Study: German manufacturers’ perspective on the topic of D2C
Direct-to-consumer, i.e., direct sales to end customers, continues to be a major focus for strategy, business development, and marketing teams at German manufacturers—and increasingly so. This applies equally to B2C and B2B, especially for manufacturers of high-interest products, where digital touchpoints and online channels play a central role for customers and users.
We want to give D2C decision-makers and managers a comprehensive perspective on how German manufacturers view D2C. In doing so, we want to help them better understand their own strategies, goals, and challenges.
To this end, we spoke to a wide range of manufacturers about their views on D2C as part of our D2C study. These include B2C and B2B manufacturers, medium-sized companies, and corporations from a wide range of industries (consumer electronics, smart home, DIY, household appliances, food, medical technology, machinery, and more).
“86% of manufacturers with extensive D2C experience expect their D2C business to be just as important as their e-commerce business with online retailers by 2030 – or even more important.”
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The results clearly show how far many manufacturers’ understanding of D2C has already developed. For many, directly shaping customer relationships and building customer lifetime value are now just as relevant as pure product sales. Accordingly, D2C is increasingly seen as a standalone business model—and no longer just an additional sales channel.
“Virtually all manufacturers surveyed see D2C not only as a sales channel, but also as a loyalty engine for managing and increasing customer lifetime value.”
At the same time, there are also many challenges. For example, many manufacturers are very advanced in terms of operations, but now need to readjust where they want to strategically develop their D2C engagement. This also means that decisions about D2C are increasingly on the agenda of board members and managing directors.
Well-established German brands in particular are also confronted with the transformation hurdle of “channel conflict”: the more attractive their own D2C offerings become to customers, the more sensitively existing retail partners react.
“Resolving channel conflicts is a key scaling and transformation challenge, especially for traditional manufacturers with established relationships with trading partners.”
Added to this is the management task of reconciling new technological opportunities—for example, in the field of agentic commerce—with changing customer behavior, rising investment requirements, and a consistently customer-centric mindset.
Another critical finding of the study is that many German manufacturers are too passive when it comes to online marketplaces. They underestimate the consistency and speed with which Chinese manufacturers in particular dominate platforms such as Amazon and use them specifically as the first stage of their go-to-market strategies for Europe.
The study thus not only provides an overview of the status quo of D2C in Germany, but also shows where strategic decisions are now necessary.
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Study: German manufacturers’ perspective on the topic of D2C
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