Will 'New Retail' help D2C brands succeed offline?

The reason for the existence of Retail as a Service (RaaS) revolves around the premise that wholesale channels are not conducive for D2C brands. The reality, though, is that D2C brands will eventually embrace wholesale. I am unsure where that would leave RaaS.

Companies like ThirdLove, where the product (bras made for women of all shapes and sizes) is complex and there is an inherent dissatisfaction, may find it valuable to set up showrooms for trials; scan-and-go would work there and Middle America is underserved for such experiences. But not all product categories need this kind of experience. Even for... See more

We explore some inconvenient questions. Retail as a Service is great for brands to test ideas. But are they going to make venture-scale money? Most of these companies run on VC dollars.

While New Retail claims to give customer data, the scale is nearly not as compelling as traditional retail. Product feedback is good, but there is a selection bias. The SoHo crowd cannot make a brand succeed, but they may give one its start. Middle America is where D2C brands have to go to grow (that is, if they want to be big). New Retail does not... See more