We decided to start D2C Fan after our own experiences during the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic. By mid-March our community was under a stay-at-home order. This lasted through the end of April. Even as businesses started to open in May and June, products were increasingly hard to find. In the early days we tried our best to only go out when absolutely necessary. This included a trip to the grocery store every week or so. We quickly found that many products were limited or not available at all. Common food items that we would have otherwise taken for granted like meat, eggs, and milk were limited. The bread aisle was empty. Products like toilet paper, soap, and hand sanitizer were nearly impossible to find locally. That took us online where Amazon shipping was also delayed.
The experience of our parents and friends really pushed it over the top. The older generation and those at higher risk due to health complications were left with even fewer options. Our parents had neighbors who were kind enough to do their grocery shopping for them. We have a family friend who lives in a senior living community that did not have the option of going out to shop. She had to rely on a small on-site convenience store that lacked basic goods. We purchased the essentials online and shipped them to her. Otherwise she would have been without necessities.
The experience brought us all online to shop. We were already quite comfortable buying from Amazon but hadn’t spent a lot of time on direct to consumer sites. This quickly changed as shipping for items we wanted to purchase on Amazon were delayed for weeks. They were also sold out of a lot of the products we desired. That’s not to bash Amazon as they were doing their best in a tough situation, but we had to find an alternative. After doing some research online we found our first direct to consumer brands – Dollar Shave Club, Bombas, and Casper. We had already heard of these brands but had not ordered from them in the past. The only experience we had with D2C companies was in meal kit subscriptions. We tried a number of meal delivery services the previous Fall.
That brings us to the launch of D2C Fan. We will start by sharing our experiences with the meal delivery brands including Blue Apron, Home Chef, HelloFresh, Sun Basket, Freshly, and more as I know a lot of families can benefit from not having to go the the grocery store in the months to come. Then we’ll quickly move to other DTC markets. As of early June we have already purchased items from Casper, Bombas, and Dollar Shave Club. I suppose we could count a Tesla Model 3 as well since they sell direct to consumer. We’ll try to cover as many D2C brands as possible and keep up with the industry as brands continue to innovate. From the beginning we recognize the advantages of D2C brands and their focus on the customer. What started as a convenience for us has quickly grown into a new experience with companies that are more focused on their customers than on shelf space.
Have a question or suggestion. If so please reach out anytime via Twitter @D2Cfan or send an email to contact (at) d2cfan.com