This week's issues show how calm, calculated plays are driving profitable and sustainable growth this season.
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There’s a new rhythm in the world of commerce: slower, smarter, steadier. The brands winning right now aren’t sprinting; they’re steering. They’re focused on stronger teams, sharper systems, and growth that compounds quietly. Whether it’s Athletic Brewing redefining category leadership or operators tightening margins ahead of Q4, this week’s Hotline is your reminder: scaling fast is optional. Scaling well is not.
🔥 The D2C Deep Dive: Athletic Brewing Company is proving that you don’t need alcohol to make a buzz.
💰 Deal of the Week: Great brands start with great teams. Dimond Connect helps you build both.
📞 Missed Calls: From pets to performance, brands winning now know their niche and own it.
🎤 D2C IRL: Your next two weeks, sorted: one event for smarter CX, one for stronger sourcing.
🛸 Signal Boost: Community nurtures repeat buyers, and precision accounting locks in profit. Top operators lean into both.
Your weekly look at the D2C brands setting the bar and what operators can learn from their playbook.
Athletic Brewing Company isn’t just redefining non-alcoholic beer, it’s rewriting what modern growth looks like in CPG.
Founded in 2018, the brand is now the 8th-largest craft brewery and 18th-largest overall brewery in the U.S., climbing two spots in a year while most brewers are struggling to stay afloat. After a $50M equity round led by General Atlantic doubled its valuation to $800M, Athletic Brewing is expanding fast. It’s even adding a 4th facility in San Diego that will push capacity past 1.2M barrels, nearly triple 2024’s 400,000-barrel output.
The strategy? Smart, mission-led, and relentlessly community-driven. With only 20% brand awareness and top SKUs in just 38% of stores, Athletic Brewing sees enormous white space ahead. Their dual-focus marketing model — “moments of participation” (like IRONMAN and Spartan Races) and “moments of enjoyment” (music festivals, Live Nation venues, pro sports) keeps the brand visible, human, and aspirational.
And they’re not just selling NA beer. With programs like Two For The Trails, donating up to $2M a year to preserve outdoor spaces, they’ve built a movement rooted in wellness.
💡Operator takeaway: Athletic Brewing didn’t compete in a crowded market, it created a new one. They built around behavior change, not just product differentiation. That’s the playbook for real longevity.
Raise a glass to smarter growth
Our favorite tools, agencies, tailored deals, and exclusive perks to help you optimize your D2C stack.
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The D2C world moves fast. These are the stories worth your attention. The ones showing where strategy, spend, and consumer trends are headed next.
Chewy ramps up creator storefronts ahead of holiday season
💡 D2C Takeaway: Creator networks aren’t just for beauty or fashion, they’re fueling commerce in pets, food, and other high-repeat categories too.
Brooks Running posts 9th straight quarter of growth despite footwear headwinds
💡 D2C Takeaway: Even in a slowing market, sharp product focus, loyal audience building, and controlled innovation can keep growth on track.
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Where operators show up IRL. The top community events and conversations happening right now.
This premier product-sourcing expo brings together 500+ exhibitors and over 16,000 attendees across white & private-label retail categories, from beauty and pet supplies to food & drink and CBD. Explore new product ideas, sourcing channels, and supplier ecosystems that could unlock your next revenue stream.
If you’re looking to scale via product innovation or diversify your SKU mix, this is where the sourcing magic happens.
Wednesday & Thursday, November 12-13, 2025
From the folks at Gorgias comes this deep dive into how AI doesn’t just automate support, it aligns your team, workflows, and CX for scalable growth. You’ll hear from practitioners on how to integrate an AI Agent to not only speed replies but convert conversations into sales.
The brands excelling this year aren’t just faster, they’re smarter. This session helps you engineer CX that scales.
Wednesday, November 19, 2025, 1:30-2 pm EST | Webinar
Quick hits and resources from around the industry we think are worth your time this week.
Why You Should Use Specialized Accounting Tools For Your E-Commerce Brand
Specialized accounting tailored for your D2C enterprise can help you keep track of funds, allocate budget accordingly, and ensure you stay in check with all of the generally accepted accounting principles.
Building Community: Turning Customers Into Evangelists
Discover actionable strategies to turn your customers into passionate brand evangelists. Learn how to build authentic community, drive organic advocacy, and boost growth through shared rituals and user empowerment.
At 1-800-D2C, we spotlight the real builders behind the tools and brands featured on our site and the D2C players putting those tools to work. Let’s collab:
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Everything you need to build a better D2C brand, business and tech stack.
