🚀 How Top DTC Brands Grow Fast

Hey, it’s Ray.

Some DTC brands grow slow… and some seem to skyrocket overnight.

After working with dozens of ecommerce teams (and studying high-performers like Glossier, Allbirds, and Warby Parker), I’ve seen the same growth levers over and over.

If you want to scale faster, here’s what the top brands are doing right now and how you can apply it to your own growth strategy.

1. They Obsess Over the First 60 Days of the Customer Journey

Most brands focus on acquisition, then let customers drift.

Top performers? They engineer the first two months like it’s a VIP onboarding.

Examples:

• Glossier uses personalized welcome emails and skincare tips to increase repeat orders.

• Allbirds sends product reviews emails right after purchase to deepen brand loyalty.

2. They Master Retention Before Pouring Money Into Ads

Scaling ad spend without retention is like pouring water into a leaky bucket.

Example:

Warby Parker uses thoughtful email sequences such as cart-abandonment follow-ups that include customer reviews, product context, and reminders sent at strategic intervals, reinforcing brand trust and recovering potential lost sales. 

3. They Run “Micro-Tests” Weekly

Forget long, expensive campaigns that take months to measure, top-performing DTC brands prioritize rapid, low-cost experiments that deliver quick feedback.

These “micro-tests” are small, controlled changes made to marketing assets, such as email subject lines, landing page headlines, or offer formats. 

By testing one variable at a time, brands can quickly identify what resonates with their audience without overhauling entire campaigns.

The key is frequency and consistency: running these experiments every week ensures a steady stream of insights, which compound over time to drive meaningful performance gains. 

This approach also reduces risk, since underperforming ideas are caught early, before they consume significant budget.

Bottom Line

Brands like Glossier, Allbirds, and Warby Parker aren’t lucky, they’re methodical.

They double down on the first 60 days, retention, and relentless micro-testing.

You can do the same… and I’d be happy to show you how.

Cheers,
Raymond Chen
Founder & CEO, 11 Agency

Want to Grow Like the Top 1%?

Scaling fast isn’t about a single “hack.” 

It’s about stacking consistent wins in acquisition, retention, and customer experience.

That’s why we built our DTC Growth Accelerator, to help brands implement these levers in weeks, not years.

Let’s Do This.

If this sounds like a lot to manage, don’t worry, I’ve got you covered.

There’s a lot that goes into building a high-converting email strategy. 

If you’re serious about optimizing your email marketing, let’s talk. 

Here’s what we can do:

✅ Done-for-You Email Strategy: If you’re ready to scale but don’t have the time, we’ll build out a full email system that maximizes your revenue. You can book a call with me here. 

✅ Or, if you just want to grab a free resource, get a FREE 10-page KPI audit and a 128-point health scorecard to optimize your email marketing. Get it here!

More Ways to Level Up Your Email Game

If you’re up about boosting your email game, I’ve got a few more gems for you:

📺 Check Out My YouTube Tutorial!

Want to design high-converting emails that look amazing and drive results? 

In my YouTube video, I walk you through how I use Figma for Klaviyo to create emails that don’t just look good, they convert. 👉 Watch it here!

📝 Stay Ahead with 2025’s Email Marketing Trends

Not sure what’s working in email marketing right now? You’re not alone. Many brands play it safe until they see what’s actually driving results.

We’ve broken down the biggest email marketing trends for 2025, so you can stay ahead, boost engagement, and drive more revenue. Want to know what’s working?

👉 Read my blog here: Email Marketing Trends in 2025 That Will Show Results

💡 Let’s Connect on LinkedIn
I share daily email marketing tips, behind-the-scenes insights, and strategies that actually work. If you’re looking for extra value beyond this newsletter, let’s connect!👉  Follow me here.