E-Commerce

E-commerce means selling goods or services over the internet. Start by learning the parts: a product, a page, a way to pay, and a way to deliver.

• Name the four parts of a sale online: product, listing, payment, delivery.
• Describe three ways to sell: your own web shop, a shared marketplace, and social media orders.
• Explain what a customer sees from first click to parcel at the door.
• List the words you will use: SKU, stock, order, refund, shipping rate.
• Compare a web shop and a marketplace by who sets the price, who pays the fees and who keeps the customer list.
• Trace the money in one order: what the buyer pays and where each part goes.
• Identify what a shop must show to be trusted: business name, contact details and return policy.

Activity. Buy one small item online. Write down every step you saw, from search to delivery.

Standard to meet. Task: list the parts of an online sale. Condition: using one real purchase. Standard: all four parts named with one example each.

A good shop starts with one clear customer and one need. Do not start with a long list of products.

• Describe your customer in three lines: who, where, what problem.
• Compare ten similar listings: price, photos, reviews, delivery time.
• Explain why a small niche can be easier to win than a big one.
• Check that the product is legal to sell and safe to ship.
• Calculate how many orders a month you need to cover your costs at a rough margin.
• Identify one reason a customer would pick you over ten other listings: speed, size, price or story.
• Test demand before buying stock: show a photo and price to ten people and count how many say they would buy.

Activity. Fill a comparison table of ten listings and write one sentence on the gap you can fill.

Standard to meet. Task: choose a first product. Condition: with a ten-listing comparison. Standard: customer, gap and legal check written on one page.

Online sellers must follow tax, consumer and privacy rules. These differ by province, so always check the official source.

• Explain that sales tax is charged on most sales; check the current small-supplier rule with the federal tax agency.
• Describe that return, refund and price-display rules are set by each province; check your province.
• Apply the privacy rule: collect only the customer data you need and keep it safe.
• Check labelling rules, including French and English on many packaged goods, and import duty for goods from abroad.
• Check the rules for your product type, such as food, children's goods or cosmetics, with the federal and provincial authority.
• Show prices in CAD with taxes stated clearly; check the price-display rule in your province.
• Keep records of sales, tax collected and costs for as long as the tax agency requires.

Activity. Build a rules table for your product and province. Add the official page and the date you checked.

Standard to meet. Task: list the rules for an online shop. Condition: using official pages only. Standard: every row has who enforces it, what to do, and a date.

Your listing is your shop window. Plain words, true photos and clear prices build trust.

• Build a listing with a plain title, three true photos, size, material and price in CAD.
• Show the delivery cost and time before checkout.
• Write a short return policy in simple words.
• Check the page on a phone, because many buyers use one.
• Describe the product the way a buyer asks questions: size, colour, use and care.
• Test the checkout from cart to payment confirmation with a small real order.
• Write a plain-word description for each photo so a screen reader can read it.

Activity. Build one full listing and ask three people to find the price, the delivery cost and the return rule in under one minute.

Standard to meet. Task: build a product listing. Condition: for a phone screen. Standard: three testers find price, delivery cost and returns in 60 seconds.

Many online sellers fail on money, not on sales. Count every cost before you set the price.

• Compute margin = price minus product cost, payment fee, packing and shipping.
• Use reorder point = daily sales x supplier lead time + safety stock.
• Compare shipping options by price, speed and tracking.
• Analyse which products tie up cash without selling.
• Calculate break-even orders: fixed costs per month divided by margin per order.
• Compare three packing options by cost per parcel and damage rate.
• Set a safety stock level from the longest supplier delay you have seen.

Activity. Build a cost sheet for three products and find the one with the best margin per order.

Standard to meet. Task: price three products. Condition: all costs counted. Standard: margin per order and margin percent are correct and shown with units.

Nobody visits a shop they cannot find. Pick two or three routes and run them every week.

• Apply simple search words: write titles the way buyers type.
• Use direct contact: friends, local groups, small businesses that share your customer.
• Build a short email or message list, only with consent.
• Track the funnel: visits, carts, orders, and improve the weakest step.
• Write a product title and first line using words from three real buyer searches.
• Calculate cost per order from any paid promotion and compare it with margin.
• Review which route brought the most orders and move time toward it.

Activity. Run a four-week test of two routes and record visits and orders each week.

Standard to meet. Task: win first orders. Condition: two routes, four weeks. Standard: weekly numbers recorded and one change tested.

Good service brings repeat orders. Safe handling of data and payments keeps trust.

• Answer messages within one working day and keep a written script for common questions.
• Handle a late or damaged parcel: apologise, fix, record the cause.
• Check security basics: strong sign-in, two-step verification, software updates.
• Explain how you spot and refuse a fake order or chargeback attempt.
• Write the return steps in order: customer asks, you reply, parcel comes back, refund is sent, with a number of days for each.
• Review messages and reviews each week and list the top two complaints.
• Store customer data in one protected place and delete what you no longer need; check the privacy rule.

Activity. Write a reply script for five common problems and a one-page privacy note.

Standard to meet. Task: process a customer problem. Condition: using your scripts. Standard: reply in one working day with a fix and a recorded cause.

Now run the shop with real stock, real orders and a plan. Decide with numbers.

• Run a 60-day pilot with a stop rule agreed in advance.
• Review weekly: orders, margin, returns, complaints, cash.
• Create a 12-month plan with three milestones and a budget.
• Lead others: write the steps so a helper can pack and ship the same way.
• Calculate pilot profit: orders x margin minus fixed costs.
• Compare results with the stop rule on the planned date and write the decision.
• Identify the next product from what customers asked for.

Activity. Run the pilot, write the review and present your 12-month plan to three people.

Standard to meet. Task: run an online shop pilot. Condition: 60 days, real orders. Standard: results compared with the stop rule and a dated plan written.

L1: Commerce aware learner. You can define: name the main terms, people and rules of e-Commerce. Focus module: Know what e-commerce is (Understand, 6 h). E-commerce means selling goods or services over the internet. Start by learning the parts: a product, a page, a way to pay, and a way to deliver. Key points: Name the four parts of a sale online: product, listing, payment, delivery. Describe three ways to sell: your own web shop, a shared marketplace, and social media orders. Explain what a customer sees from first click to parcel at the door. List the words you will use: SKU, stock, order, refund, shipping rate. Compare a web shop and a marketplace by who sets the price, who pays the fees and who keeps the customer list. Trace the money in one order: what the buyer pays and where each part goes. Identify what a shop must show to be trusted: business name, contact details and return policy.

Speaker notes. Teach: open with the worked example. A person sells hand-made soap. Product: soap bar. Listing: photo, price in CAD, size. Payment: card. Delivery: small parcel by post. A web shop lets the seller set the price and keep the customer list; a marketplace brings visitors but takes a fee. Then set the activity: Buy one small item online. Write down every step you saw, from search to delivery. Mark against the standard: Task: list the parts of an online sale. Condition: using one real purchase. Standard: all four parts named with one example each. Check at this level: What are the four parts of an online sale? Model answer: Product, listing, payment and delivery. Level note: Start here if new. Evidence: a one-page glossary and a visit or interview note.

L2: Shop or order assistant. You can describe: explain how e-Commerce works from first contact to result. Focus module: Choose a product and a customer (Apply, 6 h). A good shop starts with one clear customer and one need. Do not start with a long list of products. Key points: Describe your customer in three lines: who, where, what problem. Compare ten similar listings: price, photos, reviews, delivery time. Explain why a small niche can be easier to win than a big one. Check that the product is legal to sell and safe to ship. Calculate how many orders a month you need to cover your costs at a rough margin. Identify one reason a customer would pick you over ten other listings: speed, size, price or story. Test demand before buying stock: show a photo and price to ten people and count how many say they would buy.

Speaker notes. Teach: open with the worked example. Customer: new parents in small towns who cannot find cloth wipes nearby. Ten listings range from 18 to 35 CAD with a median of 26 (the middle two prices are 25 and 27). Many have poor photos and slow delivery, so a price of 24 with clear photos and fast shipping fills the gap. Then set the activity: Fill a comparison table of ten listings and write one sentence on the gap you can fill. Mark against the standard: Task: choose a first product. Condition: with a ten-listing comparison. Standard: customer, gap and legal check written on one page. Check at this level: Why start with one clear customer? Model answer: A clear customer shows what to sell and how to describe it. Level note: Evidence: a flow chart and a two-minute spoken explanation.

L3: Seller or buyer. You can apply: carry out a routine task in e-Commerce to a written standard. Focus module: Follow the rules in Canada (Apply, 10 h). Online sellers must follow tax, consumer and privacy rules. These differ by province, so always check the official source. Key points: Explain that sales tax is charged on most sales; check the current small-supplier rule with the federal tax agency. Describe that return, refund and price-display rules are set by each province; check your province. Apply the privacy rule: collect only the customer data you need and keep it safe. Check labelling rules, including French and English on many packaged goods, and import duty for goods from abroad. Check the rules for your product type, such as food, children's goods or cosmetics, with the federal and provincial authority. Show prices in CAD with taxes stated clearly; check the price-display rule in your province. Keep records of sales, tax collected and costs for as long as the tax agency requires.

Speaker notes. Teach: open with the worked example. A rules table row: Sales tax | federal tax agency | register when sales pass the limit | check each quarter | registration number saved. If registration takes 2 weeks and the label check takes 1 week, run both together and both are done in week 2. Then set the activity: Build a rules table for your product and province. Add the official page and the date you checked. Mark against the standard: Task: list the rules for an online shop. Condition: using official pages only. Standard: every row has who enforces it, what to do, and a date. Check at this level: Who sets return and refund rules for most online sales in Canada? Model answer: Each province; check your own province. Level note: Evidence: a supervised task record that meets the standard once.

L4: Store or channel manager. You can analyse: diagnose why an e-Commerce result missed its target and fix it. Focus module: Build a simple shop page (Evaluate, 8 h). Your listing is your shop window. Plain words, true photos and clear prices build trust. Key points: Build a listing with a plain title, three true photos, size, material and price in CAD. Show the delivery cost and time before checkout. Write a short return policy in simple words. Check the page on a phone, because many buyers use one. Describe the product the way a buyer asks questions: size, colour, use and care. Test the checkout from cart to payment confirmation with a small real order. Write a plain-word description for each photo so a screen reader can read it.

Speaker notes. Teach: open with the worked example. Title: Cotton wipes, set of 12, white. Photos: front, size next to a hand, in use. Price 24 CAD. Ships in 2 days. Returns accepted for 30 days if unused. Three testers found the price, delivery cost and return rule in 45, 38 and 52 seconds, an average of 45, so the page passes. Then set the activity: Build one full listing and ask three people to find the price, the delivery cost and the return rule in under one minute. Mark against the standard: Task: build a product listing. Condition: for a phone screen. Standard: three testers find price, delivery cost and returns in 60 seconds. Check at this level: What must a listing show before checkout? Model answer: Price, delivery cost and delivery time. Level note: Evidence: a fault or gap analysis with a fix and a repeat test. This course targets this level.

L5: Senior merchandiser. You can evaluate: judge options for e-Commerce against cost, risk and quality. Focus module: Get found and get the first orders (Create, 6 h). Nobody visits a shop they cannot find. Pick two or three routes and run them every week. Key points: Apply simple search words: write titles the way buyers type. Use direct contact: friends, local groups, small businesses that share your customer. Build a short email or message list, only with consent. Track the funnel: visits, carts, orders, and improve the weakest step. Write a product title and first line using words from three real buyer searches. Calculate cost per order from any paid promotion and compare it with margin. Review which route brought the most orders and move time toward it.

Speaker notes. Teach: open with the worked example. Four weeks: 600 visits, 30 carts, 12 orders. Visit-to-cart is 5%. The weakest step is cart to order (40%); test a clearer delivery price on the cart page. If that lifts cart-to-order to 50%, the same 30 carts give 15 orders, 3 more. Then set the activity: Run a four-week test of two routes and record visits and orders each week. Mark against the standard: Task: win first orders. Condition: two routes, four weeks. Standard: weekly numbers recorded and one change tested. Check at this level: Which funnel step do you fix first? Model answer: The weakest step. Level note: Evidence: an options paper with numbers and a recommendation defended to a panel.

L6: Head of commerce. You can create: design and pilot a new offer or process in e-Commerce. Focus module: Serve customers and protect them (Evaluate, 6 h). Good service brings repeat orders. Safe handling of data and payments keeps trust. Key points: Answer messages within one working day and keep a written script for common questions. Handle a late or damaged parcel: apologise, fix, record the cause. Check security basics: strong sign-in, two-step verification, software updates. Explain how you spot and refuse a fake order or chargeback attempt. Write the return steps in order: customer asks, you reply, parcel comes back, refund is sent, with a number of days for each. Review messages and reviews each week and list the top two complaints. Store customer data in one protected place and delete what you no longer need; check the privacy rule.

Speaker notes. Teach: open with the worked example. Parcel arrives damaged. Reply within a day, send a replacement, record 'thin box' as the cause, and change the box. If 4 of 40 parcels were damaged (10%) and after the change 1 of 40 is (2.5%), the fix worked. Then set the activity: Write a reply script for five common problems and a one-page privacy note. Mark against the standard: Task: process a customer problem. Condition: using your scripts. Standard: reply in one working day with a fix and a recorded cause. Check at this level: What do you do when a parcel arrives damaged? Model answer: Fix it for the customer and record the cause so you can change it. Level note: Evidence: a pilot with measured results over at least 30 days.

L7: Retail or marketplace owner. You can lead: run a team or business in e-Commerce and develop others. Focus module: Run the shop for real (Create, 8 h). Now run the shop with real stock, real orders and a plan. Decide with numbers. Key points: Run a 60-day pilot with a stop rule agreed in advance. Review weekly: orders, margin, returns, complaints, cash. Create a 12-month plan with three milestones and a budget. Lead others: write the steps so a helper can pack and ship the same way. Calculate pilot profit: orders x margin minus fixed costs. Compare results with the stop rule on the planned date and write the decision. Identify the next product from what customers asked for.

Speaker notes. Teach: open with the worked example. Stop rule: if fewer than 30 orders in 60 days, stop and write lessons. Result: 54 orders at an average of 24 is 1,296 in sales; at 7.50 margin per order that is 405. With 150 of fixed cost, profit is 255, so the decision is to add one product. Then set the activity: Run the pilot, write the review and present your 12-month plan to three people. Mark against the standard: Task: run an online shop pilot. Condition: 60 days, real orders. Standard: results compared with the stop rule and a dated plan written. Check at this level: What must be agreed before a pilot? Model answer: Length, measures and a stop rule. Level note: Evidence: a record of results over a year and of people you have coached to a higher level.