If You Invested $10K in These 5 Online Retailers 5 Years Ago, Here’s How Much You’d Have
Written by
Vance Cariaga
Edited by
Jenna Klaverweiden
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The summer of 2020 was a busy one for online retailers as COVID-19 lockdowns temporarily closed physical stores and forced consumers to shop online. A number of online retail stocks saw their share prices skyrocket over the next several months.
If you had invested in these stocks back in August 2020, it would have looked like a very smart move. If you’d sold them within the next year or so, you would have turned a tidy profit. But if you had held on to them and still owned them today, you would’ve probably taken a beating and almost certainly wouldn’t have gotten “rich” off them.
Online retailers that benefited from COVID-19 restrictions saw a steep decline in business after those restrictions were lifted. Many consumers headed back to brick-and-mortar stores — and many pure-play online retailers saw their shares tank. Most have still not recovered.
If you had invested $10,000 in each of these five online retailers five years ago, here’s how much the investments would’ve been worth now.
Beyond Inc. (BYON)
- Closing price on Aug. 28, 2020: $96.93
- Number of shares you could buy with $10,000: 103
- Closing price on Aug. 18, 2025: $9.13
- Five-year gain/loss: -91%
- Current value: $940
Beyond is an e-commerce company that offers products ranging from furniture and bedding to rugs, cookware, jewelry and fashion items. Its share price closed as high as $108.30 in November 2021, meaning your $10,000 investment would have been worth $11,155 if you had sold it then.
Chewy (CHWY)
- Closing price on Aug. 28, 2020: $59.73
- Number of shares with $10,000: 167
- Closing price on Aug. 18, 2025: $40.95
- Five-year gain/loss: -31%
- Current value: $6,839
This online seller of pet food, treats, supplies and health products closed at $118.69 in February 2021. If you had sold your shares then, they would have been worth $19,821 — nearly double the original $10,000 investment.
Etsy (ETSY)
- Closing price on Aug. 28, 2020: $119.66
- Number of shares with $10,000: 84
- Closing price on Aug. 18, 2025: $64.96
- Five-year gain/loss: -46%
- Current value: $5,457
Etsy is a well-known online marketplace that connects buyers and sellers on its namesake platform. Its stock closed as high as $296.91 in November 2021 — meaning your $10,000 investment would have been worth nearly $25,000 at the time.
The RealReal (REAL)
- Closing price on Aug. 28, 2020: $16.36
- Number of shares with $10,000: 611
- Closing price on Aug. 18, 2025: $8.04
- Five-year gain/loss: -51%
- Current value: $4,912
This online marketplace for resale luxury goods closed at $28.73 in February 2021. At the time, your $10,000 investment would have been worth about $17,554.
Wayfair (W)
- Closing price on Aug. 28, 2020: $310.94
- Number of shares with $10,000: 32
- Closing price on Aug. 18, 2025: $79.06
- Five-year gain/loss: -75%
- Current value: $2,530
Through its e-commerce platforms, Wayfair sells a variety of home and home improvement products. Shares closed at $345.47 in March 2021, which would have pushed your $10,000 investment to a value of about $11,055.
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