Although e-commerce has become a synonym for marketplaces, a significant part of digital commerce does not involve retailers or distributors. So-called direct-to-consumer (D2C) e-commerce refers to digitally native and established brands selling via their online channels. A selling model with almost no retail intermediaries means lower operating costs and ensures higher margins for companies. As of 2022, Europe was home to
which have seen their digital presence grow the most in the last two years.
An opportunity for some manufacturers
As an alternative or addition to business-to-consumer (B2C) channels, over
12 percent of European manufacturers sell through their website or app, with Ireland, Netherlands, and Spain topping the EU-27 ranking. However, new data on consumer demand seems to point to very specific categories of products preferred over others. In Germany, most
online searches leading to D2C purchases were about food and pet supplies, with leisure and hobby products following closely. These same product categories were somehow the easiest to market as they also had the lowest
customer acquisition costs in France.
Best D2C players? Fashion brands
Having the capacity to invest in supply chain and order fulfillment, affirmed apparel brands already dominate European D2C e-commerce. In the United Kingdom, fashion brands occupy leading positions in the
ranking of D2C sites offering the best shopping experience and order fulfillment in the country. Notably, Nike, Ralph Lauren, and Levi’s had the highest scores. In France, the
online fashion market is densely populated and therefore highly fragmented. However, in 2022, small D2C newbie Sézane accounted for 4.3 percent of the market, outdoing established brands like Mango and Nike, and being on an equal footing with H&M.
Few champions in D2C startup world
Small D2C product brands struggle to emerge, as they tend to
receive much less funding than marketplaces, B2B, or B2C competitors. In Europe, sportswear brand Gymshark is one of the few unicorns, attaining a
brand valuation of 1.45 billion U.S. dollars as of 2022. The range of services D2C companies need to build a customer base and conquer market presence is so broad that the German startup The Stryze Group successfully capitalized on it. As of 2023, the D2C brands hub reached an estimated valuation of at least 364 million euros, becoming one of the most interesting players to watch for in the
European D2C environment.
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