Trending 🧳| Deep-dive on a truly trailblazing DTC brand
Awesome new brands pop up online every day. It's hard to keep track. Nexttbrand keeps a close eye on brand engagement metrics and lets you know what's taking off.
Every brand is objectively scored based on site traffic data. When you buy through links, I may earn a small commission.
Trending now
Lettuce Grow
We're on a mission to help everyone grow 20% of their own food.
See more brands under plants & flowers.
Birdy Grey
Shop fresh, affordable bridesmaid dresses online that pop in pictures in colors that complement the wedding palette, all for $99.
See more brands under for weddings.
Zee Dog
We're a lifestyle brand connecting dogs and people. Zee Dog builds premium & design oriented pet products to make yours and your dog's life that much cooler.
See more brands under for pets.
Hockerty
Design men custom suits and shirts and enjoy 2 weeks free shipping. Unlimited personalization options & a wide range of fabrics.
See more brands under custom men’s clothing.
Honeylove
Experience lasting comfort with shapewear guaranteed not to roll down. Innovative shapewear that delivers superior shaping in a powerful design you can show off.
See more brands under intimates.
Trending category spotlight: Luggage
It looks like consumers are getting ready to be out and about more this summer. Under trending brands we saw bridesmaid dresses, custom men’s clothing, and shapewear. Luggage trending as a category all but screams that travel plans are back on:
Paravel: We bring you travel bags that are durable enough to stand up to overhead bins, but beautiful enough to stand out on the streets, all without designer mark-ups. | Price: $255+ for a carry-on
Monos: Premium luggage for journeys near and far. Explore our minimalist collection of well-crafted, modern classics – all with a lifetime warranty, 100-day trial, and free US/Canada shipping. | Price: $220+ for a carry-on
Nomatic: We create minimalist products like travel bags, backpacks, watches, notebooks and wallets. | Price: $400+ for a carry-on
Away: Luggage for the modern traveler—lightweight, premium features, and a lifetime warranty. Free shipping and a 100-day trial period. | Price: $225+ for a carry-on
Fun extras
FIGS, a direct-to-consumer brand which sells comfortable, designer scrubs for medical professionals, filed to go public. This is a big deal because in the past, public disclosure of financials for DTC brands has often been followed by concerns that the DTC model isn't profitable. In contrast, FIGS has a 22% profit margin and 26% EBITDA margin. The IPO is a big deal because it definitively shows how the DTC model can thrive.
Some highlights from the S-1 on how FIGs has been so successful:
Customer acquisition costs (CAC)
Most brands see rising CAC as they scale and go after a broader range of customers
However, FIGS CAC declined from $101 to $39 over the past 2 years, driven by an ambassador program which creates outstanding content for social media. As highlighted by nexttbrand in the past, it’s community-building has also helped it become one of the top brands on TikTok
Customer lifetime value
Customers keep coming back to FIGS — 50% of first-time customers go on to make a second purchase
Customers also buy more from FIGS over time — net revenue per active customer has increased from $168 to $202 over the past 2 years
Profitability
FIGS’ gross margin is 72% (for reference, gross margins of 30% are much more common in online apparel)
FIGS set itself apart by developing an extremely comfortable proprietary fabric which is antimicrobial, anti-odor, stain-repellant, and has four-way stretch
Growth
Revenue has grown from $55M to $263M in the past 2 years
FIGS sees significant growth opportunities in continuing to increase customer loyalty, attracting new customers, broadening its product offering, pursuing international expansion, and entering new professional markets
If you’re interested in reading more about FIGS, check out this article from Refinery29.
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