Happy New Year! | Welcome back to the inbox grind. Kicking off the first 1-800-Hotline of 2026 with a few things worth having on your radar as teams ease back into the week. | This one’s a quick scan. | A growing category that’s getting harder to ignore, a couple of AI moments that actually landed with customers, and a partner worth checking out if paid is on your 2026 roadmap. We’ve also got a Deal of the Week focused on something a lot of teams are prioritizing this year: treating your best customers like VIPs, not transactions. | And since everyone’s calendars are starting to fill back up, we’re flagging two DTC events worth knowing about early. If in-person conversations and operator networking are on your list this year, these are good ones to keep in mind. | Think of this as your first pulse check of the year. | More coming soon. | | | Your weekly look at the D2C brands setting the bar and what operators can learn from their playbook. |
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| | | | | This one’s worth a read if you care about where real consumer demand is heading. | Men’s grooming is growing fast. The global market is projected to hit $276B by 2030, growing at an 8% CAGR, according to Grand View Research. That’s not hype. That’s steady, structural growth. | Papatui is a good example of how to actually play that moment. Instead of making men learn a whole new routine, the brand keeps things simple and familiar. Easy entry points. Clear use cases. Pricing that doesn’t feel intimidating. That is exactly what you want in a category where interest is high, but friction can still kill conversion. | Yes, The Rock brings instant awareness. But the real lesson for operators is the execution. Papatui shows up where customers already shop, stays accessible, and scales with demand instead of forcing urgency. It feels built for adoption, not just attention. | If you’re building in a growing category, this’s the playbook to study. Meet customers where they already are. Remove friction. Let demand do the heavy lifting. | | 💡Operator Takeaway: When a category is growing this fast, winning is less about being flashy and more about being easy to buy from. Papatui shows how smart positioning and distribution can turn a tailwind into durable growth. | |
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| | | Our favorite tools, agencies, tailored deals, and exclusive perks to help you optimize your D2C stack. | Superfans.io | Stop treating your best buyers like everyone else. Superfans.io builds mobile apps that give your best customers the treatment they actually deserve - VIP access, tease windows, dynamic screens, app-only exclusives, and loyalty perks that make them stay. No success fees and no gated features. One plan with all features and unlimited scale. | Superfans.io doesn't hand you a template and wish you luck. Superfans.io integrates deeply with your entire tech stack to turn launches into exclusive experiences that are controlled, personal, and unforgettable. Built for the customers who matter most. |
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| | Superfans.io is a partner of 1-800-D2C. Let them know this newsletter sent you to receive the offer! | | | | | | | The D2C world moves fast. These are the stories worth your attention. The ones showing where strategy, spend, and consumer trends are headed next. | | Holiday shopping data shows something interesting. Customers do not actually care if support is powered by AI as long as it solves the problem fast. When AI tools gave clear answers and knew when to hand things off to a human, satisfaction held up just fine. During peak holiday volume, speed mattered more than the label. | 💡 D2C Takeaway: AI support works when it feels helpful, not hidden. Brands using AI as the first stop instead of a dead end are scaling support without burning trust. | | Dollar Shave Club ran its first AI-generated ad and did not try to make it slick or invisible. They made the tech the joke. It felt self-aware, very on-brand, and honestly refreshing at a time when most brands are still pretending AI is not involved at all. | 💡 D2C Takeaway: AI does not need to be perfect to work. When brands use it with intention and personality, it can actually strengthen brand voice instead of flattening it. |
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| | | Where operators show up IRL. The top community events and conversations happening right now. | | | A highly anticipated and can’t miss e-commerce “retreat” designed for high-growth brands, tech innovators, and senior operators. With around 500 attendees (70% brand operators), you’ll get deep-dive sessions on advanced growth, CX, automation, personalization, and operational scaling… not sales pitches or fluff. | February 4-5, 2026 | In-Person | Miami, FL | | | | | A global retail tentpole where more than 5,000 brands from 100+ countries gather to reset what “commerce” looks like. Expect 175+ sessions covering AI-powered CX and merchandising, omnichannel strategies, supply-chain innovation, retail-media playbooks, and more. | If you want a full view across retail; from legacy brick-and-mortar to DTC-first disruptors, this is where you see which direction the industry is headed. For fast-moving brands needing to stay ahead of consumer shifts, it’s essential sprint prep for the new year ahead. | January 11-13, 2026 | In-Person | Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, NYC | | | | | | | Are you D2C (Down to Collab)? | At 1-800-D2C, we spotlight the real builders behind the tools and brands featured on our site and the D2C players putting those tools to work. Let’s collab: | For Brand Founders: | | For Tool Founders: | List your tool on 1-800-D2C today to show off your brands and become a Friend’s Rates member. Sign up today. Want to share the story behind your tool and how it's changing the D2C space? Fill out our founder questionnaire to get featured in our Behind The Tool interview series!
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