The Bean-to-Bar Index is a retail benchmarking service that helps online store owners understand what is typical in their product category. It tracks public information from online stores and presents findings in plain language, so merchants can compare their policies, pricing and customer-facing features with relevant peers. The Index covers 22 retail categories, including food and drink, skincare, apparel, home goods and pet products, and measures 11 common store decisions. These include typical product prices, free-shipping thresholds, return windows, product reviews, subscriptions, promotions, catalog size, payment options, loyalty programs and gift cards.

Stores can use the free Store Label to compare their own website with others in their category, without creating an account or providing payment details. The Sugar Report is a free weekly email featuring one benchmark and a practical explanation, while The Stockroom offers short guides to retail decisions such as shipping and returns. A paid membership provides access to the full Index, historical comparisons, category price distributions and a weekly update on changes.