They didn’t have a plan.
The ink was dry on the acquisition. The PE sponsor had executed a bolt-on deal to strengthen the platform’s eCommerce capabilities, and expectations were sky-high. But when I sat down with the eCommerce lead who now reported to me, I realized: no post-deal integration plan had been created. Not a roadmap. Not even a checklist.
“I honestly didn’t know where to start,” he told me.
It was a candid admission—and one I respected. Because what most people underestimate in post-acquisition environments is this: it’s not the deal that derails growth. It’s the lack of operational integration.
I’d seen this movie before. When you’re growing from $300M to $500M on your way to a billion, the speed of acquisition often far outpaces the maturity of the team and systems. That’s where the real work begins.
Here’s what we did to get the integration back on track—and double EBITDA.
Wrote The POST DEAL Integration Playbook
I designed a detailed integration program broken down into functionally aligned workstreams:
- Operations, fulfillment, and inventory alignment
- Digital platform and creative transition
- Customer service systems and policies
- Brand migration and experience continuity
- eCommerce team resourcing and performance metrics
Each workstream had:
- Every single task involved in each workstream – no matter how small they were
- Task definition: If it requires a person even 1 second, it is a task. E.g., Confirming something in a “yes” or “no” is a task and must be on the checklist.
- Clearly defined deliverables, including benchmark or target if it is applicable to a task
- Task owners and contributors
- Start and end dates
- Daily status checkpoints and weekly escalations
Ran Daily Post Deal Integration Standups
We implemented short daily check-ins with core team leads to drive accountability and unblock roadblocks fast. No hour-long meetings. No fluff. Just 20 minutes of clarity.
Built in Risk Controls for Launch
We redesigned the digital relaunch strategy to preserve SEO equity, retain user experience continuity, and avoid the traffic and revenue drop that plagues most post-acquisition eCommerce migrations.
Focused on Conversion Optimization After Launch
Once the site was live and stable, we immediately shifted to optimizing on-site behavior, improving speed-to-cart, AOV, and checkout UX.
Delivered Real Results Against POST DEAL Integration Expectations
- Launched the acquired brand’s website on time and error-free
- Improved site performance KPIs in the first 60 days
- Nearly doubled the eCommerce business within two years
- Delivered clear EBITDA growth and margin expansion across the platform
Today, that business is thriving—and the PE partner who first invited me to take on the challenge has seen the full-cycle value of doing integration right.
If you’re acquiring eCommerce brands and expect them to scale, don’t just buy the asset. Build the plan.