Communication is key
Around the world, D2C is becoming increasingly popular. In 2022, approximately 64 percent of consumers worldwide made regular purchases directly from brands. Several reasons motivate global online shoppers to buy from manufacturers, with better pricing being the key factor followed closely by free delivery and returns. This is echoed by consumers in Russia, where half of the respondents claimed it was cheaper to buy from D2C sites than from other providers. Furthermore, Russian shoppers find branded websites to be more informative, and quote the advantages of being able to contact a brand representative directly. Ditching the middleman enables companies to regain control over customer relationships. Digital shoppers often appreciate a direct connection to sellers, with about four in ten online shoppers from Mainland China preferring online stores that directly connect customers to the original seller. Similarly, in the United States, this share stands at 32 percent.A promising future
In 2021, D2C e-commerce sales reached 128 billion U.S. dollars in the United States. By 2024, the market size is forecast to grow to almost 213 billion dollars. And the U.S. is not alone in the direct selling wave. In Germany, D2C e-commerce revenue was valued at 880 million euros as of the third quarter of 2021, while Russia recorded significant D2C e-commerce and offline sales, worth a total value of 1.72 billion euros in 2021.Asia has a thriving direct-to-consumer market. The e-commerce sales value of D2C platforms in Hong Kong amounted to almost 16 billion Hong Kong dollars in 2021. By 2026, this value is estimated to nearly double. In India, the total D2C market — including online as well as offline sales — was estimated at 44.6 billion U.S. dollars in 2021, and it is forecast to grow further in the upcoming years.
