Scaling & Internationalisation Masterclass

Scaling E-Commerce The two-day seminar for shop decision-makers who want to grow beyond their home market: assessing markets and platforms, planning internationalisation and keeping complexity manageable.

Scaling E-Commerce: Internationalisation & Platform Strategy at a glance

• Format: 2 days on site + self-learning track
• Level: Advanced scale strategy
• Participants: Max. 16 people
• Language: German
• Certificate: AEI certificate of participation
• Investment: €1,490.00 plus VAT

Many shops grow to a certain point — and then face the next question: new market, new channel, marketplace, internationalisation or a different platform strategy? Frequently answered from gut feeling rather than from numbers, which is why expansion becomes expensive, complex and difficult to control.

This seminar makes scaling a plannable decision. You will assess markets and platforms systematically, build solid business cases and identify which channels genuinely carry growth and which only create dependence. In the end you have a roadmap for expanding in a controlled way or for consciously deciding against it.

Who is this seminar for?

For shop owners, founders and e-commerce managers who do not just want to sell more but want to drive growth through new markets, platforms and channels.

• You want to know whether and when internationalisation or a marketplace makes sense for your shop.
• You are considering Amazon, Zalando, Kaufland, eBay or niche platforms and want to assess them properly.
• You lack a business case for expansion including costs, margin, CAC and test budget.
• You want to understand the operational requirements of new markets before you launch.
• You need clear decision points for scaling up or stopping.

Your learning objectives

After this seminar you can:

• analyse which expansion options fit your business model.
• assess which markets are attractive by demand, competition, effort and risk.
• decide when your own shop, a marketplace, social commerce or a platform strategy makes sense.
• calculate what costs, margins and operational requirements internationalisation involves.
• structure which localisation is needed for content, payment, shipping, law and service.
• prioritise which channels and countries should be tested first.
• build an understanding of what a dependable expansion test with clear KPIs looks like.
• scale without creating platform dependence, operational overload or margin loss.

Scale fields at a glance

• Markets — Assess target countries by potential, effort and risk.
• Platforms — Place Amazon, Zalando, Kaufland, eBay & co. strategically.
• Localization — Adapt language, content, payment, law and service.
• Operations — Plan logistics, returns and fulfilment for new markets.
• Business Case — Calculate margin, CAC, ROAS, contribution margin and scale signals.
• Roadmap — Set test markets, priorities and expansion phases.

Programme — 2 days

Day 1 – Scale strategy, markets & platforms

09:30–10:45 — Scale readiness check

• Assessing your shop's growth maturity
• Reviewing product, margin, operations and brand as scaling factors
• Recognising typical mistakes of expanding too early
• Applying the AEI Scale Readiness Matrix

11:00–12:30 — Market attractiveness & country selection

• Assessing demand, competition and category maturity
• Placing search volume, marketplace signals and price level
• Considering entry barriers, language and service effort
• Creating a first prioritisation of possible target markets

13:30–15:00 — Platform strategy & marketplaces

• Comparing Amazon, Zalando, Kaufland, eBay and niche platforms
• Understanding platform dependence, fees and steering logic
• Separating brand store, marketplace and multichannel cleanly
• Assessing platform fit for your own range

15:15–16:45 — Business case for expansion

• Modelling revenue potential, costs and margins
• Considering CAC, ROAS, take rate, returns and fulfilment costs
• Defining test budget and success criteria
• Sketching a first expansion business case

Day 2 – Localisation, operations & scale roadmap

09:30–10:45 — Localisation & customer experience

• Adapting language, product copy and trust elements
• Reviewing payment, delivery promises and returns logic per market
• Recognising legal and cultural pitfalls
• Applying a localisation checklist for target markets

11:00–12:30 — Operations for new markets

• Thinking fulfilment, carriers and returns internationally
• Planning stock, delivery times and service levels
• Assessing support and process requirements realistically
• Making complexity visible before launch

13:30–15:00 — Go-to-market tests & KPI steering

• Setting up pilot markets and channel tests cleanly
• Defining KPIs for market entry, scaling and stopping
• Developing testing logic for ads, marketplaces and organic demand
• Setting decision points for expanding or stopping

15:15–16:45 — Your 90-day scale roadmap

• Prioritising expansion options by impact and effort
• Bundling market, platform and operations decisions
• Separating quick tests from structural projects
• Finalising your personal 90-day scale roadmap

Our approach

AEI does not see scaling as a pure revenue question. You work on the logic behind expansion: market fit, platform fit, margin logic, operational resilience and clear decision points.

The self-learning track prepares you with market analysis checklists, platform profiles and business case templates, so the live days are used for concrete expansion decisions.

• MARKET FIT You assess countries not by gut feeling but by potential, effort and risk.
• PLATFORM LOGIC You understand which channels accelerate growth – and which create dependencies.
• SCALE CONTROL You build tests, KPIs and roadmaps that make expansion steerable.

What you take with you

• AEI Scale Readiness Matrix for product, brand, margin and operations.
• Market attractiveness scorecard for country and channel prioritisation.
• Platform fit check for Amazon, Zalando, Kaufland, eBay and niche platforms.
• Internationalisation checklist for content, payment, shipping, returns and support.
• Expansion business case template including costs, margin, CAC and test budget.
• Marketplace risk map for dependence, fees, control and brand impact.
• Go-to-market test plan for new markets and platforms.
• KPI set for market entry, scaling and stop decisions.
• Personal 90-day scale roadmap for your shop.

Investment and dates

• Regular price: €1,490 plus VAT
• Early bird price: €1,190 plus VAT up to 30 days before the seminar starts
• Bundle offer: 15% discount in combination with „E-Commerce Strategy & Business Models“
• Format: 2 days on site + self-learning track
• Participants: Max. 16 people
• Language: German
• Location: Berlin, Munich, Cologne and Hamburg

Dates are added continuously. On request we will name the next available date and advise on on-site, live online or self-paced.