DTC Looked Shaky. Then Covid Changed Everything. How These Ecommerce Brands Won 2020

DTC Looked Shaky. Then Covid Changed Everything. How These Ecommerce Brands Won 2020

The beginning of 2020 was bleak for e-commerce startups. In February, Brandless, an online retailer, went under. Then mattress maker Casper's IPO spooked investors the same month. By March, Outdoor Voices founder Tyler Haney was out, leaving the athleisure company to fend for direction--and cash. But a deadly pandemic has a way of upending things. Suddenly, physical retail space became a liability--and those that already had smaller physical footprints, along with a relevant product, a trusted brand, and a strong online presence blossomed."Being a direct-to-consumer startup absolutely gave us an advantage," says Bombas co-founder Randy Goldberg, whose socks and other accessories brand became acutely relevant to home-bound--and often shoe-less--consumers during the pandemic. The New York City-based company, which hit No. 515 on Inc.'s 2020 list of the fastest-growing companies in America, booked $250 million in revenue last year, up from $171 million in 2019.What also helped? Staying lean. Making better use of current customer data and doubling down on customer service to maintaining less inventory and shrinking when possible helped, too. Here's how some of the fastest-growing DTC companies in America kept on growing during one of the hardest years on record. Less Is MoreFor made-to-order businesses, the water's been just fine.