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In 2022, direct-to-consumer (DTC) sales in the US are forecasted to reach $152.2 billion. Even more impressive is that that’s a 36% increase from 2020, the year we all stayed at home and bought stuff on our phones.
Unsurprisingly, further growth is expected by 2023 taking the industry up to almost $175 billion.
COVID-19 has caused major changes to the way we shop, with DTC companies growing at an unbelievable pace. At Fospha, we love to see how the DTC marketing industry is growing.
With Black Friday and Christmas, Q4 has always been the biggest period for many eCommerce and DTC brands. Using a mix of Fospha benchmarks and publicly available data, we’ve created an index for the US DTC brands who truly killed Q4 last year.
Read on for the top 30.
Bombas
They’ve been around a while, but Bombas continue to go from strength to strength. Launched in 2013, their comfort focused apparel brand founded on the philosophy of donating to those in need has evolved to go deeper into the community. Their performance is great news for everyone, too - the more clothes they sell, the more they donate!
Why we love them at Fospha:
What’s not there to love? A quality obsessed brand with a razor-sharp focus on comfort and perfection whose goal is to help support the homeless community and to bring awareness to an under-publicized problem in the United States. They’ve donated over 50 million items in a little over 8 years and have seen tremendous growth as a brand.
You can follow Bombas on LinkedIn, Instagram, or Facebook.
ANINE BING
ANINE BING Corporation is a fast-growing DTC fashion & commerce scale-up revolutionizing the way products are developed, produced, marketed, sold, and delivered to customers. Like many DTC brands, they have also diversified their sales channels and now reach customers across social platforms, eCommerce, branded brick-and-mortar stores, and major department stores. ANINE BING has a global presence, with 15 stores in 7 countries around the world.
Why we love them at Fospha:
Anine Bing launched her brand in 2012 out of a garage in Los Angeles with her husband. Her mission was to create pieces that represented her unique style. Today, her DTC brand is a global powerhouse and boasts an engaged social media following of women who are inspired by her aspirational yet accessible allure and entrepreneurial instincts. We love how the DTC brand has created such a great place for itself within a span of 10 years!
You can follow Anine Bing on LinkedIn, Instagram, or Facebook.
NEST New York
Founded in 2005, NEST Fragrances is a luxury lifestyle fragrance brand that designs, manufactures, and markets exceptionally crafted home and fine fragrances. The DTC Brand boasts more than 20 home fragrance collections consisting of luxury scented candles and reed diffusers in several sizes, liquid soap and hand lotion, and the innovative Liquidless Diffuser.
Why we love them at Fospha:
Recognized by the fragrance industry as a gamechanger, founder Laura Slatkin’s unique approach to fragrance, artfully blending notes of the familiar, the exotic, and the unexpected gives us a fragrance experience like no other.
You can follow NEST on LinkedIn, Instagram, or Facebook.
Commando llc
Commando creates innovative, luxurious, long-lasting, well-fitting garments from thoughtfully sourced fabrics. They fit test every style on real bodies with a key focus on where and how their garments are made.
Why we love them at Fospha:
This people-first DTC brand has shown tremendous growth in the last 6 month with an 86% growth in online traffic. They pride on their thoughtfully sourced fabrics that are made in an ethical and environmentally conscious way. Commando works with 7 domestic factories in the USA and has an in-house production facility where they employ sewers and production workers and ensure everyone is working under proper conditions and being paid fair wages.
You can follow Commando on LinkedIn, Instagram, or Facebook.
Cotopaxi
Founded in 2014, Cotopaxi creates outdoor products, apparel, and experiences that help alleviate poverty, move people to do good, and inspire adventure.
Why we love them at Fospha:
We love their key belief - Gear For Good™ - a promise to make durable gear in the most ethically sustainable way possible and to use their revenue to develop and uplift communities. In short, they make products that last—and have a lasting impact.
You can follow Cotopaxi on LinkedIn, Instagram, or Facebook.
Stance Socks
STANCE is dedicated to the spirit of individuality with a design philosophy that believes in expression and function. Building outstanding socks with the best fit and performance characteristics from the highest quality materials is their unspoken priority.
Why we love them at Fospha:
This DTC brand has been able to infiltrate the worlds of athletes, performers and artists with its sock offerings of unmatched style in a very short span of time turning socks into one of the world's most exciting accessories in less than five years of being founded. How cool is that!
You can follow STANCE on LinkedIn, Instagram, or Facebook.
Tommy John
Tommy John is a comfort-focused lifestyle brand committed to addressing the real problems men and women have with their clothing. Each product contains proprietary fabrics, innovative fit and functionality that eliminate unnecessary adjustments, discomfort, untucking and bunching.
Why we love them at Fospha:
Featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Esquire, GQ, Golf Digest, CBS This Morning, The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Fortune, Bloomberg, Fast Company and CNBC among many others, Tommy John is the world's first patented undershirt with a stay-tucked guarantee, and has since expanded into underwear, socks, casual wear and activewear.
You can follow Tommy John on LinkedIn, Instagram, or Facebook.
Huckberry
Huckberry is a DTC brand and lifestyle store for active and adventurous guys. From outdoor footwear and apparel to surfing gear, their store has everything you need to make the most of life in the great outdoors.
Why we love them at Fospha:
The brand has been called "the future of eCommerce for guys." and we’re not surprised. They actively work with the best emerging brands from around the world to bring an edited and exclusive selection of the best men’s gear along with original storytelling to inspire your next great adventure.
You can follow Huckberry on LinkedIn, Instagram, or Facebook.
Alo Yoga
Alo began in Los Angeles in 2007 because the founders wanted to spread the positive practice of yoga to the world. Operating online and in a range of studios and stores across the US, they create garments that carry the message of a life lived consciously.
Why we love them at Fospha:
Growth through community is the next big play in DTC, and few brands understand this as well as Alo. Their beautiful studios and stores round out the customer experience and inspire serious loyalty from their many fans - they are definitely a brand to watch.
You can follow Alo on LinkedIn, Instagram, or Facebook.
Parachute Home
Parachute makes premium quality home essentials with high quality, smart design, and personal comfort.
Why we love them at Fospha:
Launched in 2014 as an online-only, direct-to-consumer brand focused on creating impeccable bedding, today Parachute has expanded into many areas of the home and opened several brick-and-mortar stores across the U.S. They’ve created a loyal community dedicated to comfort, both online and off!
You can follow Parachute on LinkedIn, Instagram, or Facebook.
Marine Layer
Marine Layer locally designs and manufactures its own line of casual apparel. They sell through their website and retail stores throughout the USA.
Why we love them at Fospha:
What's not to love? They’re a fast growing company whose success has been built on a small, passionate team that works hard and has a lot of fun. They’re building a responsible and sustainable business that takes care of the community and planet by using low impact virgin fibers and recycled materials throughout their line. They keep clothes out of landfills through their tee recycling program and give back to the community through donations and partnerships.
You can follow Marine Layer on LinkedIn or Instagram.
Hydro Flask
Hydro Flask was founded in 2009, when they launched the first all-insulated bottle line-up into the market. From modest beginnings, they’ve exploded to hit 1 million in sales by 2011. They now offer over 100 products across : hydration, coffee, beer, food and soft-goods.
Why we love them at Fospha:
The brand not only makes thoughtful and beautifully designed gear, but they also support more than 151 nonprofits and donate over $2.5 million and counting via their non-profit – Parks for All initiative - building, maintaining, restoring, and providing more equitable access to parks.
You can follow Hydro Flask on LinkedIn, Instagram, or Facebook.
Faherty Brand
Founded in 2013, Faherty is a family-run business fueled by purpose and optimism to build a new American legacy by creating high-quality, sustainably minded, feel-good favorites that will bring you joy to wear.
Why we love them at Fospha:
77% of Faherty materials are sustainable fibers like organic cotton, ethically sourced cashmere, recycled polyester, linen, and hemp. They strive to use non-toxic dyes and water-efficient processes and have replaced their recycled poly packaging with an eco-friendly paper bag and are 90% plastic-free by the end of 2021. We love brands who’re thriving hard to create a sustainable world for everyone.
You can follow Faherty on LinkedIn, Instagram, or Facebook.
Boxed
Boxed was founded in 2013 by an experienced group of tech pioneers with a simple idea: make shopping for bulk easy, convenient, and fun, so you can focus on the things that really matter. Boxed brings the best of technology to you via the web or mobile app; and uses advanced machine learning to continually improve the end-to-end customer experience.
Why we love them at Fospha:
Boxed has been featured on Business Insider, CNN, Huffington Post, Fortune, CNBC, Fox Business, Forbes, Fast Company, TechCrunch, CNet, Quartz, New York Post, VentureBeat, Entrepreneur and Nightly Business Report. NBC Nightly News called their CEO, Chieh Huang, America’s Dream Boss‚ for the benefits he extends to employees. Boxed was also named one of the best places to work by New York Business in 2016. No wonder more than a million visits are made to their online website every single day!
You can follow Boxed on LinkedIn, Instagram, or Facebook.
Stadium Goods
Stadium Goods are the world’s premier sneaker and streetwear marketplace selling only the most sought-after footwear, apparel and other hard-to-find items.
Why we love them at Fospha:
The New York Times have called them “Tiffany’s for sneakerheads” for a reason - Stadium Goods is the only aftermarket that pre-authenticates its entire inventory and guarantee that all of their products are genuine and unworn, unless stated otherwise. With fraud a well-documented problem in the sneaker market, this is a vital service for their customers.
You can follow Stadium Goods on LinkedIn, Instagram, or Facebook.
FRAME
FRAME is an American fashion brand renowned for its collections in denim, cotton, leather, and cashmere. The company’s founders Erik Torstensson and Jens Grede strive to design a modern versatile wardrobe through signature denim fits, cotton shirting and coveted leather pieces.
Why we love them at Fospha:
FRAME is committed to sustainable and fair manufacturing practices, balancing profit with a commitment to people and planet.
You can follow FRAME on LinkedIn, Instagram, or Facebook.
June (Acquired by Weber, Inc.)
June is a modern appliance company dedicated to bringing intelligence and ease to the tools we use in the kitchen. June pioneered the smart oven market in 2016 with the introduction of the world’s first and only smart countertop convection oven.
Why we love them at Fospha:
June proved that entire kitchens can be built out of computer code and we love that! Their mission is to use the power of technology and machine learning to make cooking perfectly easy for everyone.
You can follow June on LinkedIn, Instagram, or Facebook.
Thinx Inc.
Thinx Inc. is dedicated to bringing innovation to all people with periods and bladder leaks. Their team is filled with clever, curious, and creative people who thrive in the fast-paced environment of a growing start-up.
Why we love them at Fospha:
We have a special thing for Thinx's value system as it relates so well with our own – being accountable, being profitable, being human, being curious, and being ambassadors.
You can follow Thinx Inc. on LinkedIn, Instagram, or Facebook.
SPANX
SPANX founder Sara Blakely was getting ready for a party when she realized she didn’t have the right undergarment to provide a smooth look under white pants. Armed with scissors and sheer genius, she cut the feet off her control top pantyhose and the SPANX revolution began! With a focus on solving wardrobe woes, the SPANX brand has grown to offer bras, underwear, leggings, active and more.
Why we love them at Fospha:
SPANX® is a high-growth, digital company with an iconic brand that earned its reputation for over 20 years by delivering amazing products, and staying true to their greater mission of supporting and elevating women. They run their business with kindness, empathy, intuition, creativity, integrity… and fun. The company dreams big, thinks forward and gives back. Remember last year when Blackstone bought a majority stake in Spanx, Founder and CEO Sara surprised every employee with 2 first-class plane tickets and $10,000. How nice is that!
You can follow SPANX® on LinkedIn, Instagram, or Facebook.
ABLE
ABLE is a women-run brand dedicated to moving fashion forward. ABLE makes leather bags, jewelry, clothing, and shoes, and sustainably designed, timeless pieces, with the perfect balance of style and function.
Why we love them at Fospha:
We love their purpose of empowering women, both locally and globally, by creating jobs with dignity for all.
You can follow ABLE on LinkedIn, Instagram, or Facebook.
Ethika, Inc.
Ethika is a leading lifestyle brand based in San Clemente, CA.
Why we love them at Fospha:
Ethika's success in the marketplace lies in their ability to deliver quality products, offer a premium brand experience, and authentically connect to a broad group of consumers.
You can follow Ethika on LinkedIn, Instagram, or Facebook.
S'well
In 2010, Sarah Kauss started S’well with an audacious goal — to rid the world of single-use plastic bottles. At a time when sustainable products weren’t stylish and stylish products weren’t sustainable, she created the world’s first reusable hydration accessory.
Why we love them at Fospha:
When COVID-19 took hold, S'well quickly mobilized to support the healthcare heroes putting their lives at risk to keep us safe. Their goal was to keep these essential workers motivated and hydrated during long shifts with added protective gear. They launched For the Frontlines and, over the course of a two-month campaign, S'well donated $1 million worth of product through a Buy One, Donate One program.
You can follow S'well on LinkedIn, Instagram, or Facebook.
The Honest Company
Since its launch in 2012, Honest has been dedicated to creating thoughtfully formulated, safe and effective personal care, beauty, baby, and household products, which are available via honest.com, and at more than 32,000 retail locations across the United States, Canada and Europe.
Why we love them at Fospha:
Their mission is gold! To inspire everyone to love living consciously, is driven by its values of transparency, trust, sustainability, and a deep sense of purpose around what matters most to its consumers: their health, their families and their homes.
You can follow Honest on LinkedIn, Instagram, or Facebook.
Monica + Andy
Founded in 2014 by first-time mom Monica Royer, Monica + Andy was created from her heart to deliver the softest GOTS-certified organic essentials, to support new parents in a seamless shopping experience online and in Guideshops, and foster a community committed to making things better for your babies and making things better for our planet.
Why we love them at Fospha:
From seed to soil to production to customers, the brand delivers sustainable products that have a low-impact on the planet and are made without pesticides, toxic dyes, or harmful bleach. They’re GOTS certified and are committed to helping new and expecting parents feel supported and confident in all their choices.
You can follow Monica + Andy on LinkedIn, Instagram, or Facebook.
Happiest Baby (the maker of SNOO)
SNOO is based on 20+ years of research by America’s #1 pediatrician, author of Happiest Baby on the Block and creator of the 5S’s. Happiest Baby is the world leader in solving top parent concerns using high-tech and science!
Why we love them at Fospha:
We simply adore their dedication to helping parents succeed at their most important job – raising healthy, happy children.
You can follow SNOO on LinkedIn, Instagram, or Facebook.
Harry's, Inc.
Harry’s Inc. started in 2013 with simple, fairly priced products that delivered an amazing experience to guys every day. Since then, Harry’s expanded to the UK, developed relationships with retailers such as Target and Walmart, expanded their grooming brand into a personal care powerhouse, and launched a women’s brand called Flamingo.
Why we love them at Fospha:
Harry’s social mission speaks a lot about the brands priorities by donating to organizations that promote better mental health care for men. Every year, they set aside 1% of their sales to donate to charitable organizations that share their ambition to bring quality mental health care to men everywhere.
You can follow Harry’s on LinkedIn, Instagram, or Facebook.
mDesign Home Decor
mDesign is a direct-to-consumer, digitally native vertical brand that brings solutions with style to consumers’s homes through thoughtfully designed storage and decor products.
Why we love them at Fospha:
Their functional, beautifully designed products, unparalleled value proposition, unique market position, and talented team has led to hyper growth since their inception in 2015. They are a leader in the industry, ranking in the top 5 of Amazon third party sellers’.
You can follow mDesign on LinkedIn, Instagram, or Facebook.
MeUndies
MeUndies disrupted the $110B underwear industry when it launched the first online underwear subscription model in 2011. Founder Jonathan Shokrian identified a market gap during his own shopping experience. Nothing about underwear shopping was enjoyable - other brands were hyper-sexualized, overcomplicated, uncomfortable and inconvenient. He recognized that no one in the industry was offering their customers the experience that modern consumers expect. Jonathan started MeUndies to provide a fun and simple offering with a relentless emphasis on quality and service.
Why we love them at Fospha:
So many of the DTC disasters we see are businesses built on unsustainable unit economics. That's why it's so great to see MeUndies hit profitability in 2015 and drive double-digit YoY growth since. To date it has sold over 9M pairs of underwear in all 50 states and in 37 countries around the world.
You can follow MeUndies on LinkedIn, Instagram, or Facebook.
PAIGE
Born and raised in Los Angeles, PAIGE is a California lifestyle collection for men and women. Over the years, PAIGE has evolved into a prominent fashion house offering seasonal favorites and wardrobe staples that reflect our commitment to cutting edge design and attention to every last detail.
Why we love them at Fospha:
This brand is dedicated to the details and won’t stop until they achieve the perfect fit. Each item is meticulously designed, washed and wear-tested to ensure that it’s not only of the moment but built for the moment.
You can follow PAIGE on Instagram, or Facebook.
KEEN
KEEN is a value led, independently owned outdoor footwear brand with a mission to responsibly create original and versatile products, improve lives, and inspire outside adventure.
Why we love them at Fospha:
Founded in 2003, KEEN ignited a revolution in the footwear industry with the introduction of the Newport sandal, launching the concept of Hybrid footwear into the market and setting KEEN on a path of driving consistent product innovation that exists today.
You can follow KEEN on LinkedIn, Instagram, or Facebook.
How did we come up with this list of D2C brands?
With so many brilliant DTC brands out there, we needed a metric to choose only 30. We started by gathering a comprehensive list of well-known D2C brands in US we knew personally or could find in public databases and ranked them by average daily site traffic growth (Q3-Q4 2021). We then personally reviewed the list to find the 30 brands we really adored based on their mission, vision, and value statements.
Data sourced from multiple sources, including but not limited to:
- Company websites
- LinkedIn Insights
- Similarweb
