During COVID, Marlyn Schiff's jewelry brand started designing and selling masks. This pivot not only generated revenue but, more importantly, kept the brand relevant and in constant contact with its 2,000+ store partners. When the crisis ended, those relationships were stronger than ever.

By delaying wholesale partnerships until the brand was a significant draw for retailers, Avocado retained control over pricing, presentation, and messaging. This strategic patience prevented the brand dilution that often occurs when young companies give powerful retailers too much leverage in negotiations.

Contrary to fears of channel conflict, Avocado found that opening wholesale partnerships did not decrease D2C sales. Instead, the increased distribution created a "snowball effect," enhancing overall brand awareness and growing the total market for all channels.

For businesses on crowded online platforms like Etsy, a key growth lever is pursuing traditional retail distribution. Attending trade markets and securing sales reps can open up tens of thousands of physical stores, providing a less competitive channel.

Nike's strategic error was pulling its products from third-party retailers like Foot Locker to focus on direct-to-consumer sales. New Balance capitalized on this by flooding those same stores with its products, scooping up abandoned market share and visibility.

For emerging brands, the path to retail shelf space is indirect. Instead of pitching buyers, focus on building a powerful direct-to-consumer (DTC) business and capturing the attention of younger demographics online. Retailers, desperate to attract these consumers, will then come to you.

Launching during a downturn can be advantageous. With less competition, a compelling story can gain significant PR traction. Larroudé's founders leveraged the 2020 pandemic when other brands were silent, mirroring the retail boom that followed the 2008 crisis.

The 2008 financial crisis wiped out half of Serena & Lily's wholesale retail channel. A timely pivot to a direct-to-consumer catalog not only saved the business from collapse but also ignited massive growth, taking them from $4M to $20M in sales in three years.

While competitors retrenched during the 2008 financial crisis, Lovesack pursued a contrarian growth strategy. Because struggling retailers were more open to making deals, the company aggressively expanded its physical store locations, building a strong platform for growth when the market eventually recovered.