Direct-to-Consumer Brand Success Stories

Why sell through stores when you can sell directly to customers? These DTC brands built loyal followings and premium pricing by cutting out the middleman.

Direct-to-consumer brands are changing everything. By skipping retailers and selling directly to customers, they maintain higher margins, foster better relationships, and control their entire brand experience.

But building a successful DTC brand takes more than just launching a website. You need great storytelling, community building, and customer experience that retail brands can’t match.

What you’ll learn:

Creating brand stories that people actually connect with
Building communities around your products
Charging premium prices that customers happily pay
Designing customer experiences that keep people coming back
Content marketing that educates and entertains
Working with retailers without hurting your direct sales

Perfect for: Brand builders, product creators, consumer goods entrepreneurs, and anyone wanting to build a premium brand.

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Listen to all our DTC Brands Case Studies Episodes on the Podcast:

Scaling an Amazon-First Brand: Joey’z Journey to $10M with Charles Chakkalo (episode 560)

Charles Chakkalo is the Founding partner of Joey’z, an Amazon-first homewares brand. Since 2010, he’s been building a lean, everything-in-house Amazon operation focused on practical, everyday consumer goods. They also now sell across Walmart and eBay and even have a Shopify store too. In total, annual sales are now over $10million with growth at 20%…
How Asan Cup’s Social Sustainability Purpose Boosted eCommerce Sales with Ira Guha (episode 544)

Ira Guha is the founder at Asan Cup who are on a mission to eradicate period poverty and tampon waste with their innovative reusable menstrual cup. Designed and patented whilst Ira was a graduate student at Harvard, the business launched in 2021 and now serve around 10,000 customers a month via their Shopify site, Amazon…
From Market Stall to 7-Figure Brand: How Mademoiselle Macaron Made eCommerce Work (episode 542)

Rachel Hanretty is the founder and CEO of Mademoiselle Macaron, handmade luxury French macarons sellers. Rachel’s grown the business from a market stall in 2013 to a 7-figure business. They now sell via their Shopify store to both DTC and B2B customers, via marketplaces like Not on the High Street, and about 40% of turnover…
How to Launch a New Product Range: Lessons from Beards & Daisies with Joy Young (episode 522)

Joy Young is the eCommerce and Marketing Manager at Beards & Daisies, sellers of plants and flowers. Founded in 2015, they now sell via their B2C Shopify store which does over 10,000 orders a month, wholesale customers like Dunelm, and have a team dedicated to looking after business customers for everything from corporate gifting and…
Lessons and Insights from Zone3’s 7-Figure eCommerce Success with Malina Zarb (episode 517)

Malina Zarb is the Marketing and eCommerce Director at Zone3, the world’s highest rated triathlon brand. Founded in 2006, Zone3 now sell via their Shopify store and wholesale channels, in total doing £9million a year about 45% of which is DTC.
Navigating the Reality of Launching—and Closing—an eCommerce Business with Mike Stevens (episode 516)

Mike Stevens is one of the DTC pioneers, with 8 years at Innocent Drinks back in the 2000s, and then founding good-for-you confectionery brand Peppersmith, which over 10 years he scaled all the way to exit in 2018. He’s also the author of the excellent and bestselling and award-winning book “The Direct to Consumer Playbook:…
Growth Masterclass with ex-Who Gives a Crap Head of Growth Jenna Tanenbaum (episode 509)

Jenna Tanenbaum was Head of Growth at DTC toilet paper success story Who Gives a Crap for nearly 4 years. She now runs the performance creative and UGC marketing agency Ostrich.
Mastering Retail: Wholesale Strategies for Brand Success with Wizz Selvey (episode 506)

Wizz Selvey is a powerhouse with a constant stream of ideas and insight (that’s what her clients say!). She helps brands navigate the retail space in the UK, helping them stand out, build brand awareness, and grow through both DTC sales and retail partners. Wizz and I have been sharing tips on LinkedIn for AGES…
Growth Lessons in the Beverage Industry with Rapscallion Soda’s Gregor Leckie (episode 497)

Gregor Leckie is the founder and managing director of Rapscallion Soda. Founded in 2018, they’ve shipped over three quarters of a million cans! Selling via their DTC Shopify store and B2B Shopify trade site, they’re now doing over 1,000 orders a month.
Balancing Growth and Purpose with Y.O.U Underwear’s Sarah Jordan (episode 492)

Sarah Jordan is the founder & CEO of Y.O.U Underwear sellers of beautifully designed, ethically manufactured, and eco-friendly underwear making the world a better place one pair of pants at a time. They’re also the UK’s top-scoring B Corp and the top fashion brand in the world. Founded in 2016 and launched in 2018, last…
Growing a Plus-Size eCommerce Empire with Plus by Design’s Danielle Malconian (episode 490)

Danielle Malconian is the CEO at Vikki Vi and Plus by Design. She started Plus by Design as an online fashion store selling to the Plus size market in 2001 and took over the plus size fashion brand Vikki Vi in 2008, wholesaling to both Plus by Design and other retailers. Across wholesale and their…
gloveglu’s Winning Strategy in Mastering Wholesale, D2C, and Marketplaces + Scaling to 8 Figures (episode 486)

Paul Sherratt is the founder and CEO of gloveglu, a global sports brand specialising in goalkeeper products and services. Founded in 2010, they now sell via their Shopify store, marketplaces, and wholesale. In 2023, gloveglu sold to over 80 countries, growing at 45% year on year with annual sales on track for £2.5 million in…
How Flotsam Flo Grew through Creativity, Community, and Sustainability (episode 484)

Kate Doran is the founder of Flotsam Flo. An upcycled accessories brand founded in 2021 that creates products from waste that cannot easily be recycled or is impossible to recycle. Selling via the Shopify site, taking bespoke and corporate orders, and recently diversifying into workshops. They’ve even got 14 bins located around Cornwall to collect…
Bare Kind’s Blueprint for B Corp Certification and Growing Sustainably (episode 481)

Lucy Jeffrey is the Founder of Bare Kind – a seller of bamboo socks that save endangered animals. Bare Kind is based in the UK and sells globally mainly via Shopify and wholesale platform Faire. Founded in 2018, last year they hit £530,000 total sales about 20% of which was wholesale.
How Vivobarefoot Achieved Astronomical Growth and Scaled to 8 Figures (episode 480)

Paul Walker was until very recently Chief Commercial Officer at Vivobarefoot. Founded in 2012, Vivoebarefoot is at the forefront of “good retail”, a case study many others try to emulate, and a B Corp. They sell via a Magento store, a single store in Covent Garden London, and wholesale channels. And over the 10 years…
Neem London’s Journey to 6-Figure Success Through Innovation and Climate Consciousness (episode 479)

Nick Reed is the founder of Neem London, a men’s fashion brand focused on making climate-conscious clothing. He also has a phenomenal background in men’s fashion buying – he was instrumental in taking Charles Tyrwhitt from £10m to £200m. He spent 4 years driving buying efficiency at Moss Bros. Neem London was founded in 2021,…
From Idea to Impact: Scaling a Sustainable Goods Brand with Freddie Winterbotham, CosyPanda (episode 477)

Freddie Winterbotham is the co-founder at CosyPanda, sellers of sustainable warmth in the shape of hot water bottles and covers. They sell via their Shopify store, wholesale, and collaborations. Founded in 2022 they’ve already achieved £100k in the first 16 months of trading.
Balancing Wholesale and D2C eCommerce Growth with Maxim Gelmann, Stroodles (episode 464)

Maxim Gelmann is the founder and Chief Stroodle at Stroodles, DTC sellers of eco-tableware. Founded in 2018 they now sell via a B2B trade site, a B2B sales team and a D2C site, both built on Shopify. With sales to over 250 businesses in the hospitality industry.
Inventory Tips from an eCommerce Aggregator Perspective with Allan Marshall (episode 438)

Today’s guest is Allan Marshall, the CEO at Upexi – a creator, acquirer, and scaler of DTC and Amazon brands, which include Vitametica, Qubes vitamin gummies, and Tytan Tiles. Allan invested in and took control of Upexi in March 2019. They generated $44m in the year to June 2022 and are on track for over…
Championing Sustainability Through Seasonless Fashion with Lyndie Benson, Bleusalt (episode 434)

Lyndie Benson is the founder, CEO AND Chief Creative Officer at Bleusalt – a luxurious line of seasonless basics made sustainably 100% in the USA from the softest fibres on earth. Founded in 2017, they sell via a Shopify site and a flagship store in Malibu, and since launch have sold $25 million of product.
Selling 4,000 Orders a Month as a Force For Good with Laura Davies, Founder of The Kid Collective (episode 433)

Laura Davies is the Founder of The Kid Collective, a UK-based toy and sustainable parenting online store built on BluePark. Founded in 2008 they now process 2 to 4,000 orders a month.
A Shopify Managed Marketplace That’s Open for 12 Hours A Week Nick Jefferson and Ella Cooper (episode 427)

Nick Jefferson and Ella Cooper are co-founders of Wylde Market. It is a Shopify store selling wild food that’s open for just 12 hours a week! Founded in Jan 2022 they now have 9 producers live on board, with 1,500 customers, and regularly sell out.
Do you need an App? With audiobook and ebook BCorp xigxag’s Kelli Fairbrother (episode 417)

Kelli Fairbrother is a co-founder at xigxag one of the most innovative tech start-ups in the UK in 2022 (according to Tech Nation’s Rising Stars competition). xigxag is a bookseller, and the app offers the first ever listen and read experience without a subscription. Founded in 2019 they’ve already got 50,000 app downloads and are…
Big Trends in eCommerce (episode 416)

Raphael Thiolon is an Executive Director at Verlinvest a global family backed evergreen investment company with offices around the world. Raph leads the global Verlinvest Consumer Technology practice, with investments in eCommerce stores, marketplaces, and digitally-native brands, past investments include Who Gives a Crap, Lazada, Chewy, and Purplle – an Indian beauty site.
Sustainable Shopify watch brand plants 880,000+ trees AND sells $3m a year – meet TruWood (episode 414)

Bishoi Khella is the founder and CEO at TruWood, a Canadian wooden watches brand. Selling on Shopify they’re on a mission to provide as much value to the world as possible, which includes planting over 880,000 trees so far! Founded in 2016 they now are doing about $3million a year.
The power of tapping into an under-served market with Startup Tiwani Heritage (episode 413)

Lola Cawood and Carol Lathbridge are the co-founders of Tiwani Heritage, the UK’s FIRST retailer of recyclable synthetic hair extensions. They sell their 100% biodegradable and plastic-free products via their Shopify store and marketplaces. Founded in 2018, and launched in 2020 they are deep in startup land and have already helped over 400 customers in…
Customer Clarity and Growth Focus with Buderflys’ brilliant Shea Gerhardt (episode 412)

Shea Gerhardt is the inventor, founder, and CEO of Buderflys, an innovative and strategic earbud brand. Based in the USA they’re selling exclusively DTC via their Shopify store to the USA only at the moment. Founded in 2016, they started selling in 2021 and did nearly $500k in their first four months of marketing –…
Growing an anti-obsolescence brand 60% a year with Bert Beagley-Brown from TOG Knives (episode 411)

Bert Beagley-Brown is the founder and Managing Director at TOG Knives a UK brand that designs & sells premium kitchen knives, batch-produced in the Samurai sword capital of Japan. Selling via their WordPress store they’ve just run a second hugely successful crowdfunding campaign. Founded in 2015 they now do £700,000 having grown 4.9x since 2019.
Weird Marketing Strategies to 2x your Shopify Store with Sheets & Giggles Colin McIntosh (episode 410)

Colin McIntosh is the founder and CEO at Sheets and Giggles, selling sheets, mattresses, comforters, and covers via their Shopify store and Amazon, from the USA to the world. It all started in 2018 with a crowdfunding launch, in the first 12 months they hit $1m in sales, and within 2 years hit $1m a…
Why Customer Research and a Slow Startup works for Gusto Snacks with Giuseppe Baidoo (episode 409)

Giuseppe Baidoo is the founder and CEO at Gusto an award-winning DTC snack brand. Based in the UK they sell their food-waste-fighting products via wholesale and their Shopify store. Founded in 2018 they soft launched in 2021 to test the market and learn more about the customers, and this year are targeting sales of 58,000…
A truly inspiring sustainable startup – Marc Bucci from Social Socks (episode 407)

Marc Bucci launched his Shopify store, Social Socks, this summer with a BIG goal… to improve sustainability globally and raise £1million for charity.
Top 10 Holiday Season Setbacks and How to Avoid Them (episode 406)

We’re doing something a little different this episode. I was lucky enough to be invited to host a panel session at Brightpearl by Sage’s Peak Season Summit. And it was so insightful I asked them if we could share with all of you too. And they said yes! Thanks, Brightpearl! The discussion is titled “Top…
Growing Skincare brand Blossom Essentials 3x to 7 figures with Sarah Vilenskiy (episode 405)

Sarah Vilenskiy is the Founder and CEO at Blossom Essentials, a line of clean and non-toxic hydration products directly addressing chronic dry and irritated skin problems. Founded in 2020 they sell on Shopify from the USA to the world. They are experiencing 300% growth and are on track to hit $1.4m this year.
Grow from 7 figures to 8 figures in beauty with Janis Thomas from Look Fabulous Forever (episode 404)

Janis Thomas is ex-Birch Box and the eCommerce and Marketing Director at Look Fabulous Forever, the innovative cosmetics and skincare brand designed to meet the needs of older women. They’re a UK DTC brand selling globally to customer base often ignored by the DTC world, who they’re serving via a Magento site. Founded in 2013,…
Double Your Shopify Sales every Year with Story and Product – SOLIOS watches’ Samuel Leroux (episode 403)

Samuel Leroux is the co-founder at SOLIOS Watches a disruptive DTC brand selling high-quality, elegant, and eco-friendly solar powered watches. Founded in 2018 they were the first watch company to become a B Corp, and have been at least doubling every year which is super impressive when you consider they’re bootstrapping, that means they now…
Subscriptions and fast growth DTC with Kristina Smith from Big Island Coffee Roasters (episode 401)

Kristina Smith is the Head of DTC at Big Island Coffee Roasters. A multi-award-winning coffee business with sustainability at its core, founded seven years ago they launched a DTC Shopify site 3 years ago and are aiming to double sales both this year and next.
How to grow your DTC brand to over £12m with Guy Blaskey founder of Pooch and Mutt (episode 396)

Guy Blaskey is the founder and CEO at Pooch and Mutt, creators and suppliers of health food for dogs selling single orders and subscription via their Shopify store. Founded in 2007, they now do £12million just over 1/3 DTC, 1/3 Amazon, 1/3 Retail.
Story, content and partnerships for growth with James le Compte from To’ak Chocolate (episode 393)

James Le Compte is the CEO at To’ak Chocolate. A luxury chocolate brand, where sharing the origin story is everything. Founded in 2013, with their first product available in 2014 they are a Shopify merchant and are growing DTC at 50% year on year.
Discover the perfect DTC Playbook with DTC veteran Mike Stevens (episode 390)

Mike Stevens is the author of the brand new book “The Direct to Consumer Playbook: The Stories and Strategies of the Brands that Wrote the DTC Rules”. And one could say he was one of the DTC pioneers with 8 years at Innocent Drinks back in the 2000s, and then founding good-for-you confectionery brand Peppersmith…
Growing a swimwear brand to over 7 figures with Charys Caldarella from Styelle Swim (episode 389)

Charys Caldarella is the CEO and founder of Styelle Swim, a sustainable swimwear fashion brand. Founded in 2016 they are now on track to hit 1million euros this year.
Taking a sustainable, money saving brand to £5m a year with Helen Rankin from Cheeky Wipes (episode 388)

Helen Rankin is the founder and general dogsbody at Cheeky Wipes, a simple reusables brand who’s been leading the charge since 2008. Selling reusable baby wipes, period products, nappies, and more. They’re now a multi-awarding winning business with 35 staff and sales of over £5m a year.
Going from ZERO to £200k sales on Shopify in 8 weeks with Rob from The Moon Phase Studio (episode 386)

Rob Harrison-Plastow is the Chief Marketing Officer of the Moon Phase Studio. The studio exists to empower its customers to become more attuned to the moon through art, books, and rituals. It was founded in November 2020 they went from zero to £200k in 8 just weeks!
Building a sustainable loungewear brand with PR and Community – it’s Krisha Kotak from Tula+Tye (episode 385)

Krisha Kotak is the founder of Tula + Tye, a loungewear brand responsibly made from recycled and organic materials, hand-dyed with eco-friendly dyes, and packaged in recycled and reusable bags. Founded in 2020 it attracted over 600 customers in the first year.
Launching a luxury sustainable fashion brand with funding and a kickstarter! It’s VENIM (episode 382)

Leslie Fong has been in eCommerce since 2009, and in 2018 took the leap into founding her own fashion brand. VENIM launched with a super successful kickstarter in 2019, has been awarded grants by Spanx, SIA Scotch, and Facebook, AND been nominated in FGI’s Rising Star Awards.
The Fashion Business Model of the Future? This is Unfolded with Cally Russell (episode 381)

Cally Russell is a Forbes 30 under 30, a Drapers 30 under 30, has been on Dragons Den (that’s the UK’s shark tank). Since 2013 Cally has been changing the fashion industry, and since 2020 that change has been highly focused on using data to remove waste and change lives. His current project is This is…
Taking a Sustainable Products brand to 2million+ customers with Jennie Perry from Grove Collaborative (episode 377)

Jennie Perry is the Chief Marketing Officer at Grove Collaborative, an eCommerce store that crafts and curates earth-changing products for the home with over 2 million customers. Jennie’s been marketing products and retailer stores (on and offline) for over 25 years including Old Navy, Stride Rite, Amazon Fashion & Amazon Prime.
How Sustainability and Community are super-powering this fashion brand with Katie McCourt from Pantee (episode 373)

Katie McCourt is the co-founder of Shopify Fashion store Pantee, a range of sustainable underwear made from deadstock. Launched with a very successful Kickstarter in Nov 2020 they’ve had a phenomenal start with a growing tribe of happy customers, they’ve just completed another successful round of fundraising, and amazing press coverage including being named one…
Solving your Tech Stack issues by replatforming with Ashley Hubbard from Grenson Shoes (episode 367)

Ashley Hubbard is in charge of eCommerce at Grenson Shoes a heritage British brand with a young heart. The business was founded over 150 years ago, as well as the DTC website, they wholesale to top department stores such as Mr. Porter, Matches Fashion, and Selfridges, they also have their own physical stores across London.
JGS Ian Bentley put sustainability at the heart of Parker Clay – and they’ve doubled sales every year (episode 363)

Ian Bentley is the Co-founder and CEO at Parker Clay. Parker Clay sells handcrafted leather goods made in Ethiopia and is on a mission to create a better bag for a better world. Something they’re clearly doing well at as in 2021 they won the B Corp “Best for the World” award for their community…
Growing a Jewelry business from craft fairs to $2m+ a year with Larissa Loden (episode 355)

Larissa Loden is the CEO and visionary of Larissa Loden Jewelry, a handmade jewelry business she launched 15 years ago, and has been full-time in for the last 5 years. They sell via wholesale over 600 retailers and via their own eCommerce store. This year sales are on track to hit $2m.
Building a Sustainable Fashion Brand with Partnerships and PR. Gergana from blonde gone rogue (episode 354)

Gergana Damyanova is the co-founder and CEO at blonde gone rogue — a sustainable and ethical online-only fashion brand. Founded in 2017 in Amsterdam, moved to London, and went full time in 2019, and this year they’re on track to go over £350k in annual sales.
Learn multiple ways to REALLY connect with your customers with Leane Tilley from Kineta (episode 351)

Leane Tilley is a qualified tea sommelier and master herbalist and founder of Kineta. Pre-pandemic sales were evenly split selling whole sale to retailers in the UK, exporting, and selling DTC via their website ilovematchatea.co.uk. Over the last year, they’ve embraced the direct customer relationship and grown the DTC sales to 80% of sales. Leane…
Operations is ALL about enabling growth with Lovepop’s Dan Nephew (episode 350)

Dan Nephew is the Director of Systems and Operations at Lovepop, a bricks and clicks seller of magical pop-up greetings cards. Founded in 2014, they gained Shark Tank investment in 2015, and last year grew 44%.
Running a lean organic-growth business with 30% annual growth with Andrew Lees of Grassracks (episode 346)

Andrew Lees is the co-founder at Grassracks and an ex-aerospace engineer who’s turned his hand to creating a line of bamboo board, bike, and ski racks. Founded in 2012, they are now doing $200k a year, with 30%annual growth.
What it takes to get to 8-figures on Shopify & Amazon with Bakblade’s Matt Dryfhout (episode 341)

Matt Dryfhout is the founder and CEO at BakBlade a men’s grooming brand founded in 2009 they now do over 8-figures a year with growth at 15-20%.
Growing a start up to 2,000 orders a month in 1 year with Tom Mucklow from Aurora Mornings (episode 339)

Tom Mucklow is the founder at Aurora Mornings, a DTC supplements company. Founded in 2020 they already doing 1-2,000 orders per month.
Taking a mulit-niche-brand approach to 7-figures plus with Trevor Crotts from Buddy Brands (episode 338)

Trevor Crotts is the CEO and founder of Buddy Brands. A pet products company founded in 2011 they have now become multiple dog brands which combined have annual sales of substantial 7 figures.
How to capitalise on a sudden shift to eCommerce with Julie Macken from Neve’s Bees (episode 336)

Julie Macken is the Deputy Queen Bee of Neve’s Bees a family business turning the produce of their bee hives into totally natural skincare. Founded in 2017 in the last year they’ve switched to eCommerce going from just £10,000 to £50,000 in annual online sales. She takes us through how she shifted the business from…
Exponential growth driven by a commitment to sustainability with Dan Dicker from Circular & Co (episode 310)

Dan Dicker is the Managing Director and Founder at Circular and Co who manufacture and sell homewares with a conscience. Launched in 2003 they now £2.8m in annual sales
Maxwell Scott Bags’ William Forshaw discusses selling internationally, and the power of a luxury brand (episode 019)

William Forshaw is the founder of Maxwell Scott Bags – a luxury English brand that is an online only retailer, with a wholesale arm. Their turnover is just over £1 million, about 500 customers per month – but much higher at Christmas. They were founded in 2002 and re-imagined in 2013 to focus on becoming…