"Like most founders, the early days of my company were very much geared towards solving a real problem. I wanted to create products to fill a market gap a loved one had personally experienced: finding effective, holistic and affordable solutions to common foot conditions like bunions. Product development and direct-to-consumer sales were my initial focus as CEO, but as the brand grew and I began to recognize the inherent potential in what we were building, retail expansion became a natural progression."
"For many business leaders, the path to scaling a business and expanding appropriately into retail can be daunting, but it doesn't have to be. What really puts a brand at greater risk is relying on one retail channel, rather than an omnichannel approach. Each channel represents its own value proposition, comes with its own rules, and requires unique forethought in terms of operational backbone."
Early-stage ecommerce enables validation of product-market fit, messaging tests and direct consumer feedback to refine assortment and build trust. Transitioning to retail requires recognizing operational demands such as inventory, fulfillment and forecasting that intensify with growth. Relying on a single retail channel increases risk; an omnichannel strategy spreads risk and requires tailored value propositions and operational planning for each channel. Accepting retail deals without protecting unit economics can erode margins, so founders must understand retail math before scaling. Building scalable systems and defending economics enables sustainable expansion from direct-to-consumer to larger retail partnerships.
Read at Entrepreneur
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