Here’s a comprehensive list of essential full forms (shortcuts) commonly used by e-commerce sellers on platforms like Amazon, Flipkart, eBay, Myntra, and others. These abbreviations will help sellers better understand the operational, logistical, and financial terminologies used in the e-commerce industry.

1. FBA – Fulfilled by Amazon

A service where Amazon handles storage, packaging, and shipping for sellers.

2. FBM – Fulfilled by Merchant

Sellers handle storage, packaging, and shipping of their own products.

3. SKU – Stock Keeping Unit

A unique identifier assigned to each product for inventory tracking.

4. ASIN – Amazon Standard Identification Number

A unique identifier assigned to each product listed on Amazon.

5. EAN – European Article Number

A barcode standard used to identify products internationally.

6. UPC – Universal Product Code

A barcode widely used in the United States for product identification.

7. GTIN – Global Trade Item Number

A unique identifier for trade items worldwide, used for barcodes.

8. MRP – Maximum Retail Price

The maximum price at which a product can be sold to customers.

9. MAP – Minimum Advertised Price

The lowest price a reseller is allowed to advertise a product for sale.

10. ROI – Return on Investment

A measure used to evaluate the efficiency of an investment or profitability.

11. AOV – Average Order Value

The average amount spent by customers on each order.

12. CPA – Cost per Acquisition

The cost incurred by a seller to acquire a customer.

13. CTR – Click-Through Rate

The ratio of users who click on a specific ad to the number of total users who view the ad.

14. PPC – Pay-Per-Click

An advertising model where advertisers pay each time a user clicks on their ads.

15. CPC – Cost Per Click

The actual price paid by an advertiser for each click in a PPC campaign.

16. ACoS – Advertising Cost of Sales

A measure of how much a seller spends on advertising compared to the sales generated from that spend.

17. LTV – Lifetime Value

The total revenue a seller expects to earn from a customer over their lifetime.

18. FSSAI – Food Safety and Standards Authority of India

A licensing body for sellers of food products in India.

19. GST – Goods and Services Tax

A tax levied on goods and services in India.

20. PAN – Permanent Account Number

A unique identifier used by the Indian Income Tax Department.

21. TIN – Taxpayer Identification Number

A number used to track GST payments and collections.

22. QBR – Quarterly Business Review

A quarterly meeting or report to evaluate business performance.

23. COD – Cash on Delivery

A payment option where the buyer pays for goods when they are delivered.

24. B2B – Business to Business

Transactions between businesses.

25. B2C – Business to Consumer

Transactions between a business and individual consumers.

26. ERP – Enterprise Resource Planning

Software systems used to manage business processes like inventory, finance, and logistics.

27. RTO – Return to Origin

When a product is returned to the seller due to unsuccessful delivery.

28. VLT – Vendor Lead Time

The time taken for a supplier to fulfill a purchase order.

29. OTD – On-Time Delivery

The metric used to measure whether deliveries are completed on time.

30. SRP – Suggested Retail Price

The price suggested by the manufacturer or wholesaler to be sold to consumers.

31. RFQ – Request for Quotation

A business process where sellers invite vendors to bid on supplying goods or services.

32. CPA – Cost Per Acquisition

The cost associated with acquiring one customer through advertising.

33. BR – Bounce Rate

The percentage of visitors who leave a website after viewing only one page.

34. ASP – Average Selling Price

The average price at which a product or service is sold.

35. FMCG – Fast-Moving Consumer Goods

Products that are sold quickly and at a relatively low cost.

36. BOPIS – Buy Online, Pick Up In-Store

A retail strategy where customers buy products online and pick them up at a physical store.

37. SEO – Search Engine Optimization

The process of optimizing a website to rank higher in search engine results.

38. SOP – Standard Operating Procedure

A set of step-by-step instructions for performing business processes.

39. OTP – One-Time Password

A security measure where a password is valid for only one login session or transaction.

40. OMR – Order Management Rate

A measure used to track the effectiveness of order management processes.

41. GMV – Gross Merchandise Value

The total sales value of merchandise sold over a period of time.

42. CLV – Customer Lifetime Value

The total amount of money a customer is expected to spend on your products or services during their lifetime as a customer.

43. SLP – Service Level Percentage

A metric that indicates the percentage of orders fulfilled on time.

44. PSP – Payment Service Provider

Companies that offer online payment solutions for e-commerce businesses (e.g., PayPal, Stripe).

45. DPD – Delivery Partner Dispatched

Status indicating that the order has been handed over to a delivery partner.

46. A+ Content – Enhanced Brand Content

Premium content that brand owners can use on their product listings to describe their product features in detail.

47. MFN – Merchant Fulfilled Network

Sellers handle shipping directly rather than using the marketplace’s fulfillment services.

48. CRM – Customer Relationship Management

Software for managing interactions with current and potential customers.

49. USP – Unique Selling Proposition

The factor that differentiates a product from its competitors.

50. LBB – Local Buy Box

The option for buyers to purchase from a local seller offering the best price and shipping options.

51. STEP – Smart Technology Enabled Program

A seller program designed by Amazon to help sellers grow and optimize their sales strategies.

52. MF – Multi-Fulfillment

A feature that allows sellers to fulfill orders through multiple channels.

These abbreviations will help streamline communication and understanding for sellers operating in the e-commerce space, whether it’s related to logistics, sales, or marketing.

eCommerce & DTC Acronyms

eCommerce is a rapidly growing industry, constantly evolving. As such, it has its own set of popular acronyms used to convey information about online sales—a few of which are explained (though often used) in DTC (direct-to-consumer) newsletters or eCommerce podcasts.

AOV: Average Order Value

Average amount of money spent per purchase on a website or in a store

ASIN: Amazon Standard Identification Number

Unique code letter or numbers assigned by Amazon to products listed on its marketplace

AVS: Address Verification Service

Software used to authenticate the address of a person or company for credit card transactions

CARLY: Can’t Afford Real Life Yet

Consumers who lack financial freedom, possess some disposable income, and fluctuate their tastes

DNVB: Digitally Native Vertical Brand

Company that operates primarily online and control at least a portion of its supply chain and production

eCommerce: Electronic Commerce

Buying and selling of goods or services over the internet, encompassing everything from shopping to payments

FBA: Fulfillment By Amazon

Service that allows third-party sellers to store products in Amazon’s fulfillment centers and have them shipped

FBM: Fulfillment by Merchant

Fulfillment method where Amazon sellers manage and ship orders to customers themselves

HENRY: High Earner Not Rich Yet

Term used to describe individuals who have high incomes but have not yet accumulated significant wealth

P2P: Peer-to-Peer

Digital marketplaces where users can purchase items directly from one another — e.g., Craigslist or eBay

PCI DSS: Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard

Set of security standards for organizations that handle credit cards from the four major card networks

PDP: Product Description Page, or Product Page

Page on a website that provides detailed information about a specific product — features, specifications, and price

PLA: Product Listing Ad

Individual ad unit within Google Shopping consisting of an image, description, price, and other extensions

PLP: Product Listing Page

Webpage featuring a collection of products, usually with information about each and the option to purchase

0PD: Zero-Party Data

Data that is proactively shared by customers with a company — e.g., preferences, surveys, and quizzes

1PD: First-Party Data

Data collected directly from customers or users by a company for its own use — e.g., onsite or purchase history

3PD: Third-Party Data

Data that is collected, shared, and sold by companies that do not have a direct relationship with the end customer

Marketing & Advertising Acronyms

Marketing and advertising are the beating heart of business success, as they generate brand awareness, attract customers, and drive sales. To excel in fluency in the terms that permeate marketing campaigns, various channels, attribution models, and advertising strategies.

These linguistic shortcuts enable you to decode the underlying principles and techniques employed by other marketing professionals.

A/B Testing: A (Control) vs B (Variant)

Testing: Method of comparing two versions of a webpage or app to determine which performs better — aka, split testing

ACOS: Advertising Cost of Sales

Percentage of total revenue devoted to marketing (ad spend) — i.e., the inverse of ROAS

CAC: Customer Acquisition Cost

Total cost of acquiring a customer, including marketing and sales expenses

CPA: Cost Per Action

Pricing model in which an advertiser pays for specified action — e.g., making a purchase or filling out a form

CPC: Cost Per Click

Amount of money an advertiser pays each time a user clicks on its ad in a PPC marketing campaign

CPM: Cost Per Thousand

Pricing model in which an advertiser pays for every thousand impressions (views) of their ad

CR, CRV: Conversion Rate

Percentage of website visitors or app users who take a desired action (small number divided by big number)

CRO: Conversion Rate Optimization

Strategies designed to improve the percentage of website visitors or app users who take a desired action

CSE: Comparison Shopping Engine

Search engine that allows shoppers to compare product prices from multiple retailers on a single platform

CTA: Call-to-Action

Request for a user to take a specific action — e.g., signing up for a newsletter or making a purchase

CTR: Click-Through Rate

Percentage of users who click on a particular link — e.g., an ad or search result

CVR: Conversion Rate

Percentage of visitors to a website who complete a desired action — making a purchase or filling out a form

DAS: Direct-to-Consumer Advertising Spend

Amount of money spent on advertising directly to consumers, rather than through retailers or distributors

DFA: Data Feed Optimization

Improving structured product data for channels such as Google Shopping, Amazon, or Facebook

ESP: Email Service Provider

Platform that offers email marketing or communication services for businesses or individuals

GA, GAU: Google Analytics (Universal)

Tracking service offered by Google that reports website visitors, bounce rate, user behavior, and other metrics

GA4: Google Analytics 4

Google’s event-based update to GA released in late 2020 and replacing GA in July of 2023

GTM: Go-to-Market

Strategy and tactics a company uses to bring a new product or service to market

LTV: Customer Lifetime Value

Total value a customer generates over the course of their relationship with a company; also used, CLTV or CLV

LTV:CAC: Lifetime Value to Customer Acquisition Cost Ratio

Total revenue generated by a customer compared to the cost of acquiring that customer

MER: Marketing Efficiency Ratio

High-level measurement of the overall performance of marketing efforts — aka, blended ROAS

MMS: Multimedia Messaging Service

Marketing texts that include rich media like video, images, slideshows, audio, and GIFs

MTA: Multi-Touch Attribution

Method used to assign credit to marketing touchpoints that led to a sale, using data-driven analysis

nCAC: New Customer Acquisition Cost

Cost associated with acquiring a net-new customer (subset of CAC)

PPC: Price Per Click, or Pay Per Click

Digital advertising model where advertisers pay each time a user clicks on their ad — c.f., CPC

ROAS: Return on Ad Spend

Revenue generated from advertising relative to the amount spent expressed as a whole number

SEM: Search Engine Marketing

Paid promotion of a website or SKU (product) on search engines — i.e., Google Ads or Google Shopping

SEO: Search Engine Optimization

Practice of optimizing a website to improve its organic ranking in search engine results pages

SERP: Search Engine Results Page

Online listing of web pages generated by a search engine in response to a user’s query

SMS: Short Message Service

Plain-text-only marketing messages (texts) that can include characters, numbers, and links

SSM: Social Media Marketing

Promoting a brand, product, or service through social-media platforms — both paid and organic methods

UGC: User-Generated Content

Videos and images created by users of a product or service, rather than the company itself

WOM: Word of Mouth

Informal exchange between individuals, often used to describe the spread of news or recommendations.

Business, Sales & Retail Acronyms

The interconnected worlds of business, sales, and retail form the backbone of global commerce, encompassing a diverse range of industries, organizations, and markets.

As you delve into these concepts, you’ll develop a more robust understanding of the factors influencing business operations, sales strategies, and retail management.

ATC: Average Transaction Cost

Average cost of a transaction, including any fees or expenses

AUR: Average Unit Retail

Average price at which a product is sold to consumers

B&M: Brick-and-Mortar

Traditional physical store or shop, as opposed to an online business

B2B: Business-to-Business

Transactions between businesses, rather than between businesses and individual consumers

B2C: Business-to-Consumer

Transactions between businesses and individual consumers, rather than between businesses

BD: Business Development

Department or process of pursuing new revenue opportunities — e.g., partnerships, investments, and acquisitions

BOPIS: Buy Online Pickup Instore

Fulfillment method where customers order online, then retrieve their items at a physical store

BORIS: Buy Online Return In Store

Reverse logistics method where customers order online, then return items at a physical store

CPO: Certified Pre-Owned

Used product that has been verified by the manufacturer or a third party to be in good working condition

DST: Direct Sales Team

Individuals within a company responsible for selling directly to customers; more commonly, daylight savings time

EDI: Electronic Data Interchange

Digital transfer of business documents in a standard format — most commonly used in wholesale B2B

GMV: Gross Merchandise Volume

Total value of all products sold on a platform or through a company’s channels, excluding any returns or discounts

IPO: Initial Public Offering

First sale of stock by a company to the public, enabling the company to raise capital from public investors

MAP: Minimum Advertised Price

Lowest price a retailer is allowed to sell a product for as set by the manufacturer or distributor

NSO: New Store Opening

Process of launching a new retail location — scouting, designing, constructing, hiring, training, and marketing.

OTB: Open-to-Buy

Amount of money a retailer has to spend on inventory, based on sales projections and current levels

PO: Purchase Order

Commercial document issued by a buyer to a seller, indicating the types, quantities, and agreed prices

POS: Point of Sale

Where a transaction is completed — e.g., at a cash register in a store or checkout for an eCommerce store

PR: Public Relations

Building relationships between organizations and audiences, through communication and media outreach

SLA: Service-Level Agreement

Contract outlining agreed-upon services to be provided — e.g., response time and uptime

SSS: Same-Store Sales

Sales performance — growth or decline — of a company’s stores that have been open for at least a year

TAM: Total Addressable Market

Cumulative demand for a product or service, including all potential customers and revenue streams

ToS: Terms of Service

Legally-binding agreements outlining the rules and regulations for using a product or service

UPT: Units Per Transaction

Average number of items sold per transaction, indicating the effectiveness of upselling and cross-selling.

Customer Service Acronyms

At the core of every successful business lies customer service — fostering loyalty, ensuring satisfaction, and promoting a positive brand reputation.

By versing yourself in the principles and practices of effective customer relations, you’ll be able to comprehend better how to address consumer needs, resolve issues, and build lasting relationships with clientele.

CCC: Customer Care Center

Location or department within a company that is responsible for providing customer service and support

CDP: Customer Data Platform

Software that centralizes customer data from all sources to help businesses create a unified and single view

CRM: Customer Relationship Management

Software used to operate customer interactions and data throughout the lifecycle — aka, CRM system

CRR: Customer Retention Rate

Percentage of customers who continue to do business with a company over a given period of time

CS: Customer Support

Assisting customers through various channels to answer questions and resolve complaints

CSAT: Customer Satisfaction

Measure of how satisfied customers are with a company’s products or services

CSX: Customer Service Experience

Overall experience of a person’s interactions with CS — needs met, problems solved, and emotions

CX: Customer Experience

Overall perception of a brand, product, or service — from initial contact to post-purchase

NPS: Net Promoter Score

Customer satisfaction metric (0–10) of the likelihood someone will recommend a product or service to others

QA: Quality Assurance

In software, ensuring that a product or service meets specified requirements and standards

QC: Quality Control

In retail, ensuring that a product or service meets specified requirements and standards

UI: User Interface

Visual and interactive elements of a software application, website, or other digital product

UX: User Experience

Overall experience of a person using a product, including both utility and emotions.

Operations & Supply Chain Acronyms

At the risk of stating the obvious, the production and distribution of goods make or break a business. The logistics of procurement, manufacturing, and delivery are far from the most tantalizing subject.

1PL: First-Party Logistics

Fulfillment and shipping run by a company’s own in-house department or warehouse

3PL: Third-Party Logistics

External company used to outsource shipping and fulfillment to customers

BOM: Bill of Materials

List of the materials, parts, and components required to manufacture a product

ERP: Enterprise Resource Planning

Software that manages and integrates all core functions — e.g., finance, HR, and supply chain management

FEFO: First Expired, First Out

Inventory turnover based on a model of first products expired are the first products sold

FIFO: First In, First Out

Inventory turnover based on a model of first products purchased are the first products sold

FOB: Free on Board

Entity responsible for paying transportation costs and assuming ownership of goods in international trade

IMS: Inventory Management System

Software system used to manage and track inventory (goods and stock) in a business

ITR: Inventory Turnover Ratio

Measure of how efficiently a company purchases and then sells stock; COGS ÷ number of units

LIFO: Last In, Last Out

Inventory turnover based on a model of last products purchased are the first products sold

MMU: Minimum Marketable Unit

Smallest unit of a product that can be sold and still be considered viable by the market

MOQ: Minimum Order Quantity

Smallest quantity of a product that a supplier is willing to sell to in a single order

MPN: Manufacturer Part Number

Unique identifier (code) assigned by a manufacturer to a specific product or part

OMS: Order Management System

Software system used to manage and track orders and inventory in a business

OOS: Out of Stock

Product that is not currently available for purchase

PIM: Product Information Management

Software used to ensure consistency, accuracy, and completeness of product details across all channels

PLM: Product Lifecycle Management

Overseeing a product from conception through design, manufacturing, delivery, and disposal

RMA: Return Merchandise Authorization

Processes and systems used to track, manage, and verify returns as well as exchanges

SKU: Stock Keeping Unit

Unique identifier for a product in a company’s inventory used to track and manage stock

UPC: Universal Product Code

Barcode that is used to identify and track products, typically in retail settings

WMS: Warehouse Management System

Software used to track inventory in a warehouse or distribution center; warehousing management system

WOS: Wholesale Order System

Software used to place and manage orders between wholesalers and retailers (distributors).

Human Resources Acronyms

Human resources (HR) are instrumental in shaping the culture and performance of organizations by managing the recruitment, development, and well-being of employees.

For instance, KPI (Key Performance Indicator) is a specific approach to goal setting and measurement, while OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) are another. Here too, there are a host of role-based abbreviations.

CDA: Chief Data Officer

Executive responsible for the governance, management, and utilization of an organization’s data assets

CEO: Chief Executive Officer

Executive responsible for major corporate decisions, managing operations, and leading strategy development

CFO: Chief Financial Officer

Executive responsible for a company’s financial operations — including planning, budgeting, and accounting

CIO: Chief Information Officer

Executive responsible for information technology (IT) and ensuring that they align with business objectives

CMO: Chief Marketing Officer

Executive responsible for overseeing marketing, including branding, advertising, and promotion

COO: Chief Operating Officer

Executive responsible for the day-to-day operations of a company and coordinating between departments

CRO: Chief Revenue Officer

Executive responsible for growing income and income streams — i.e., driving sales

CTO: Chief Technology Officer

Executive responsible for guiding a company’s technological strategy, innovation, and implementation

FTE: Full-Time Employee

Employee whose number of hours worked entitle them to all benefits and compensation — aka, headcount

KPI: Key Performance Indicator

Metric chosen to gage a specific aspect of a business’s performance — e.g., revenue or customer satisfaction

OOO: Out of Office

Indicates someone is not available to respond because they are temporarily away from work

PTO: Paid Time Off

Policy allowing employees to take time off while still being paid — e.g., vacation, sick leave, or personal reasons

VA: Virtual Assistant

Self-employed professional who provides administrative, technical, or creative help remotely (personal assistant)