re proud of the impact we’ve made. Today, Polar supports over 3,715 merchants in 45 countries, including brands like The Frankie Shop, Doên, Allbirds Korea, and RIPNDIP. Our customers see real results: a 20% reduction in customer acquisition costs (CAC) and a 30% increase in email flow revenue, often within the first month of using our platform. What's Next: Doubling Down on Growth With this funding, bringing our total to $28.5 million, we’re focusing on: 1. Product Development: Building advanced data-driven automation to help brands convert data into revenue, allowing them to thrive amidst rising ad costs and leverage first-party data effectively. 2. Expanding the Team: By the end of 2025, we aim to grow to 100+ team members (our Polar bears!), scaling our product and GTM teams across Europe and the U.S. A Vision for Retail’s Future Our vision is ambitious: to be the ultimate source of truth for retail brands, helping them scale to nine-figure revenues. We’re here for the small brands with big dreams. Today, we celebrate this milestone. Tomorrow, we’re back to work. Onwards and upwards. For more details, please check the links in the comments for our blog post, along with coverage from Axios.

Last week, I shared metrics that $10M+ brands should zero in on. But what if you're just starting out? I’ve seen many early-stage ecommerce brands get bogged down by unnecessary tech tools and complicated systems. In the zero-interest-rate era, we got caught up testing absolutely everything because money was abundant. But times have changed. Here's what actually works to hit your first $1M in revenue: ✅ Solid Shopify store ✅ Facebook ads ✅ Basic email marketing That's it. You should focus your energy on: 1. Finding a great product that solves a real problem 2. Crafting a compelling story that resonates 3. Testing and iterating until it clicks After $1M? Yes, scale up your tools. But right now, your north star should be simplicity and execution. Start simple, move fast, and let your results guide your growth.

Recently, someone gave me an interesting scenario. "You're a VP of Digital at a $10M ecommerce brand, reporting directly to the founder. You get ONE report, ONE KPI to look at every day to know if you're scaling. What is it?" This question hits different. I talk to many ecommerce leaders - they get bogged down by data and are starving for insights. Here's my advice: Stop obsessing over hourly ROAS fluctuations. Stop checking Facebook ads every 30 minutes. Stop making knee-jerk reactions to daily performance. Instead, focus on these core metrics that your dashboard should show: ⚫️ Shopify Net Sales ⚫️ Blended CAC ⚫️ Blended ROAS ⚫️ Contribution margin % Your target is beautifully simple: If your LTV is $150, target a blended CAC of $50. Then push ad spend with the most intensity while maintaining this ratio. The magic happens when you: 1. Know your true LTV. 2. Set clear CAC targets. 3. Scale spend within these guardrails. 4. Observe contribution margin to stay healthy. Think like a CEO, not a media buyer. You need a bird's-eye view to make strategic decisions. The minute details are noise that distract from the bigger picture. Remember that your job as a leader is to spot trends and make macro decisions. Let your team handle the day-to-day optimization. What metrics are you looking at now that influence your major business decisions?

Ready to geek out over ecommerce growth? Catch me, Brian Shanley, and Parker McMahon at GROW LA on Wednesday, October 23rd at the Saban Theater in Beverly Hills. Join us and 1000+ retailers for a day of networking, expert talks, and actionable strategies for your brand. Whether you want to swap growth ideas, see what's possible with smart data, or just talk shop about what's working right now — swing by Polar Analytics’ booth and let's chat! DM me for private invites 💌

Ever heard of “Brandformance”? TikTok has created an unprecedented opportunity where follower count no longer dictates reach - value and resonance do. So, instead of starting with paid ads and heavy budgets, you begin with organic content iterations. This is the core of Brandformance: use organic content as your testing ground, then amplify proven winners with your ad budget. Why does this matter now? ⚫️ You de-risk your ad spend by letting the algorithm validate content first ⚫️ The market tells you exactly what works before you invest ⚫️ Your best-performing ads emerge naturally from authentic content This way you: 1. Create authentic content that showcases your unique value 2. Let organic performance guide your paid strategy 3. Amplify winners instead of guessing what works Remember that success isn't about outspending competitors through one-time hits. It's about letting organic insights drive performance decisions. Stop gambling with your ad budget. Start letting the market show you what works.

Let’s strip away the AI confusion, shall we? If you’re running an ecommerce business, you've probably noticed AI is everywhere — and there's no escaping it. So the real question is: "Which AI tools can actually move the needle for your business?” Since Polar is in the AI space and recognizes the noise, the team created a no-nonsense guide to the 16 AI tools that will genuinely transform your operations. From customer service to marketing (and beyond), the article breaks down each tool by: ⚫️ Key use cases ⚫️ Important features ⚫️ Why we love it We didn’t stop there. Because we figured that maybe you don’t know where to start… so we’ve created a free, interactive downloadable that includes: ⚫️ Readiness assessment ⚫️ Ecomm integration checklist ⚫️ Tool recommendations per department Some of the tools you’ll discover: Polar Analytics, Zavvy, Gorgias AI, Yuma AI (YC W23), Tidio, Prediko, Genie, FERMÀT, Creatopy, Photoroom, Octane AI, Bloomreach, Klaviyo AI, Jasper, Surfer, Semrush’s Keyword Strategy Builder, StoreSEO , @Smartli AI , Shopify Magic, OneStream Software, Signifyd, and Chargeflow. Find it all in the comments 👇

Is your data working hard enough for your business? Join me on the upcoming Nostra AI webinar, “Data-Driven Insights: Measure, Analyze, Optimize,” where we’ll dig into how ecommerce brands can turn data into serious growth. I’ll be diving into how Polar Analytics is pushing the boundaries of data-driven decision-making for Shopify brands — especially when traditional analytics fall short. One thing I’m most excited to discuss? Our innovative data enrichment solution — It’s helping brands recover 37%, 54%, or even up to 70% of missed abandonment events, unlocking hidden revenue they didn’t even know was slipping through the cracks. And I’m not doing this alone. I’ll be joined by Yisroel Auerbach, Marketing Manager at Modular Closets and one of our most trusted power users. Together, we’ll talk turning missing data into real dollars. Can’t wait to share more with you! See you at the webinar. Sign up through the link in the comments👇

Something big is happening in the ecommerce analytics space, and I couldn’t be more excited to share it with you 🥁 I’m thrilled to announce Polar Analytics' partnership with Swanky (Shopify Plus Agency), a data-driven agency specializing in Shopify Plus brands. Imagine being able to focus on what truly matters for your business instead of hunting for data. That’s what this collaboration is all about — unlocking growth for brands and helping them to unleash their true potential. Since switching to Polar Analytics, Swanky has experienced transformative results for their clients. They can now quickly aggregate data, filter metrics, and pinpoint growth drivers, leading to significant improvements in reporting and performance tracking. We're excited to see the long-term impact this will have on their clients' success. This partnership is already fostering an environment of learning and creativity. With Swanky's expertise and our powerful analytics platform, we’re setting the stage for unprecedented growth – and you're invited to join us. Ready to elevate your growth strategy? Check out Tom Cox's blog in the comments below to learn more about how you can leverage Polar Analytics to empower your brand.

Uncover the true power of cutting-edge data solutions and AI-driven insights as David delves into Polar Analytics' revolutionary plug-and-play data stack. Gain invaluable knowledge about creating a reliable source of truth for data activation, enabling you to make impactful decisions and drive revenue with ease. Join us on today's episode with Jordan West and David Dokes 🐻❄️. Key Takeaways: 1. 📈 Importance of reliable data for ecommerce growth 2. 🛠️ The power of a plug-and-play data stack 3. 💡 Leveraging AI insights for revenue optimization 4. 📊 KPIs focus on revenue, ad spend, and contribution margin 5. 🌟 Leadership's impact on team potential Timestamped Overview: 00:00 Jordan West is back with ecommerce scaling tips, focusing on analytics during the slow August months. 09:04 Plug-and-play data stack for merchants, connects tools, expands to ops, inventory, finance. Ready-made reporting, AI analysis, built for Shopify and Amazon brands. 16:14 Comparing Shopify to Triple Whale's Sonar; discussing preference for specialized platforms over general ones due to specific use cases and brand identity. 17:15 Software cycles: bundling and unbundling, AI advancement, core platforms, conversion API, brand preference for centralized solutions. 26:18 Cold emailing works better for B2B than B2C, may hurt businesses. Apple's motive questioned. 30:15 Analyze objective data for sales from various platforms, establish target for customer acquisition cost based on lifetime value. 31:01 Monitoring marketing performance through key KPIs to determine spending adjustments and customer value. 44:26 Challenge to raise lid, learn from leaders, 20% rule mentioned. Listen to the full episode here: https://bit.ly/3Z5iNzi #SurvivalOfTheFittest #RaisingFunds #CompetingSolutions #LearningFromPastExperiences #MarketingMessages #DataEnrichment #B2CEmailMarketing #Regulation #PrivacyInitiatives #AnalyticsConsiderations #SourceOfTruthForData #ConversionAPIConnectors #SoftwareCycles #ReductionInWorkforce #EcommerceData #DataOverload #SourceOfTruth #AttributionBattles #KPIMonitoring #Leadership #DecisionMaking