eCommerce influencers are well-known personalities in the digital commerce universe. Their opinions carry significant weight and are trusted, making their endorsements valuable.
The influencer concept is not new. Influencer marketing dates back to the 8th century BC. Gladiators in Ancient Rome endorsed products like olive oil and wine, similar to modern-day celebrity endorsements.
Moving along the timeline, in 1760, English potter/entrepreneur Josiah Wedgwood marketed his chinaware as royally endorsed after King George III's wife ordered a tea set from him. Wedgwood's association with royalty made Chinaware a recognized luxury brand to this day. And then you have the mommy bloggers of the 2000s using banners and content to promote and endorse third-party products and services.
But when you think about it, the dawn of social media changed the game completely. Online influencers grew in authority – so much so the Merriam-Webster dictionary officially recognized the term "influencer" in 2019. Statista forecasts that ad spending on influencers will reach $35.09bn this year.
Keep reading as we highlight 20 of the best eCommerce influencers worth knowing in the beauty, travel, health and fitness, and business operations verticals.
Best eCommerce Influencers in Beauty Tech
Huda Kattan: @HudaBeauty on Instagram
Kattan moved to LA to study makeup after a stint at a Dubai teaching job in 2006. She returned to Dubai, worked for a few years as a makeup artist, blogged about it, and eventually founded a cosmetics line called "Huda Beauty." The Huda Beauty brand became famous when their false eyelashes gained popularity among celebrities like Kim Kardashian. Today, she is worth $550 million and is America's No. 37 richest self-made woman, according to Forbes.
Kattan has 54.1M Instagram followers and constantly does giveaways to keep them engaged. Shop Huda Beauty.
Iyia Liu: @iyialiu on Instagram
Iyia Liu got her growth spurts at age 21 when she founded the shape-wear company Waist Trainer with $5000NZD in savings. The business sold over 100,000 units in the first 18 months to over 90+ countries worldwide.
In 2016, she founded Luxe Fitness supplement company, growing it into a million-dollar global business within the first year. In 2018, Iyia founded an eCommerce gift box business, Celebration Box, with a $4000 initial investment, which has now sold over 100,000 gift boxes in under 3 years. Iyia has starred in 2 seasons of her own TV series 'Boss Babes' produced by Warner Brothers, airing in NZ, AUS & UK, TVNZ, and Hayu, and leads a community of +54k members. Connect with Iyia Liu on LinkedIn.
Danielle Bernstein: @weworewhat on Instagram
Danielle Bernstein is a native New Yorker and fashion influencer turned business mogul. Bernstein has a dedicated fan base of over 3.3 million followers on her Instagram handle.
Bernstein started her internationally recognized blog, WeWoreWhat.com, and Instagram, @WeWoreWhat, in 2010 as a daily dose of beauty and outfit inspiration for women everywhere before growing the platform into an aspirational yet relatable home for all things coveted.
Danielle has since launched her brand, Shop WeWoreWhat, a direct-to-consumer and wholesale business with millions of customers worldwide. Danielle was recognized by Forbes' coveted "30 Under 30" list at just 24 years old in 2017 and became a New York Times best-selling author for her book, This Is Not A Fashion Story, published in May 2020.
Tino Vo: @vo.tino on Instagram
Nail art is a form of artistic expression often overlooked and underrated. But not when you look at it from Tino Vo's lens. This talented nail-tech, renowned for his dazzling crystal nail art, has captured the beauty industry's attention with his show-stopping creation.
Originally from Nha Trang, Vietnam, Tino Vo lives in Springfield, Missouri. Many nail artists around the world consider him the most impressive nail artist on Instagram right now. His numerous nail art creations on different social media platforms are a joy to watch and continuously push the boundaries of this art form. He has 1.1M followers on Instagram. You can purchase his products at tinovo.shop.
Igee Okafor: @igeeokafor on Instagram
Igee Okafor is on a mission to contribute to the pioneering of modern male culture. He wants to create an inclusive community where every man acts upon the urge to produce the best versions of themselves through an assembly of the most excellent in style, grooming, and culture.
The founder and editor-in-chief of Bond Official online magazine, Okafor is a determined businessman and personal style connoisseur whose significant point of view on essential articles of men’s clothing has sealed his position as an industry authority. He has worked with some of the industry's most respected tastemakers, including MR PORTER, GQ, Carl F. Bucherer, etc. Learn more about Igee.
Best eCommerce Influencers in Travel
Shay Mitchell: @shaymitchell on Instagram
Actress turned travel entrepreneur Shay Mitchell launched BÉIS travel in 2018 to help everyone pack up their stuff and hit the road with bags and accessories that wouldn’t break the bank. From the gym to airport, BÉIS has never compromised on functionality or looking selfie-ready cool. The brand reached nearly $200 million in gross revenue in just five years.
Béis has built a solid DTC eCommerce presence, fueled mainly by paid search, social media, and affiliate marketing. Mitchell's immense social media following also supports this growth. Béis collaborates with retail partners like Nordstrom, Revolve, Bloomingdale’s, and now Indigo in Canada to expand their consumer base. Shop Béis.
Chris Burkard: @chrisburkard on Instagram
There aren’t many people with a better worldview than Chris if we’re talking photography. He's an accomplished explorer, photographer, creative director, speaker, and author. Burkard works to capture stories that inspire humans to consider their relationship with nature while promoting the preservation of wild places everywhere.
Burkard's photography captures raw, majestic landscapes, shared with millions on social media to ignite exploration. His visionary work extends to global campaigns, TED talks, product design, education, and published books. Based in California's Central Coast, Burkard operates from his production studio and art gallery, showcasing his passion for untamed beauty and inspiring others to venture into the wild. Watch his TED talk.
Christian LeBlanc: @lostleblanc on Instagram
Five years ago, at 27, Christian LeBlanc left his "dream" job, realizing happiness lay in doing what he loved. He sold everything and bought a one-way ticket to Thailand, even with no money or content creation skills. Over the next 5 years, Christian built a 7-figure business by 25. He’s traveled the world, worked with top brands like Canon, Nikon, and Google, and earned his dream income doing what he's passionate about. Leblanc's journey underscores the importance of pursuing one's passions, regardless of initial uncertainty. He's now leading others to personal fulfillment and professional success. Apply to his lost creator academy.
Brooke Saward: @worldwanderlust on Instagram
Brooke Saward advocates solo travel for personal growth and confidence. Starting her blog in December 2012 after university, she embarked on a global journey across six continents, visiting over 80 countries. Her blog serves as a hub for solo travelers seeking inspiration and advice. Saward's success led her to create the Travel Blogger Master Course for aspiring travel bloggers.
In October 2016, she released "World of Wanderlust book," offering packing tips, adventure stories, and city guides to wanderlust-stricken readers seeking inspiration. In 2022, Saward founded Brookibakehouse as a new type of bakery: the type that comes to you. They ship their freshly baked products in Brisbane daily and ship them right to your doorstep. Experience Brookibakehouse.
Gretta Van Riel: @gretta on Instagram
With 5 successful startups, Gretta excels at transforming audiences into brands and trends into markets. Gretta is a social media algorithm pro. Her track record includes amassing 5.8M Pinterest impressions monthly and 2.6M LinkedIn views in 10 days.
Gretta's first venture, SkinnyMe Tea, launched with $24 and won the Shopify Build-A-Business competition in 2013, selling over 11 million cups globally and delivering 1.5M kg of weight loss to its customers. She co-founded The 5TH Watches, hitting $100k in first-day revenue and $1M in a single day before exiting in 2017.
Gretta recently launched Hey Influencers, an Influencer Relationship Management platform bridging brands and influencers. She's a traveler at heart. Learn more.
Best eCommerce Influencers in Health & Fitness
Ben Francis MBE: @benfrancis on Instagram
Francis is one of four self-made billionaires in the UK. And he's only 31. At 19, Ben Francis and friend Lewis Morgan launched Gymshark in a garage, initially selling fitness supplements. They dropshipped their supplies. In 2013, they transitioned to designing and selling fitness apparel, manufacturing in the garage with equipment bought for £1,000. After a viral tracksuit sale, Francis left university and his part-time job at Pizza Hut to focus on Gymshark.
Gymshark's rapid growth led to a £1 billion valuation in 2020, with Francis retaining over 70% ownership. Recognized for his entrepreneurship, he's been honored by Forbes and EY and awarded an MBE in 2023. Learn more about Gymshark.
Kayla Itsines: @kayla_itsiness on Instagram
Itsines began her fitness journey working at a women's gym in Adelaide. She tailored workouts to target areas like thighs, abs, and arms while avoiding bulkiness concerns. She emphasizes core strength and legs while using Instagram to track progress. She founded the Sweat App, a health and fitness app designed by women for women to offer workout and nutrition guides. Kayla's program emphasizes 28-minute high-intensity workouts and balanced meal plans.
In April 2015, Apple featured Itsines in an advertisement for the Apple Watch to demonstrate the heart-rate monitor feature of the product. Her current estimated net worth is around $486 million.
Simeon Panda: @simeonpanda on Instagram
Simeon Panda is one of the most influential fitness professionals on the planet. He's the owner of both Just Lift and Elimin8 and has been featured on Forbes as one of the world's top ten influencers for fitness. Simeon has immense popularity for his fantastic physique, character, and high standards in representing the sports fitness industry.
With a collective social media following of over 17 million, he is respected for many reasons amongst his fans and followers worldwide, not least because of his highly positive and motivational approach to everything he does. He has hosted seminars and workshops worldwide, including the Mr. Olympia Weekend.
Cassey Ho: @blogilates on Instagram
Cassey Ho ventured into online fitness while in college. She later became a YouTube sensation with her fitness brand, Blogilates. Initially working as a fashion buyer, she started uploading Pilates videos on YouTube, gradually gaining popularity. Transitioning from a part-time Pilates instructor to a full-time content creator, Ho's channel exploded in popularity, reaching millions of subscribers and views. Her success led to collaborations, awards, and features in prominent publications.
Ho's influence extends to clothing lines, with the release of Bodypop, renamed Popflex activewear collections, blending fashion with functionality. Ho is recognized for her innovative approach to fitness and social media marketing and continues to inspire millions worldwide. Shop her feed.
Joseph Trevor Wicks: @thebodycoach on Instagram
A few years back, Joe Wicks was an ordinary personal trainer until he found Instagram, sparking a fitness revolution. From struggling with sparsely attended bootcamps to becoming a renowned Body Coach, Joe is now living the dream. With 4.7 million Instagram followers and a bestselling cookbook, "Lean In 15," his 90-day transformation plan attracts 400 sign-ups daily. Wicks's energetic ads for brands and lively social media presence have propelled him into stardom, earning £1m monthly.
His feed features quick recipe videos, client transformations, and candid snapshots. With a book deal, TV show, and endorsements, Wicks has built a thriving business managed by a dedicated team. Learn more about Wick.
Best eCommerce Influencers in Business Operations
Ariel Chen: For all things Shopify
Our very own captain, Ariel Chen, is no stranger to building flourishing Shopify businesses. An Israeli-American entrepreneur, Ariel has extensive experience in eCommerce, fintech, technology, and payment fraud. He launched his first venture at 16 and later served as a technology unit chief in the Israel Defense Forces for three years.
Relocating to Florida, Ariel worked as Merchant Services Head at a high-growth fintech firm and later managed the entire business operations.
Partnering with his younger brother Avia Chen, the ultimate partner in any challenge, Ariel has pioneered multiple successful Shopify brands, growing them into eight-figure businesses. In 2020, they launched Chargeflow after facing high fraudulent chargeback rates. Chargeflow empowers merchants globally with a plug-and-play chargeback recovery tool that wins cases on autopilot.
Chase Dimond: For email marketing best practices
Chase Dimond is a model email marketing success story. He is renowned for creating the widely acclaimed "$75M Ecommerce Email Marketer" course and provides valuable insights through his email marketing guide on chasedimond.com. Chase is also an Angel Investor, backing ventures such as Gatsby, Miracle Brand, Gainful, and Newchip Accelerator.
Among his notable achievements, Chase has successfully scaled products, orchestrated marketing campaigns attracting 500,000 visitors in just six months, propelled a dating site to 1.5 million visitors within 2 months of launch, and facilitated the acquisition of a travel newsletter in a mere 10 months, all achieved with minimal traditional advertising expenditure.
Jeremy Horowitz: For crushing milestones and growth
Until recently, Jeremy Horowitz served as the senior partner marketing manager at Gorgias, an integrated help desk solution for online stores, making it easy to deliver personalized support and automation across multiple channels.
A self-acclaimed data nerd, Jeremy says he's on a mission to make more eCommerce businesses successful. His LinkedIn profile is filled with battle-tested eCommerce insights, from marketing and financial hacks to his personal experiences as a manager and a consumer.
He is the founder of the Messenger Mastermind agency and host of the Messenger Mastermind podcast. Jeremy and his co-hosts occasionally share their experiences testing winning strategies on their businesses. They also conduct captivating interviews with leaders in Conversational Marketing, SMS campaigns, and product launches. Subscribe to his ecommerce newsletter.
Haley Pavone: For best practices in brand community building
Haley Pavone, Founder & CEO of Pashion Footwear, is an entrepreneurial force reshaping the $165B women's footwear market with convertible shoes. Despite lacking a footwear background, she pioneered a tech-enabled category previously deemed "impossible." Since founding the company as a college junior, Pavone has innovated novel technology, secured global IP protection, revolutionized production methods, and raised over $4.5 million in seed funding. Remarkably, she graduated on time from California Polytechnic University, SLO, while building Pashion.
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Pavone's leadership led to 450% year-over-year growth in 2021, achieving profitability in 2022 and sustaining a compelling 9% EBITDA in 2023. She continues to drive Pashion's success, leveraging her influence on platforms like TikTok to promote disruptive innovations in footwear, with over 10 million site visitors and 95% organic customer acquisition.
Kelli Saunders for supply chain and eCommerce logistics
An award-winning entrepreneur and leader, Kelli Saunders is an influential voice in the logistics, supply chain, and 3PL industry. With over 30 years of experience, her pioneering spirit and industry expertise have grown her business into a successful multi-million dollar, multi-national organization.
Believing in the power of “pay it forward”, Kelli has spoken at industry panels and conventions aiming to advance the role of women in leadership positions and educate them about careers in logistics. She has received numerous industry awards, including OWIT-Toronto’s Women Exporter of the Year and WXN Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100.