This is just plain not true. There are many e-commerce companies who are profitable and healthy immediately.
Start a store with Shopify or Miva Merchant for a low monthly cost, work of of your house and sell your goods for more than they cost you. Ton's of folks do this and are very quickly profitable on a small scale.
If you are trying to be Amazon or Walmart and sell non differentiated products for rock bottom prices, then you are correct. But there are plenty of companies content to run $2 Million - $20 Million dollar businesses without having to go through the pain of losing money for 3 years.
Start a store with Shopify or Miva Merchant for a low monthly cost, work of of your house and sell your goods for more than they cost you. Ton's of folks do this and are very quickly profitable on a small scale.
If you are trying to be Amazon or Walmart and sell non differentiated products for rock bottom prices, then you are correct. But there are plenty of companies content to run $2 Million - $20 Million dollar businesses without having to go through the pain of losing money for 3 years.