Ecommerce & DTC Trends To Look Out For: Q1, 2023
We’ve been tracking some interesting trends in the DTC & e-commerce space that we’re excited to share with you all. Recently, we’ve been seeing expansion into hybrid-subscription models as well as the flourishing of highly personalized products. In this blog, we’re going to look at three brands crushing the e-commerce game using these different methods of growth.
Image Credits: Rozette Rago
DTC COMPANY PROFILE:
Food & Beverage DTC platforms have been skyrocketing! Magic Spoon, the keto-friendly breakfast cereal, is a great example of this. Magic Spoon is seeing tremendous growth due to their sweet, healthy, and nostalgic flavor options. Remember those delicious sugar-filled cereals you had as a kid? Now adults can enjoy flavors from their past without the harmful ingredients that their parents were afraid of.
TREND TO NOTE:
Magic Spoon not only has the option for single purchases, but also a subscription model that saves the customer 25% on the value of their purchase. Without being exclusively subscription-based, Magic Spoon honors the consumer’s choice by having the option for consumers to opt into a monthly delivery package driving sales and customer loyalty.
CRITICAL EDGE:
Magic Spoon’s flexible subscription engine slowly guides shoppers into subscribe and save (SAS) models. Unlike Hello Fresh’s subscription-only model, Magic Spoon accommodates a variety of consumer needs by providing the option for single or scheduled purchases which fosters incredibly high lifetime value.
Image Credits: Pair Eyewear
DTC COMPANY PROFILE:
Pair Eyewear is a DTC platform focused on selling eyeglasses with a personalized touch. Pair wants glasses to feel like an expression of your personality rather than an operational medical tool, so they created a platform for completely customizable eyewear – and they’re seeing the rewards of this personal touch.
TREND TO NOTE:
Pair Eyewear centers personalization in the way they sell eyewear. Since 2017, they’ve been scaling swiftly by providing options for customization of color, frame etc and most importantly, top frames. Top frames are interchangeable magnetic overlays for glasses so users can acquire a range of customized designs without buying multiple expensive frames.
CRITICAL EDGE:
Where other DTC eyewear platforms compete on price and speed of fulfillment, Pair focuses on the versatility of their product. With their personalized top frames, Pair keeps consumers coming back for more even when they don’t need new pair of glasses, but rather a just change of pace in the design.
Image Credits: The Fascination
DTC COMPANY PROFILE:
Lastly, let’s look at one startup killing the one-stop-shopping game, The Fascination. Founded in 2021, The Fascination is an online-only store for all things personal care. Ranging from apparel to multivitamins, they’re making it possible to purchase everything personal care in one centralized hub. Their curated online marketplace serves as a thoughtful alternative to Amazon, providing vetted products for a reasonable price.
TREND TO NOTE:
The Fascination has been using the one-stop-shopping model to grow their brand successfully. By offering a wide variety of products in the personal care space, consumers get the convenience of having everything care-related that they need in one centralized location.
CRITICAL EDGE:
After being acquired by StackCommerce in 2022, The Fascination has been seeing 25% monthly growth in terms of web traffic, a tremendous feat for a new retail startup. To learn more about The Fascination and their recent acquisition, check out this article from Business Wire.
In Summary
As e-commerce & DTC keep growing and evolving, consumers not only appreciate the convenience and thoughtfulness these three companies are providing– they expect nothing less. To survive and thrive in this highly-saturated market, you need to build a very flexible offering that allows for personalization, SAS, and versatility.
The best way to stand out and scale is to pay attention to what people actually want based on real consumer insights, and determine what makes the most sense for your brand. You can’t afford to skip on these soft elements of growth.
If you’re feeling stuck and want a low-key, gentle vibe check on your brand or a more straight-up audit of your growth goals and how to get there, feel free to schedule a call with us here.