Episode Details

Despite all the hype, after gobs of venture capital investment, several high profile IPO's and some big moves into physical retail, the OG's of the new wave of DTC are running into trouble. Most of the digitally native brands that were supposed to disrupt the retail industry (think Warby Parker, Stitch Fix, Allbirds, Caspar, and many more) may be growing the top-line--though not even Wayfair and Peloton can say that anymore--but their operating losses continue to grow.

Virtually all of them have seen their market valuations collapse in recent months. And the once promising pivot to opening stores must be called into question, particularly as the entire industry faces growing headwinds.

In this episode we dive deep into just what the heck is going on here and whether the hugely disappointing recent results from Warby Parker suggest a possible reset for the new breed of DTC brands. 

But first we open up with the retail news that caught our attention this week, including earnings reports from Target, Walmart, Kohl's and Lowe's that were, to put it mildly, rather disturbing. We also discuss whether it's a great idea for Amazon to buy Kohl's or whether they'd just be catching a falling knife. As an added bonus we also learn that you haven't lived until you've visited a Las Vegas ER in the wee hours of the morning. 

And lastly, don't forget that Steve's book has been selected as a Kindle Monthly Deal, which means that through May 31 the ebook version of Remarkable Retail: How to Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption is just $1.99 in both the United States and Canada.

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Insider Intelligence Report

D2C Brands 2022

Steve Recent Forbes Relevant Articles 

Store Expansion May Not Be A Slam Dunk For Struggling Digitally Native Brands

Wayfair's Earnings Disaster Portends More Trouble For 'Disruptor' Brands

Past Podcast Episodes We Reference

Understanding Customer-Based Valuation with Dan McCarthy

The Profitless Prosperity of Disruptor Brands

About Us

Steve Dennis is an advisor, keynote speaker and author on strategic growth and business innovation. You can learn more about Steve on his       website.    The expanded and revised edition of his bestselling book  Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption is now available at  Amazon or just about anywhere else books are sold. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a      Forbes senior contributor and on       Twitter and      

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