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

How the DTC Bust Could Play Out

Fashion and beauty start-up valuations appear to have stabilised after plunging last year, though it may be months or even years before many return to their old highs — if they ever do. But there are ways for emerging and established players to ride out the downturn.

Case Studies & Reports

Case Study

How to Build a Profitable DTC Brand | Case Study

Case Study

Building a DTC Challenger Brand | Download the Case Study

Case Study

The New Four Ps of DTC Marketing — Download the Case Study

Latest News & Analysis

For Many Digital Retailers, Profits and Growth Appear to Be Mutually Exclusive

DTC brands and e-commerce platforms delivered some rare good news this week in the form of shrinking losses, but investors were largely unimpressed.

Which Start-Up Will Win the Race to Profitability?

Allbirds, Warby Parker, The RealReal and others have plenty to prove when they report earnings this week. That, plus what else to watch for.

Why There May Never Be a Gen-Z Glossier or Warby Parker

Instead of emulating the face-paced growth favoured by their predecessors, Gen-Z-centric fashion and beauty start-ups are taking a steadier approach to brand-building.

At Hyaloid, Evolving DTC to a Multiplatform Model

CEO Oh Sang Hyeon shares how Hyaloid’s latest platform strives to ease the customer user experience through several applications delivered on one platform technology, accessed with the use of one password on its social commerce service.

Why Fashion Hasn’t Given Up on Social Commerce

Outside Asian markets, companies have yet to see lasting success in melding social media and e-commerce. But platforms and brands continue to adapt social selling to meet their respective consumers.

Walmart Sells Menswear Brand Bonobos

The deal is the latest sign that Walmart’s efforts to move into the DTC sector have fallen short.

Will Brands Ever Get Product Recommendations Right?

The technology that exists for brands to offer customers individualised online shopping experiences is expensive and complex. But some start-ups are finding ways to personalise product recommendations and more.

Should Brands Stop Offering Free Returns?

Fashion start-ups can no longer foot the bill for costly online returns, but they have to find ways to reduce the costs of returns without losing customers.

How UK Brands Can Navigate US Expansion

To break into the hard-to-penetrate American market, British-born DTC upstarts are embracing wholesale and investing in US-centric marketing channels.

Are DTC Brands Pulling Off Brick-and-Mortar?

As online advertising remains expensive and crowded, digital brands continue to invest in physical stores to drive customer growth. Warby Parker and Allbirds provide disparate case studies for how to navigate physical retail.

How the DTC Bust Could Play Out

Fashion and beauty start-up valuations appear to have stabilised after plunging last year, though it may be months or even years before many return to their old highs — if they ever do. But there are ways for emerging and established players to ride out the downturn.

Wholesale Brands Want to Be the New DTC Disruptors

Brands that once ruled multi-brand retailers are investing in DTC to build connections with customers and improve their margins. But like digitally native brands before them, they’re finding fatter profits remain elusive.

The News in Brief

At Warby Parker and Allbirds, Signs of Progress

The eyewear maker’s results were consistent with its recent outings. Sales rose 12 percent year-over-year in the first quarter of the year on the strength of its growing store fleet. It also decreased its losses by $23 million and increased its adjusted earnings before interest and taxes by $17 million.

Report: Away Exploring Options Including Sale

The luggage company, valued at $1.45 billion when it raised capital in 2019, is exploring strategic options including a sale, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

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