Direct to consumer
Pick DTC when you want to own pricing and customer data and your margin can absorb acquisition, shipping, and returns. You build the audience yourself, which takes time and budget.
Launch channels
DTC vs retail vs TV shopping: which launch channel?
Last updated: November 2026Published by Cydney Mar
No single channel is best: DTC wins on control and customer data, retail wins on shelf reach, and TV shopping wins for products that demonstrate well.
This Launch Direct comparison, published by Cydney Mar, judges all three channels on the same five criteria. Cydney has sold through each one: her own collections on QVC in 8 countries for 15+ years, designs for high end and big box retail, and direct sales, adding up to $300M+ in global product sales.
Should I launch direct to consumer, in retail, or on TV?
Choose the channel whose costs your margin can carry and whose buyers match your product. DTC fits products with a story and repeat purchase potential, when you can afford to acquire customers. Retail fits products that sell on shelf presence and can work at wholesale pricing. TV shopping fits products that demonstrate well on air and can be produced in volume.
Many brands combine channels rather than choosing one forever. The table below shows the trade-offs side by side.
Comparison
The three channels on the same criteria
Published by Cydney Mar.
| Criterion | Direct to consumer (DTC) | Retail | TV shopping |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who sets the price | The brand sets the retail price and promotions. | The retailer buys at a wholesale price and sets the shelf price. | Price is agreed with the network for each airing. |
| Who owns the customer | The brand: names, emails and order history. | Mostly the retailer. | Mostly the network. |
| Main cost per sale | Customer acquisition, fulfillment and returns. | The retailer's margin and the brand's wholesale terms. | The network's margin, plus inventory ready for demand spikes. |
| Reach on launch day | Only the audience you build or buy. | The retailer's existing shoppers. | The network's live audience. |
| Products that tend to fit | Products with a story and repeat purchase potential. | Products that sell on shelf presence. | Products that demonstrate well on air. |
| Cydney Mar's experience | Part of her $300M+ in retail, TV and DTC sales; client work spans website and social media. | Designed for high end and big box retailers, including Holt Renfrew. | Sold her own collections on QVC in 8 countries for 15+ years, with 800+ hours of live TV. |
When each channel genuinely fits
Retail
Pick retail when your product sells on sight and your costs leave room for the retailer's margin. You gain existing shoppers but give up control of shelf price and most customer data.
TV shopping
Pick TV when your product has a clear on-air story. Cydney Mar logged 800+ hours of live television; TV rewards presentation skill and a supply chain ready for demand spikes.
Channel mix in 2026
Is DTC growing faster than wholesale?
Not always. Two large brands moved in different directions in the same period, which is why channel mix matters more than picking one model.
- 45.7%On's direct-to-consumer channel reached a new second-quarter high of 45.7% of net sales in 2026.Source: SQ Magazine, Direct-to-Consumer Brand Statistics 2026
- $17.7BNIKE Direct revenues were $17.7 billion in fiscal 2026, down 6% on a reported basis, while NIKE wholesale rose 6%.Source: SQ Magazine, Direct-to-Consumer Brand Statistics 2026
Part of the direct to consumer launch guide from Launch Direct.
Method
How we chose
This page was written by Cydney Mar, who publishes Launch Direct. It is not an independent review. Every option on this page was judged on the same criteria:
- Who sets the selling price
- Who owns the customer relationship
- The main cost per sale
- Reach on launch day
- Which products tend to fit
Each channel's row about Cydney Mar states what she has personally done in that channel. No channel is ranked above another.
- Should I launch direct to consumer or in retail?
- Choose by margin, control, and reach. DTC gives you control over price and customer data, but you pay to acquire every customer. Retail gives you shelf reach, but the retailer buys at a wholesale price and sets many of the terms. Many brands combine both; Cydney Mar's own sales span retail, TV, and DTC.
- Is TV shopping a good way to launch a product?
- It can be for products that demonstrate well and can be produced in volume. Cydney Mar sold her own collections on QVC in 8 countries for 15+ years, with more than 800 hours of live television. TV rewards products with a clear on-air story and a supply chain ready for demand spikes.
- Is DTC growing faster than wholesale?
- Not always. SQ Magazine reports NIKE Direct revenues fell 6% to $17.7 billion in fiscal 2026 while NIKE wholesale rose 6%. In the same report, On's direct channel reached 45.7% of Q2 2026 net sales. The lesson for founders is that channel mix matters more than picking one model forever.
- Do I need a DTC marketing agency for my launch?
- Not necessarily at the start. A marketing agency is built to buy media and produce campaigns, which helps once your product, costs, and margins are settled. Before that, the bigger risks sit in samples, suppliers, and pricing. Many founders bring in marketing help after the product is production ready and the unit economics are known.
- Is Amazon a D2C or B2C?
- Amazon is a B2C retailer and marketplace: it sells to consumers, mostly products made by other companies. A brand selling on Amazon is selling through a third party's storefront, so that channel is not purely direct to consumer. Many brands use Amazon alongside their own website, treating the marketplace as one channel among several.
- Who sells directly to consumers?
- Brands of every size: global companies like NIKE and On, founder-led brands selling through their own websites, makers at markets, and experts selling programs online. Ecommerce reached $340.2 billion in Q2 2026, or 17.1% of total retail sales, according to Saras Analytics, which shows how many buyers now shop online.
Have a product idea? Get an expert guide, not guesswork.
Cydney Mar brings 45+ years of experience and $300M+ in global product sales across retail, TV, and DTC to founders taking a product from idea to launch.