DTC POD: Jessica Young on Building a CPG Marketplace, $835 million acquisition + Events, Tools & More

NOVEMBER 2 2023

Welcome back DTC Pod listeners! This week we have a fantastic interview with Jessica Young, Founder and CEO of Bubble Goods, the online marketplace connecting independent food brands with customers. 🍴

Get the inside scoop on:
- Launching and growing a curated food brand marketplace
- Trends and innovation in the food and CPG industry
- Advice for new food brands looking to scale
- And more!

Plus, top DTC headlines, an event to power your DTC growth, job openings and key resources to help your business thrive.

Dive in, share your thoughts, and reach out anytime.

This Week’s DTC Pod Guest

#296 - Building a Marketplace for CPG Brands

Welcome back to another exciting episode of DTC POD! On today's show, we have a special guest joining us, Jessica Young, the founder and CEO of Bubble Goods, an online marketplace for emerging healthy food brands. With over 10 years of experience in the food and wellness industry, Jessica saw a gap in the market and launched Bubble Goods to curate and connect independent food brands with customers across the USA.

Join us as we dive deep into the world of food distribution, brand curation, and the future of the food industry.

NEWS

👉🏻 Our Place Pans Out Partnership with Target

Kitchenware brand Our Place is expanding its horizons, launching its signature cookware collections at 650 Target locations and on Target.com. (3 minute read)

The DTC brand aims to reach new audiences through the mass merchant, bringing its toxin-free, colorfully designed pots and pans to Target's aisles. The brand remains focused on its direct business despite wholesale growth, but the Target launch spices up Our Place's distribution.

Read more here 🔗

👉🏻 Lush Crosses Streams With Ulta Launch 

Beauty brand Lush is taking the plunge into wholesale through a new partnership with beauty giant Ulta. (7 minute read)

The clean cosmetics maker, on track to reach $1B in sales, will sell exclusive kits on Ulta.com and in select stores. It's a first for the typically DTC brand, signaling a shift in strategy as it aims to modernize distribution. The move provides Lush access to Ulta's vast beauty shopper base ahead of the holiday season.

Read more here 🔗

👉🏻 Omnicom Goes Full Throttle With $835M Flywheel Buy

Ad holding company Omnicom is hitting the gas on ecommerce, acquiring Flywheel Digital from Cannes Lions owner Ascential for a hefty $835 million. (4 minute read)

The deal arms Omnicom with robust capabilities for helping brands sell on digital marketplaces like Amazon and Walmart. The purchase positions Omnicom to rev up its offerings in the fast-growing ecommerce and retail media space.

Read more here 🔗

Other News + Resources

👉🏻 Skinny Confidential Slims into Nordstrom 🛍️ (3 minute read)
The Skinny Confidential is getting a slim new retail partner. The DTC darling's signature facial oil and ice roller landed on Nordstrom shelves and its site. After building a big following online, the brand now expands its retail footprint with the upscale department store (link)

👉🏻 Shein Snaps Up Fashion Brand Missguided 👗 (5 minute read)
Fast fashion giant Shein is expanding its closet, acquiring women's fashion label Missguided from UK retailer Frasers Group. Shein bought the struggling ecommerce brand for an undisclosed amount as it aims to boost apparel offerings. It's a high profile purchase for Shein as the controversial fast fashion disruptor faces scrutiny over sustainability (link)

👉🏻 DTC Casket Sellers Break Open Funeral Industry 🪦 (13 minute read)
A handful of DTC brands like Titan Casket are disrupting the traditional funeral casket business. The new entrants aim to educate shoppers that federal law allows buying caskets separately. But limited consumer awareness and funeral home pushback present hurdles (link)

👉🏻 Beauty Brand's Sudden Shutdown Shines Light on DTC Struggles 💄 (7 minute read)
The abrupt closure of a promising beauty startup spotlights the mounting challenges facing DTC brands. Its founder opens up about the emotional toll of winding down operations. As she puts her brand up for sale, the founder hopes her experience helps other founders navigate the rocky DTC landscape (link)

👉🏻 Trade Shows Demand Out-of-Booth Experiences for Modern ROI 🌐🔑 (6 minute read)
Trade shows aren't dying, but thriving requires more creative marketing. Brands seeking results can't rely solely on flashy booths and sales meetings anymore. Experiential events, influencer activations, and media engagement are now key. In short, generating trade show ROI today means thinking - and stepping - outside the booth (link)

Tool of The Week

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Take the first step and schedule a call to discuss how we can support your team’s growth.

X of The Week

This week's rays of light come on why creators should stay optimistic despite DTC's current darkness

Andrew Faris spotlights 7 compelling cases for ecommerce’s sunny horizons. Shopper demand still exists and is growing, marketing channels are expanding, logistics infrastructure has scaled massively, payments are becoming seamless, tools abound for personalization and optimization. social shopping is nascent but rising, and most importantly - VALUE wins.

From Our Friends at Capital One

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Please connect with our very Capital One representative, Heather Clohessy to learn more!

Phone: 310.699.8024
Email: [email protected]

DTC Event

OpenStore Live Miami - NOVEMBER 2, 2023

Join the OpenStore Live event in Miami, FL on November 2, 2023 for an inside look at the future of DTC.

Get the inside scoop on growth strategies across marketing, supply chain, tech, and more from the minds behind today's leading Shopify brands. Don't miss this chance to connect and find your blueprint for DTC success.

DTC Job Positions

Join Ruggable as Senior Director of Ecommerce

Ruggable seeks a leader to transform their online shopping experience and hit revenue goals. You'll own site optimization and lead a team to improve the web experience. Ideal candidates have 7+ years as an ecommerce decision maker and a track record exceeding KPIs. Remote work available!

Join Daily Harvest as Manager of Social Media + Influencer Marketing

Daily Harvest seeks a powerhouse social media and influencer marketer to take their social channels to the next level. You'll devise social strategies, create standout content, and identify creators to drive reach, engagement and brand loyalty. If you have 6+ years scaling social, this is for you!

Join Rothy's as Temporary CRM Marketing Operations Coordinator

Rothy's seeks a stellar coordinator to expand their CRM marketing efforts through email and SMS campaigns. You'll build customer relationships, perform testing, create segments, and project manage. 2+ years in email, SMS or CRM marketing required, along with collaboration and organization skills. Work for a sustainable company making washable shoes and bags.

Want to advertise with us? Check out our rates