The layout
Copy this into a sheet, one column per month. Every line is a number you can find in your store, payment and ad dashboards.
| Line | Where to find it |
|---|---|
| Revenue (after discounts) | Store orders report |
| minus Refunds | Store refunds report |
| minus Product cost (landed) | Supplier invoices or cost per item x units sold |
| minus Shipping and fulfilment | Carrier and 3PL invoices |
| minus Payment and platform fees | Payment processor and store plan |
| = Profit before ads | |
| minus Ad spend | Each ad platform |
| = Contribution | |
| minus Fixed costs (apps, tools, staff, rent) | Bank statement |
| = Net profit |
Reading it in 15 minutes
- Divide each line by revenue. Compare each share with last month, not with someone else's store.
- Find the line that grew fastest. That is this month's question.
- Check profit before ads per order against your ad cost per order. If ads cost more, growth is losing money.
- Write one change for next month, and only one, so you can see whether it worked.
Keep it monthly and keep it the same. A P&L you fill in every month beats a perfect one you build once.
Free: the Profit Leak Scorecard. Enter your last 30 days and see your break-even CPA, real ad cost per order, net margin and which cost line costs you most. Run the scorecard.
Go further
Find it, fix it, hold it.
Profit Stability System
$97 · 30-day money-back guarantee
A guided tool, no spreadsheets: find your biggest profit leak, get the prices, SKUs and campaigns to change, and watch margin and cash month over month.
The whole operating system.
Ecommerce Profit and Stability OS
$997
11 integrated systems and 280+ templates for unit economics, order value, retention, refunds and supply chain.
For stores ready to run every system together.
Questions
What should a profit and loss statement include for an online store?
Revenue, refunds, landed product cost, shipping and fulfilment, payment and platform fees, ad spend and fixed costs, ending in net profit.
How often should a small store review its P&L?
Monthly, with the same layout each time, so changes stand out.