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Commerce marketingReviewed September 7, 2026

What is Return on investment?

Return on investment compares net gain with the investment required to produce it.

Who this applies to#

  • Use ROI only when the gain and investment cost belong to the same decision and measurement window

What Return on investment requires#

  • Define the attribution, time window, and included cost before you compare campaign results
Shopify

Shopify keeps attributed sales and costs separate from broader store revenue; compare the same report each time, so define which report you are comparing

What this does not require#

  • ROI is not revenue, gross profit, or return on ad spend; none can replace the calculation

Common mistakes#

  1. Dividing revenue by cost and calling it ROI
  2. Comparing windows with different attribution rules

Return on investment checklist#

  • Start with the investment cost
  • Define attributable gain
  • Subtract cost
  • Divide net gain by cost

Official sources#