Part A: Pricing Dynamics Research Understand how pricing works in Canadian e-commerce with real, observed data. A1. Pricing Frequency & Behavior How often do Canadian e-commerce merchants change their product prices? Is pricing more static ("set and forget") or dynamic (frequent adjustments)? What triggers price changes? (competitor moves, seasonal shifts, cost changes, promotions?) How does pricing frequency differ between DTC Shopify stores vs. Amazon.ca listings? Are there differences by product type (hero products vs. long tail vs. new launches)? A2. Channel-Specific Dynamics Shopify DTC: How do brands set and adjust prices on their own stores? What tools do they use? Amazon.ca: How aggressive is repricing? How does the Buy Box algorithm affect beauty products? Wholesale (Sephora, Shoppers Drug Mart): What are typical margin structures? How do brands manage price consistency (or intentional differences) across channels? What role does MAP (Minimum Advertised Price) enforcement play? A3. Promotional Patterns & Seasonal Dynamics Canadian promotional calendar: BFCM, Boxing Day, seasonal sales, Canada-specific events (Victoria Day, Thanksgiving) Typical beauty e-commerce discount depths and influencer discount code ranges Promotional frequency compared to US or Brazilian brands A4. Current Tools & Processes What percentage of mid-market merchants use manual processes (spreadsheets) vs. automated tools? Which Shopify pricing apps are most popular among Canadian merchants? Are merchants aware of pricing optimization as a category? What terms do they use? A5. Canada vs. Brazil Comparison Key differences in pricing velocity, competitive intensity, and merchant behavior Structural factors that shape Canadian pricing (tax system, consumer expectations, competition level) Where are the biggest opportunities for pricing optimization tools in Canada? Part B: Pain Point Investigation Capture the real, ground-level pricing problems beauty merchants experience — in their own words. B1. Community Research & Quote Collection Systematically search Reddit (r/shopify, r/ecommerce, r/smallbusiness, r/entrepreneur, r/SkincareAddiction, r/beauty, r/IndieBeauty), Shopify Community forums, and Facebook groups (Shopify Entrepreneurs, Canadian E-Commerce, DTC Brands, Indie Beauty) Catalog every post, question, or comment related to pricing challenges for beauty/cosmetics or e-commerce brands Record the exact language merchants use: do they say "margin erosion" or "losing money"? "Pricing strategy" or "how should I price my products"? Tag each entry by source, date, context, and emotional intensity (1-5 scale) Target: 50-100 real, sourced quotes from merchants B2. Shopify App Store Gap Analysis Review all pricing-related apps in the Shopify App Store Catalog negative reviews (1-3 stars): What specific problems are users reporting? Catalog positive reviews (4-5 stars): What features do merchants value most? Identify feature gaps: What do merchants repeatedly ask for that no existing app provides? B3. Trigger Events Mapping Identify specific events that cause pricing to become urgent: Channel expansion: Adding Amazon, landing Sephora/Ulta, starting wholesale Growth inflection: Crossing $1M revenue, hiring first operations person Competitive pressure: Competitor drops prices, new market entrant, Amazon price wars Cost changes: Supplier price increases, shipping spikes, new tariffs Product launches: Seasonal collections, shade range extensions, bundle creation B4. Pricing Workflow Mapping From community posts, reconstruct how a typical beauty brand founder manages pricing today What does their weekly/monthly pricing routine look like? How many hours do they spend? At what point does the manual process break down? Who in the organization is responsible for pricing? Deliverables Comprehensive Research Report: Covering all research areas (Parts A and B) with data, charts, community insights, and visual summaries. Includes executive summary with actionable recommendations for PriceMoon's positioning. Pain Point Database (Spreadsheet): Real quotes/posts from merchants, each tagged with: source link, date, exact quote, pain point category, emotional intensity (1-5), and context. Every entry must link to the original post. Language & Messaging Guide (5-8 pages): The exact words and phrases merchants use to describe pricing problems, organized by pain point category, with recommendations for how PriceMoon should mirror this language. Trigger Events Catalog: Documented list of events that cause pricing to become urgent, with real examples, timing patterns, and suggested outreach strategies. Canada vs. Brazil Comparison Matrix: One-page visual comparing pricing dynamics, promotional patterns, tools, and competitive intensity across both markets. Shopify App Store Gap Analysis: What existing pricing apps do well, where they fall short, and what features merchants wish existed.