The Week in Direct-to-Consumer: July 26, 2024 edition

Welcome to The Week in Direct-to-Consumer, a weekly roundup for marketers from Quad Insights that sums up the latest news in the DTC space.

Since shifting to a DTC-first strategy in 2022, Levi’s improvements to its e-commerce site are paying off, Retail Touch Points’ Nicole Silberstein reports. According to the apparel company’s Q2 2024 earnings, e-commerce sales are up 19% year-over-year. Website improvements have focused on UX design and increased performance, such as enhanced product fit information and faster page loads, Silberstein notes.

Previously: “Levi’s builds on its DTC strategy in Southeast Asia with high-profile brick-and-mortar store,” as we noted in the April 19 edition of this column.

Just ahead of the Paris Olympics, Birkenstock has opened its first owned store in France, Retail Dive’s Howard Ruben reports. Located in Paris’ Marais district, the two-level store features “leather and cork detailing, which are central to the Birkenstock footbed” and an “experience area” for activations, Ruben notes, adding that the brand plans to open several additional locations across Europe in the years to come.

Previously: “Sales of Birkenstock’s Closed-Toe Shoe Models Exceed Sandal Revenues for First Time in Q1” (Footwear News)

See also: “Buffalo Trace opens Paris pop-up store” (The Spirits Business)

More from Quad: “The Weekly 10 Paris Olympics special edition: 10 marketing, media and industry statistics to know now”

DTC intimate apparel brand Knix has launched “Sport Your Period” — a new partnered campaign with former U.S. Olympic soccer star Megan Rapinoe in which the company will pay athletes to talk about their periods. Known for its focus on destigmatizing conversations about women’s bodies, Knix is kicking off this newest campaign after co-sponsoring a survey that found over 64% of female athletes have felt uncomfortable talking about their periods with their coaches. Up until Nov. 1, athletes competing at the national or global level can participate in the campaign and have the chance to earn $2,000 by sharing publicly “their experiences with their periods while competing,” per the announcement.

Previously: “Knix and TheBirdsPapaya launch first swimwear collaboration,” as we noted in the June 7 edition of this column.

DTC strategy:

• “MLB Network goes DTC as a standalone streaming service” (SportsPro)
• “Behind Nike’s sales troubles and how marketing could fuel a comeback” (Ad Age)
• “DTC Briefing: Former employees sound off on the biggest mistakes brands make when opening stores” (Modern Retail)
• “Olipop’s sports sponsorships are popping off” (Marketing Brew)

DTC trends:

• “Direct-to-Consumer Pet Food Market Share to Cross USD 12.5 Billion by 2034, at 20.5% CAGR: Prophecy Market Insights” (Yahoo Finance)

DTC acquisitions:

• “American Exchange Group acquires skincare brand Indie Lee” (Fashion United)

DTC expansion:

• “Tween period care brand Pinkie enters CVS” (Retail Dive)