Direct-to-Consumer
How direct-to-consumer brands and retail concepts are reshaping the industry, online and off.
Highlights

What Investors Want From DTC Brands

Cautious investors are finding safer bets in tech-focused platforms that create products for digitally-native brands over traditional DTC start-ups.

Case Studies & Reports

Case Study

Case Study | How to Build a Profitable DTC Brand

Case Study

Case Study | Building a DTC Challenger Brand

Case Study

Case Study | The New Four Ps of DTC Marketing

Latest News & Analysis

Why Some DTC Brands Are Raising Debt, Not Venture Capital

In a conservative investment environment, the few start-ups that can access traditional venture capital are opting to take out loans, and battle higher interest rates, to fund business essentials like marketing and inventory.

Why DTC Companies Should Avoid Venture Capital

All that cash might be tempting, but the motivations of founders and venture investors are rarely aligned, writes Imran Amed.

What Happened at Parade

The underwear start-up was once pegged as Gen-Z’s answer to Victoria’s Secret. But investors, executives and founder Cami Téllez couldn’t agree on whether to prioritise growth or profitability. They ended up with the worst of both worlds.

The DTC Watch Brands With Luxury Ambitions

Timepiece start-ups like Baltic, which went from Kickstarter campaign to producing $50K collector grade watches, and Christopher Ward, who is on track to reach $40 million in sales this year, are leveraging collector communities and innovation to take on high luxury watchmaking.

The DTC Eyewear Brands Challenging Warby Parker

Warby Parker’s continued brick-and-mortar expansion has given two of its less recognisable digitally-native peers — Zenni Optical and Eyebuydirect — a chance to raise their profiles among online shoppers.

What Investors Want From DTC Brands

Cautious investors are finding safer bets in tech-focused platforms that create products for digitally-native brands over traditional DTC start-ups.

What Parade’s Sale Says About the State of DTC

The Gen-Z intimates brand’s sale to a little-known strategic is the latest in an ongoing series of less than desirable exits for unprofitable digitally-native start-ups.

Why Brand Awareness Is DTC’s New Challenge

Brands like Warby Parker, Allbirds and Olaplex have successfully slashed digital advertising costs. Now they need to figure out new ways to find customers.

The Unassuming T-Shirt Brand Trying to Break the DTC Curse

True Classic has emerged from a sea of men’s brands promising the perfect t-shirt, managing to build a big audience without bleeding cash.

The BoF Podcast | Allbirds’ Tim Brown on Learning to Lead With Resilience

The co-founder and chief innovation officer of the Nasdaq-listed sneaker brand reflects on how his time as a professional footballer prepared him to lead a business through the highs and the lows.

Building a Rewards Programme That Keeps Fickle Customers Coming Back

Facing a competitive landscape and unreliable online shoppers, brands can no longer rely on a traditional points-based offering to drive repeat purchases.

Should DTC Brands Open Their Own Factories?

Some digitally native start-ups are buying or building factories to cut production times and control quality. But not every company is built to handle manufacturing themselves.

The News in Brief

Warby Parker’s Profits Slip Amid Store, Category Expansion

Warby Parker’s revenue jumped 14 percent to $170 million in the third quarter of the year, an increase propelled by 11 new store openings, product launches and higher sales of its contact lenses. But the company’s stock price still fell over 20 percent after the earnings release, as gross margins dropped to 55 percent from 57 percent a year earlier.

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