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Direct to consumer

What is DTC (direct to consumer)?

DTC (direct to consumer) is a brand selling straight to shoppers through its own site instead of through retailers or wholesalers.

A real store example

Pluto Pillow homepage: over 500 Meta ads linked here.

Pluto sells pillows custom-built to each buyer's body and sleep, with a 100-night trial and free shipping and returns. Made-to-order products and long trials are easier to offer when a brand sells direct and owns the relationship.

Open the pageSee their ads

Getting DTC right

  1. Own the customer list

    Email and SMS subscribers are the channel no platform can take away. Collect them from the first visit.

  2. Earn the second order

    Ads make the first sale expensive. Repeat orders are where DTC margins come from.

  3. Make the site the best place to buy

    Bundles, sizes and offers only on your site give shoppers a reason to buy direct.

Ask Replo: "build my brand's own store with checkout".

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DTC questions

What are the benefits of DTC?
Higher margins without a retailer's cut, direct customer data, control over the brand and the price, and the freedom to test offers quickly. The trade-off is paying to acquire every customer yourself.
Is DTC the same as ecommerce?
Not quite. Ecommerce is any online selling, including marketplaces and retailers' sites. DTC means the brand sells its own products directly, usually on its own site.
Do DTC brands sell in stores too?
Many do once they grow. Selling in retail alongside the site is called omnichannel. The DTC site often stays the home for the full range and the best offers.

Related terms

Browse the glossary

Omnichannel

Omnichannel is selling across your own site, retail stores, marketplaces and social as one connected experience, with shared inventory and customer data.

Private label

Private label is selling a product made by a manufacturer under your own brand name, often with your own packaging or formula.

CAC

CAC (customer acquisition cost) is the total sales and marketing spend it takes to win one new customer.

LTV

LTV (customer lifetime value) is the total revenue or profit you expect from one customer over the whole relationship.

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