5 Stars United
From manual spreadsheets to precise landed-cost allocation and FIFO COGS across six regions
5 Stars United is a global e-commerce brand operating across six regions (USA, UK, Canada, Mexico, Australia, EU) with approximately $30M in annual revenue and a catalog of 50+ SKUs. They sell primarily on Amazon and are expanding into TikTok. Their multi-vendor, multi-warehouse supply chain with cross-border operations creates complex challenges in cost allocation, inventory visibility, and financial reporting.
Spreadsheets couldn't keep up with global growth
Growing across countries and marketplaces, 5 Stars United managed costs and inventory with spreadsheets. That meant:
- Shared costs (freight, storage, customs) weren't allocated precisely per SKU/batch, leading to inconsistent cost-per-unit
- Ballpark COGS led to unreliable P&L and muddled SKU profitability
- Pricing and markdown decisions lacked confidence without clear landed costs by region
- Accounting spent hours manually calculating COGS, asset values, and channel activity before pushing into QuickBooks Online — often from unreliable spreadsheets
Automated cost allocation and real-time financial visibility
5 Stars United implemented NeonPanel to transform their financial operations:
- Automated landed-cost allocation — freight, duties, and storage costs allocated to batches using clear rules based on weight, volume, and value
- End-to-end visibility across fabrication, in-transit transfers, 3PLs, and Amazon FBA/AWD in one unified place
- FIFO COGS at sale time — accurate, defensible cost of goods eliminating estimates
- Direct QuickBooks Online sync — automatic journals and balance updates keeping daily operations in sync with the ledger
- Decision-grade reporting for COGS, SKU profitability, and finance to support confident pricing and markdown decisions
Key results in the first 6 months
NeonPanel has been a game-changer for us. We no longer have to rely on estimates for our COGS or pricing decisions. The integration with QuickBooks Online alone has saved us hours of manual work and made our financial reporting significantly more accurate. The system has transformed our cost tracking and allowed us to optimize pricing with confidence. It's a critical tool for our growth in multiple markets.
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