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The Madison Avenue Field GuideA field guide to marketing & advertising, by Brandon Mina

GlossaryRetail Media & CommerceDirect-to-Consumer (DTC)

Retail Media & Commerce

Direct-to-Consumer (DTC)

Brands that sell straight to customers instead of through retailers.

By Brandon MinaCEO, BrandPilot AIUpdated November 2026

Short answer

Direct-to-consumer (DTC) describes brands that sell straight to customers through their own websites, apps or stores instead of through wholesalers or retailers. Selling directly gives brands control over pricing, customer experience and first-party data. The trade-off is that they must fund their own customer acquisition, often relying heavily on paid social and search.