Why does a brand that already sells in the United States still leave money on the table for every dollar invested in media? Most of the time, the problem isn't the size of the budget, but rather how the operation is structured behind it. It was precisely this difference that changed the numbers for Cristina Sabatini , a fashion jewelry brand founded in 2012 and produced in Italy, in the American market.
A client of e-Plus since 2025, Cristina Sabatini wanted to invest more in media without losing efficiency. The challenge was selling to a consumer with their own seasonality and purchasing behavior, very different from the average Brazilian. The turnaround didn't come from spending more, but from reorganizing operations before accelerating investment.
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Cristina Sabatini in the USA: the points that matter
- Cristina Sabatini has been an e-Plus customer since 2025., and the restructuring of media aimed at US audiences began in June 2026;
- The work focused on Google Ads and Meta Ads., with local interpretations of creatives, audiences, and seasonality;
- Average monthly sessions increased from 16.347 to 49.583 (+203%). between the previous period and the months of June to August 2026;
- The average monthly revenue at GA4 increased from From R$ 6.075 to R$ 20.076 (+230%);
- Efficiency (revenue divided by investment) increased from 2,67x to 3,52x. Each real (Brazilian currency) ended up returning more, even with a larger budget;
- 95% of Google Merchant Center errors have been fixed., freeing up the catalog to appear on Google Shopping.
Selling in the US starts with the structure, not the budget.
The American market is large enough to justify the effort. In the second quarter of 2026, e-commerce in the United States generated US$340,2 billion and accounted for 17,1% of all retail sales in the country , a growth of 12,2% over the same period of the previous year, according to the US Census Bureau . It is a destination with demand and purchasing power, but also with mature competition and a consumer who compares before deciding.
Entering this market with the same setup used in Brazil tends to be expensive. Creative elements, target audiences, and promotional calendars need to be interpreted based on local market behavior. Without this adjustment, the budget goes where there is less return, and the additional investment only increases waste instead of boosting sales.
That's why order matters. Before increasing the investment, Cristina Sabatini's operation was reorganized so that each step had a clear role . This allows for scaling without losing control of the results, and it's also what makes growth sustainable when the budget increases month by month.
What has changed in Cristina Sabatini's operation?
The restructuring stemmed from concrete points, not from an isolated campaign. Each front addressed a specific bottleneck that had been limiting the return.
Reading the American consumer
The creative elements and segmentation were built based on the seasonality and purchasing behavior of the United States , not simply an adaptation to the Brazilian calendar. The message began to resonate with those who actually shop in that market, at the right time of year.
Clean catalog at the Merchant Center
Errors in Google Merchant Center were preventing products from appearing on Google Shopping . Fixing 95% of these errors restored the catalog's chance of appearing in searches with the highest purchase intent —those where the user is specifically looking for the type of product the brand sells.
Refined audiences
The segmentation was directed towards profiles with the highest conversion potential. Instead of reaching a large number of people, the focus shifted to reaching the right people, reducing spending on those who were unlikely to buy and concentrating the budget where it would yield results.
Campaigns with defined roles
Each campaign has been given a specific function within the structure. This simplifies day-to-day optimization and makes it possible to increase the budget in a controlled manner, without scrambled results or losing sight of what really works.
Why efficiency increased along with investment.
The most revealing aspect of the case study isn't the revenue growth, but rather the efficiency increase. Normally, when an operation increases its media investment, the return per dollar tends to fall because the extra budget reaches audiences less likely to buy. At Cristina Sabatini, the opposite happened.
The average monthly investment increased from R$2.271 to R$5.702 , yet efficiency improved from 2,67x to 3,52x . Simultaneously, approved orders more than doubled, from 23 to 55, and new clients also increased, from 14 to 38. Growing in volume and efficiency at the same time is only possible when the customer base is organized before acceleration, not after.
This result is supported by measurement. The numbers were tracked month by month in GA4 , Meta Ads Manager , and Google Ads , always cross-referenced with the store's actual revenue. Deciding based on actual sales, and not just on the metrics of each platform, avoids scaling a result that looks good on the dashboard but doesn't translate to cash flow.
What can retailers take away from this case?
These lessons apply to any operation, inside or outside Brazil. The first is that a larger budget does not guarantee a greater return. Without understanding your target audience, having the right catalog, and having a well-defined campaign structure, more money usually means more waste.
The second point is that selling in another country requires operational translation, not just language translation . Seasonality, creative content, and segmentation need to reflect the local consumer: what converts on a Brazilian date may be irrelevant on the American calendar.
The third is to measure by actual revenue. Platform metrics show part of the story; actual sales show the whole picture. Looking at both sides together avoids celebrating clicks that never resulted in an order and helps to safely direct the next investment.
Speak to the e-Plus media team.
Cristina Sabatini shows that selling more in the United States is a result of structure and method, not just investment. If your operation wants to grow in paid media without losing efficiency, in Brazil or abroad, it's worth talking to the paid traffic and media management experts at e-Plus about how to build this structure before accelerating your budget. To delve deeper first, explore other content on the blog.
FAQ
How do you structure an e-commerce operation to sell in the United States?
The foundation lies in understanding the local consumer: seasonality, creative elements, and segmentation specific to the American market. Then comes the correct catalog in Google Merchant Center, audiences refined by purchasing potential, and campaigns with defined roles. Only then does increased investment scale efficiently, and not wastefully.
What is media efficiency and why does it matter?
Media efficiency is the amount of revenue each real invested returns. At Cristina Sabatini, it rose from 2,67x to 3,52x. This matters because it reveals whether the growth is healthy: selling more while spending proportionally less indicates an organized operation, and not just more money spent on air.
Why fix errors in Google Merchant Center?
Because errors in the Merchant Center prevent products from appearing on Google Shopping, precisely in searches with the highest purchase intent. In Cristina Sabatini's case, correcting 95% of the errors freed up the catalog to compete in these spaces and reach those already looking for that type of product.
Is it worth increasing investment in paid media?
It's worthwhile when the structure is ready. Increasing the budget for a disorganized operation usually reduces the return per dollar. With audiences, catalog, and campaigns adjusted beforehand, it's possible to grow in volume and efficiency simultaneously, as in the case of Cristina Sabatini in the US.
