In our new series, we’re talking to our VCs and investors to hear their insights and market predictions for fintech, ecommerce and tech in 2023.
We spoke to Samir El-Sabini, our CEO and Co-Founder, to hear his predictions on what ecommerce businesses can expect this year.
Before founding Juni in 2020, he was the COO at Findity, an expense management technology company and a Venture Partner at Joyance Partners with multiple D2C ecommerce investments. Samir also co-founded the ecommerce startup Trader and co-founded the Martech startup Adclouds.
While 2023 looks unpredictable for multichannel retailers, there are still new opportunities to grow. Samir shares his insights on where businesses should focus within innovation, marketing and finance this year.
"Financial planning has never been more important, and good investments and accurate forecasting will help set the pace of growth for these businesses in 2023,” says Samir.
To have continued growth, Samir predicts that “businesses will rely on flexibility and agility and thorough financial planning. That means consistently reviewing spend, subsequent ROI and managing your cost base.”
Financial analysis isn’t a crystal ball but more about understanding the different outcomes. To be prepared for how profit and runway will be affected by various scenarios, set up a base case (-25% sales), a downside case (-50 sales), upside case (no increase or decrease). Then, set milestones against the scenarios with 2-3 KPIs and monitor them continuously. If, after a few months, the business is moving towards the worst-case scenario, then action should be taken to start reducing fixed costs.
Accurate and fast measurement is vital to monitoring business finances. Have processes in place to track revenue on a daily or weekly basis and tools to close financial accounts within five days at the end of the month.
Samir anticipates that “people will invest in new capabilities to help them navigate the downturn.” With a strong focus on managing spend, new financial technology and automation are emerging in the ecommerce space.
“Automating time-consuming processes will help finance teams put their focus on the important tasks that will help their business thrive,” says Samir. The key is making faster decisions and providing accurate advice to the business.
Tools like automated dashboards, monitoring spend, and integrated software removes the administrative headache of handling lots of information from different places. By cutting down the time spent closing monthly accounts, for example, businesses can be far more reactive to any downward trends.
Juni is an example of how financial automation can help ecommerce businesses manage their finances and maximise cash flow. Get a unified view of your finances with cards, multi-currency accounts, and banking, accounting and advertising integrations - all in one place. Having the right financial insights will help you plan ahead and make the best decisions for your business.
There’s likely to be a change in shopping behaviour this year due to the macroeconomic climate. The cost of living rising due to inflation, interest rate hikes and the effects of the pandemic are all hitting consumers hard.
“I think we will see fewer consumers shopping, so depending on what kinds of goods you sell, you may see a decline,” says Samir. “Consumption will be based more on necessity,” says Samir. “People will spend less on what they want and focus more on what they need.”
But it’s not all bad. While consumers may feel the pinch in disposable income, their awareness of price promotions will likely grow. This could leave them open to trying new brands that offer discounts, allowing you to broaden your customer base. If you want to retain your customers, creating loyalty is necessary. By personalising your approach, offering rewards to returning customers, and building a community-led brand, you can create a solid customer base that continues to purchase.
“Omnichannel will become even more important,” says Samir. Most buyers already use multiple channels before purchasing, and companies will need to adapt to continue reaching customers.
“Shopping nowadays is a cross-device and cross-platform experience, which speaks to the potential of mobile shopping and social commerce.” But there are increasingly more channels vying for consumers’ attention, and it’s essential to know where to put your focus in 2023.
“A few trends where I’m seeing great potential are social media activities that influence ecommerce behaviour, smart speaker use and live stream shopping,” says Samir. Live stream shopping is a growing revenue channel combining product promotion and instant purchasing of featured products by a highly engaged live audience. The market is predicted to reach £2.4bn within the year, offering an exciting new opportunity to online retailers.
The key will be to stay adaptable in any channel strategy while protecting one’s business and brand and retaining customer loyalty. “This will allow companies to move products much more efficiently, but also to diversify the opportunities to continue reaching their customers in an unpredictable environment,” says Samir.
To navigate an unpredictable year, businesses need to get the right balance between online and offline marketing distribution to sustain growth throughout the year.
“Where businesses choose to spend their money will be brought into even sharper focus as we enter 2023 amid a challenging economic climate,” says Samir.
He suggests becoming more selective than ever when it comes to brand and channel investments. “Any activities that drive an ROI of less than 1.2, or less than 120% return on the initial investment, or are slow in acquiring customers are likely to be abandoned.”
The best way to get more from your spend is to adopt a hybrid marketing model focusing on short- and long-term growth. While it’s tempting to prioritise the immediate demand impact of paid media, it’s important not to ignore investing in the sustainable brand impact of organic campaigns too.
It’s clear that, despite its challenges, 2023 offers some exciting opportunities for online retailers. The opportunity for innovation with omnichannel marketing is exciting. But, to continue to thrive in an unpredictable climate, the right financial planning, balance of marketing spend, and navigation of consumer behaviour will be essential.
Juni is not a bank – yet. We’re a financial technology company providing e-money services and as such are not part of a deposit guarantee scheme. Learn more about our license and how we keep your business and money safe.
Juni Technology AB (company number 559248-0908) is licensed and registered as an electronic money institution with the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority (Sw. Finansinspektionen) (license no: 64025). Payment Card Solutions (UK) Limited (company number 05941947) and UAB B4B Payments Europe (company number 305539054) are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (ref: 930619) and the Bank of Lithuania (licence no: 76), respectively. The Juni Mastercard Corporate Card is issued by Payment Card Solutions (UK) Limited and UAB B4B Payments Europe pursuant to a license by Mastercard International Incorporated. Mastercard and the circles design are registered trademarks of Mastercard International Incorporated. Juni Technology AB. Masthamnsgatan 21, 413 28 Göteborg, Sweden. © 2025 Juni. All Rights Reserved.
