The emergence of new companies selling direct online has been a big story for some time. Mattress brands Casper and Emma, luggage maker Away, beauty company Glossier, and garment retailer Happy Socks were among the first highly successful direct-to-consumer (D2C) firms, many of them based in Europe.

Mattress company Simmons is turning to TikTok to help drive brand awareness and attract a younger audience as it looks to adapt in a competitive, digitally native space.

First books, now … mattresses? Amazon and a host of new brands are shaking up the mattress industry and remaking the customer journey. eMarketer’s Andrew Lipsman lays out the facts and data.

Direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands continue to disrupt the retail space. The companies use an array of tactics to attract business, from offering low prices to targeting shoppers who care about ethical consumption to simply providing a more convenient experience.

Direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands—encompassing everything from startups like Billie offering women's razor subscriptions to Casper, the once online-only mattress company that has products now being sold at Target—have been growing in popularity for a variety of reasons.

Following bankruptcies of other retail stalwarts from a bygone era like Sears, Toys "R" Us and Mattress Firm, Payless’ demise doesn’t come as a shock, yet it is another cautionary tale of a retailer that failed to evolve its brand.

Casper Valuation Cut in Half at IPO: The leading name in a crowded D2C mattress space, Casper managed to debut on the public markets in February 2020—but at half its valuation from prior funding rounds after its S-1 filing revealed underwhelming financials.

Mattress brands Casper and Emma, luggage maker Away, beauty company Glossier, and Happy Socks were among the first highly successful direct-to-consumer (D2C) firms, many of them based in Europe. Like several other digital retail trends, D2C has been further propelled by market conditions during the coronavirus pandemic.

From mattresses to meals, bras to banana smoothies, today’s consumers are increasingly purchasing online products they’ve never physically touched, tasted or tried on. But a wedding dress?

The hollowed-out shells of Toys R Us, Mattress Firm, Sears and others are the ones that are missing the biggest opportunity to capitalize on the 2018 season’s tailwinds. But for every brick-and-mortar retailer that lost its way, there is another shining example that found a way to adapt.

eMarketer principal analyst Mark Dolliver, junior analyst Blake Droesch and vice president of content studio Paul Verna talk about why Casper wants to sell sleep, the Oscars' viewership, whether Uber can make money, a new FTC, cashless shops, driverless deliveries, who pandas belong to and more.

Casper Sleep, the D2C mattress company, called out influencers as a potential business liability in its initial public offering filing in January 2020. Casper relies heavily on influencer marketing as part of its overall marketing plan.

It’s not a stretch to envision using data from a video doorbell, pet feeder, smart irrigation system or sleep-tracking mattress to target promotional campaigns. But in an ambient computing environment, they must proceed with extreme caution. Some brands are running dynamic ads on addressable TVs and in smart-speaker audio streams, but there is no blueprint for advertising on other smart devices.

Three of the top brands were clothing and apparel (StitchFix, ThirdLove and Warby Parker) and one company, mattress brand Purple, fell in the furniture or home products category. Many D2C companies are operating in the same market and competing for the same customers.

Mattress brands Casper, Leesa and Purple are other good examples. Leesa featured its products within several West Elm locations, Casper featured a "sleep-in" pop-up in Nordstrom and Purple partnered with Mattress Firm and Macy's to leverage their retail spaces.

Tuft & Needle mattress maker (Nod), Equal artificial sweetener (Sugarly Sweet by Equal) and GNC nutrition brand (Informed Nutrition and Challenge) are among the first to create new Amazon-only brands.

"Some consumer apprehension has been assuaged by retailers like Casper and other mattress companies that allow you to try out the product and return free of charge," said eMarketer forecast analyst Cindy Liu. "And with Ikea’s mobile app, consumers can use AR to see how a piece of furniture will look in their living room.”.

Online shoppers are becoming more comfortable with buying bulky things like mattresses and dining sets digitally. We forecast that ecommerce sales in the furniture and home furnishings category will be one of the fastest-growing in 2018, at 18.5%. But shipping and delivery fees can be a hindrance since they are wildly inconsistent.

Popular direct-to-consumer brands like Casper (mattresses) and Dollars Shave Club (razors), and web-based services like MailChimp (email marketing) and Squarespace (website building and hosting) have become household names through their aggressive push into podcast advertising.

Purple’s CEO on D2C Brands, Mattresses in Boxes and Why They’re Considering a Physical Location. D2C brands are disrupting the retail space. These companies use an array of tactics to attract business, from offering low prices to targeting shoppers who care about ethical consumption to simply providing a more convenient experience. Joe Megibow, CEO of Purple, talks about their approach.