My UAE Baby Shop’s Paid Ads Are Bleeding Me Dry—5 Years In and I’m Ready to Quit. Help Me Save It!

My UAE Baby Shop’s Paid Ads Are Draining My Resources—After 5 Years, I’m on the Brink of Giving Up. Looking for Help!

Hey Reddit community,

I’m feeling overwhelmed and could really use some guidance from you all. For five years now, I’ve been running my online baby store in the UAE, offering everything from adorable strollers and cribs to toys. This venture has been my passion (pun intended), but it’s also been incredibly challenging. I’ve devoted countless hours to refining my website and managing my extensive inventory of 7,000 products. However, paid ads have become a financial burden. Despite trying every strategy I can think of, I’m still just getting by. I’m seriously considering throwing in the towel, but I thought I’d reach out to see if anyone has insights or advice that could help me turn things around.

Here’s a snapshot of my situation:

• An online-only business based in the UAE.
• Five years in the game, with mostly downturns recently.
• My website is up to par—fast and reliable.
• Paid ads have been a nightmare. I’ve worked with agencies and freelancers, but nothing has worked.

My advertising struggles:

I’ve invested in Google Shopping, Meta carousels, Performance Max, you name it—covering the whole spectrum from awareness to conversions. I even tried an elaborate “feeder strategy” using Target ROAS, but nothing seems to hit the mark. I’ve set up all the necessary tracking through Google Tag Manager and have reliable data, but my sales are inconsistent and my return on ad spend (ROAS) is disappointing. I need a 400% ROAS to break even, yet I’m only hitting 200% on my best days—most days are even worse, and it’s becoming overwhelming.

Why I’m reaching out:

I’m exhausted. After five years of hard work, I’m nearing a breaking point. However, I’ve seen so many insightful people share their expertise here, and I’m hoping for your assistance. If you have experience with paid ads, especially in e-commerce, what am I potentially doing wrong? Is there a strategy I might be overlooking? Or am I simply in a tough spot?

Questions I have:

• Has anyone else been in a rut like this and managed to turn it around? What made the difference for you?
• Any specific tactics that have worked for baby products in the UAE? Am I missing a platform or strategy that could help?
• Is aiming for a 400% ROAS unrealistic, or is it an achievable goal?

I can share screenshots of my ad performance—Google Ads, Meta, analytics, everything. If you’re interested, just let me know, and I’ll be happy to provide them.

Final request:

This is my last-ditch attempt. I’ve invested so much time, effort, and money into this business, and the thought of quitting feels unbearable. If you have any advice, unique ideas, or even just words of encouragement, I’d greatly appreciate it. Thank you for taking the time to read my post, and I’m hopeful someone here can help me navigate through this challenge.