Direct to consumer or DTC was hot as a firecracker a few years ago, as brands like Allbirds and Warby Parker flew high by bypassing the retail channel. Now the tide seems to be turning as several of these marquee DTC brands have stumbled. CNBC contributor Alex Kantrowitz helps us break it down in our MCM CommerceChat podcast.
Sports apparel retailer Foot Locker continues to be hampered in its results by the ongoing shift of major supplier Nike to a direct-to-consumer model, with Foot Locker reporting on its shifting revenue mix during its fourth quarter earnings report. The sneaker giant remains its largest supplier, but at a smaller scale.
TV streaming lets DTC marketers make the most of direct relationships with consumers to create more relevant ad experiences. The ability to more accurately target ads enables winning strategies such as retargeting users on desktop and mobile devices, driving higher purchase intent, awareness, traffic and conversions.
Headless ecommerce is driven by developers and appeals to developers. Despite years of effort and billions of dollars, the customers (CMOs, ecommerce executives) aren’t ready to abandon their existing functional solutions. For ecommerce, two factors hold back adoption — one pertaining to the platform and one to the mid-market.
Multichannel Merchant has published its seventh annual MCM Top 3PL listing for 2022, a searchable directory of leading third-party logistics (3PL) providers in ecommerce and direct-to-customer operations. It includes 60+ profiles with info on key capabilities, top merchandise categories, facility locations and more.
Casper Sleep, the once high-flying DTC mattress-in-a-box company whose star descended as profits shrank despite brisk pandemic-era sales, is going private in an acquisition by Durational Capital Management for about a quarter of its $1.1 billion valuation when it went public in February 2020.
Now in its seventh year for 2022, Multichannel Merchant’s MCM Top 3PL listing showcases leading third-party logistics companies serving ecommerce and direct-to-customer (DTC) businesses. How does your organization measure up? We’re accepting submissions now through Nov. 5, 2021. Be recognized as a true leader in the field!
On the surface DTC seems like a no-brainer: Cut out the middleman, increase margins, gain customer insights in an increasingly crowded retail marketplace. However, this pivot will still be difficult for larger brands. Let’s take a look at some of the roadblocks and lessons retailers can learn from those who have been successful.
Ruby Has, a top 3PL, has launched an industry consortium aimed at helping both direct-to-consumer merchants and those providing support services to share expertise, resources and best practices aimed at benefiting all. Among the 100-plus charter members are DTC jewelry brand Ana Luisa and ecommerce platform firm Linnworks.
Ecommerce Operations Summit 2021 is back live, at the Gaylord Opreyland in Nashville on Aug. 17-18, and the team at Multichannel Merchant has a great event on tap to help operations and fulfillment professionals keep on top of key industry trends and address the challenges of a disruptive time. Read on for some program highlights.