direct-to-consumer (DTC)

Direct-to-consumer (DTC) companies have transformed the relationship between brands and customers. To compete, marketers at non-DTC companies must take a hard look at their strategies and double down on customer experience.

Discover how Forrester supports customer experience leaders.

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How Exploration Drives Breakthrough Digital Business Strategies

Peter Wannemacher October 26, 2022
A confluence of factors makes digital business inherently fast-moving. Systems of exploration can help digital business strategies evolve and drive growth. Learn more.
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Amazon Pulls The Plug On Amazon Care, Signaling A New Dawn Of Healthcare Disruption

Natalie Schibell August 28, 2022
Amazon is shutting down Amazon care in a strategic decision to make the most meaningful disruption in the healthcare space, here is why.

CX APAC — Bold Focus

Drive success with CX and digital in 2023. Discover what to prioritize, where to invest, and what's on the cutting edge.

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Prime Day 2022: How 115 Retailers And Brands Competed With Amazon This Year

Nicole Murgia July 14, 2022
Many retailers and brands piggybacked on Amazon's big event this year. Learn what our analysis of this retailer activity revealed.
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In-Car Subscriptions Must Align To Mobility Moments If They Are To Succeed

Paul Miller July 14, 2022
Instead of offering monthly or annual subscriptions to in-car features, align them to customer mobility moments in ways that address customer pain.
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For CPG Marketing Leaders, Customer Obsession Means Driving Category Growth

Eric Epstein July 13, 2022
“The consumer is our boss.” This statement is at the core of a defining principle at my former employer, Mars, and the spirit of this idea is similarly at the core of many B2C companies’ operating philosophies. Forrester calls putting the customer at the heart of everything you do “customer obsession,” and it’s proven to […]
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Myths And Realities Of Channel Conflict: Evolving Partnership Dynamics Will Dissolve Channel Conflict Concerns

Michelle Beeson June 17, 2022
When discussing brands’ direct-to-consumer (DTC) digital strategies, I am often asked how brands are handling issues of channel conflict with retail partners. There are a few forerunners to my response: A brand’s DTC digital strategy is not just about direct transactional sales to consumers. All brands need a DTC digital strategy, which derives value beyond […]
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Europese consumenten hechten steeds meer waarde aan duurzaamheid

Michelle Beeson May 9, 2022
Post van gastblogger Melissa Chaudet, senior onderzoeksmedewerker. Het is geen geheim dat Europese consumenten zich steeds meer zorgen maken over de impact van hun consumptie op het milieu. Forrester heeft onlangs nieuw onderzoek uitgevoerd om een beeld te krijgen van de verwachtingen en houding van Europese consumenten ten aan zien van duurzaamheid. Dit waren de bevindingen: […]

CX EMEA — Bold Focus

Drive success with CX and digital in 2023. Discover what to prioritize, where to invest, and what's on the cutting edge.

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European Consumers Drive The Sustainability Demand

Michelle Beeson March 16, 2022
Guest blog post by Melissa Chaudet, senior research associate. It’s no secret that European consumers are increasingly concerned about the environmental impact of their consumption habits. We’ve recently conducted net-new data research to gain a snapshot of European consumers’ environmental expectations and attitudes. We found that they: Actively seek more environmentally friendly options when shopping. […]
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All Brands Must Build Value From Direct-To-Consumer

Michelle Beeson November 18, 2021
The value of a brand’s direct-to-consumer (DTC) digital presence goes beyond direct sales. Brands that still rely heavily on retail partners for digital sales can still drive value from direct customer engagement. Of course, DTC consumer purchases benefit brands with better margins, since they avoid fees or commission charges from partners. The benefits go beyond […]
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Lemonade’s Acquisition Of Metromile: Start Your Engines! The Race For Digital Insurance Supremacy Just Took A New Turn

Jeffery Williams November 10, 2021
Talk about timing. Last week, Lemonade revealed Lemonade Car, its entry into auto insurance. This week, it announced the acquisition of Metromile, one of the largest usage-based auto insurers in the world. Insurance technology (insurtech) M&A has been strong, but admittedly, I didn’t expect to see a transaction like this so soon. But I suppose […]
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Supply Chains Evolve To Become Collaborative Supply Networks

George Lawrie October 28, 2021
Align Finance, Sales, And Marketing For Supply Chain Success Thanks to all of you who helped with the research for The Forrester Tech Tide™: Smart Supply Chain, Q4 2021, our latest report about the maturity and business value of supply chain applications. Our survey told us that integrated business planning (IBP) is eclipsing sales and […]
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Predictions 2022: Retailers Will Compete On “Pre-Loved,” Returns — And New Partners

Sucharita Kodali October 27, 2021
The biggest retail trends of 2022 will involving tapping into the circular economy and using returns to retain customers. Learn more.

CX Can Thrive In The Downturn

CX leaders can boost their organization's economic resilience. Find out how in this complimentary report.

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Brands: Gauge The Size Of Your Digital Commerce Prize

Michelle Beeson April 16, 2021
All brands need to be selling to and engaging with consumers online. The experiences of the 2020 pandemic have only accelerated consumers’ shift to digital touchpoints. When it comes to brands’ digital commerce opportunity, it’s not “one size fits all.” So, where should brands focus their digital direct-to-consumer (DTC) efforts, and what will each yield […]
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Forrester’s Digital Go-To-Market Review: Consumer Electronics Edition

Sucharita Kodali February 3, 2021
Our latest update to our Digital Go-To-Market Review series for brands looks at the consumer electronics sector. Electronics store sales peaked in 2007, and since then, an ever-growing proportion of consumer electronics sales has moved online.* In 2020, 64% of US online adults said that they made a consumer electronics purchase online on a computer, […]
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The Future Of Commerce Technology Is On FIRE — And It’s A Good Thing

Emily Pfeiffer January 5, 2021
I can explain the evolution of commerce technology using plate tectonics — really! Now imagine me telling you that commerce is no longer the nucleus of the commerce technology atom (… and that I could even mix a metaphor about Gremlins into this conversation). It’s true — the commerce core is shrinking away. We already […]
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Insurtech Funding Roundup, Q3 2020: Digital Insurers Drive Another Strong Quarter Of Funding

Jeffery Williams November 5, 2020
This year of the pandemic will forever be known for its effect on the way we work and interact. Although our “new normal” will be temporary, the digital transformation it brought about will prove lasting. Amid the chaos, insurtechs, with their digital-first business models, have benefited as their funding has continued to improve. In Q3, […]
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Give Customers The Gift Of Convenience This Holiday Season

Ryan Skinner November 4, 2020
This holiday season, many consumers will be forgoing big family dinners and exotic holiday markets and instead playing host to unwelcome guests like worry (for their health) and anxiety (for their finances). This holiday season, everyone just needs a break. Marketers can help consumers make the best of their holidays by making their lives a […]

CX North America — Bold Focus

Drive success with CX and digital in 2023. Discover what to prioritize, where to invest, and what's on the cutting edge.

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What Do Your Customers Want For The Holidays? Confidence

Andrew Hogan October 29, 2020
Now’s the time to make sure your customers understand whether they’ve found the right product on your site or app, know when they’ll receive their item in time, and know how to easily return the item if it isn’t quite right.
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Predictions 2021: Retailers, Brand Manufacturers, And Mall Operators

Sucharita Kodali October 20, 2020
In the wake of the pandemic's deluge of disruption, retailers, brand manufacturers, and ecosystem players such as mall operators are entirely rethinking their businesses, heralding much change ahead. Read what we predict for retail in 2021.
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Introducing Forrester’s Digital Go-To-Market Review: Home Goods Edition

Sucharita Kodali October 6, 2020
In a rapidly evolving retail environment, brand manufacturers that have traditionally sold through wholesale channels now need to think very differently about distribution. Some traditional wholesale partners are shrinking — meaning those (often long-standing) distribution partnerships simply can’t generate the sales and growth for brands that they did for decades. By contrast, online marketplaces are growing — and fast. Marketplaces promise access to vast swaths of new customers — but potentially also arm’s-length relationships with those customers and less control around placement, plus proximity to […]
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