Monitor: Direct-to-Consumer Strategien in der Schweiz
For FMCG manufacturers, D2C (“direct to consumer”) strategies are becoming increasingly important. From baby food to chocolate to beauty products, products are increasingly being sold directly.
The team around Prof. Dr. Schögel and Severin Lienhard conducted a survey with 58 managers of FMCG manufacturers in cooperation with the Promarcaden association to determine the status quo of D2C strategies. The results indicate that D2C strategies will continue to gain in importance and sales. However, it also shows that despite high expectations from manufacturers, the majority of companies surveyed are still in the early stages of developing their D2C strategies. The dependence on the retail sector for sales remains high. Contrary to the frequently held view, some of the managers do not consider the margin in D2C strategies to be the most attractive. Often, the focus is not on sales targets, but rather on direct interaction with customers and the associated learning opportunities. The implication is that embedding D2C strategies into a brand’s channel management should be approached carefully. FMCG can be seen as a benchmark for other industries, as high quality requirements, complex last-mile delivery and often low margins per product make the D2C strategy particularly challenging.
