Frequently asked questions
Last updated: October 2026
Published on · Updated on
Kai-Li Global and the offers
What is Kai-Li Global?
Kai-Li Global is an independent specialist in international e-commerce profitability, founded by Johann Antoine. It recovers the net margin that international sales cost brands, market by market: sourcing, freight, platform fees, FX, customs, returns. It is paid on proof, with a tracking dashboard.
What is the Saving · Zero Risk offer?
It is a 100% performance-based offer: 25% of the savings validated together (sliding rate based on volume), with no entry cost. If no actionable saving is found at the end of the diagnosis, the engagement stops and you owe nothing. It is designed for brands generating more than €2M in e-commerce revenue outside their home market.
What is the Growth · Fractional offer?
It is fractional international leadership: one day a week (€4,500/month), 1.5 days (€6,500/month) or 2 days (€8,000/month). It covers conversion optimisation in priority countries, net margin analysis and tracking of gains. It can be cancelled at any time; any month started is due.
Do I need the Fractional offer to benefit from Zero Risk?
No. The two offers are independent: you can choose one, the other, or both. The Zero Risk offer involves no subscription and no Fractional commitment.
What is an international Fractional CRO?
A Fractional CRO (part-time Chief Revenue Officer) is a seasoned executive who drives international growth and profitability a few days a week, without the cost of a full-time hire. At Kai-Li Global, the role focuses on net margin per country, not just revenue.
Which companies are these offers designed for?
For brands and online retailers selling internationally with more than €2M in revenue outside their home market. Below that, the savings potential rarely covers the diagnostic effort.
Method and proof
How is a saving "validated"?
The proof method is agreed with you before starting: invoice against invoice, A/B test or before/after comparison. Each action is tracked in a dashboard with its cost, its measured gain and its proof method. Anything not measurable is shown as such and never counted.
What is the Margin Recovery Protocol?
It is Kai-Li Global's method: it reviews 18 points of hidden margin and cost, line by line, from sourcing to customer returns, then focuses on 2 or 3 high-impact levers to get started.
What are the main margin leaks in international e-commerce?
The most common cost families are: product cost and sourcing, freight, platform and payment fees, FX, customs duties and taxes, returns (label, receiving, inspection, stock write-down) and customer acquisition. The weight of each line varies widely from one country to another.
How does a diagnosis work?
You share your data within 15 days. I rebuild your margin country by country, from revenue down to margin after acquisition, identify the 2 or 3 most profitable levers, then track them in a shared dashboard.
What data do I need to get started?
Usually: orders by country, product costs, freight invoices, platform and payment statements, returns and acquisition spend. A simple export is enough to start; I give you the exact format during our first call.
What do CM1, CM2 and CM3 mean?
They are three levels of contribution margin. CM1: revenue minus product cost. CM2: CM1 minus freight, platform fees, FX, customs and returns. CM3: CM2 minus customer acquisition. A country can be profitable at CM1 and lose money at CM3.
Customs, returns and profitability by country
Do customs duties weigh on export profitability?
Between European Union countries, there are no customs duties. Outside the EU (United States, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Asia...), duties can be high and change from one quarter to the next, to the point of tipping a country's profitability. They must be recalculated by product and by market.
How do US tariffs affect a European brand's margin?
They add to the landed cost of each product and force a choice between absorbing the increase, passing it on in the price or changing the delivery model. The right decision depends on the real net margin per product in the US market, not on a global average.
Why do returns destroy export margin?
An international return combines a return label, receiving by the logistics provider, inspection, possibly unrecovered duties and stock write-down. In our illustrative case of fashion sold in Germany with a 42% return rate, returns amount to €18 per €100 sold and are enough to make the country loss-making after acquisition.
How do I find my real net margin per country?
By rebuilding each cost line from your actual invoices (freight, platforms, payment, returns) rather than estimates, then comparing markets at the same margin level (CM1, CM2, CM3). This is the core of the diagnosis.
How does VAT (OSS, IOSS) fit into the analysis?
The OSS and IOSS VAT schemes shape invoicing and delivery into the EU. I check that they are correctly applied and generate neither hidden cost nor checkout friction. For any tax compliance question, I recommend validating it with your accountant.
Positioning and independence
How is this different from Global-e, ESW or Glopal?
They are cross-border platforms: they sell a service. Kai-Li Global is independent and sells no platform. Johann Antoine worked at all three over 15 years in cross-border and knows their mechanics from the inside. Any paid partnership is declared in writing.
Who is Johann Antoine?
Founder of Kai-Li Global, he has 20 years of experience in digital, 15 of them in cross-border (WebTrends, Omniture/Adobe, Demandware/Salesforce Commerce Cloud, Global-e, ESW, Glopal). He is the only expert in France to have worked at the three major cross-border platforms. Today he sits on the brands' side.
Getting started
How do I get started?
Book a 30-minute call, with no commitment, to frame your situation. If the Zero Risk offer fits, the diagnosis starts as soon as your data is shared, within 15 days.
How many clients do you work with in parallel?
Three to four engagements at most in parallel, to keep real follow-up on each one.
What happens to my data when I contact you or browse the site?
The contact form asks for three pieces of information: your name, your email and your message. When you submit it, your request is stored in the Kai-Li Global database, hosted in Germany (European Union). Johann Antoine also receives it by email, and you receive a confirmation email. To limit automated abuse, one address can only send one request every 10 minutes. These emails are sent via Resend, an American service that stores its data in the United States. The site also uses Google Analytics to measure audience: pages viewed, clicks on contact buttons and submitted requests. Google Analytics sets cookies and transfers data to Google, including in the United States. No data is sold or shared with other third parties. For any question about your data or to request its deletion, write to contact@kai-li.global.
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