$425 Chocolate Wrapper, Main Event x UFC bars, and strong POV campaigns

Welcome back DTC fam,

Exciting brands in the space that are moving fast and gearing up for a massive Q4.

If things are heating up for you as an operator or founder and you want to make sure you’re heading in the right direction, jump over to 1800DTC.com. We’ve curated the exact tools, brands, and agencies powering the top DTC brands.

Let’s get to it:

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Hitting retail as a CPG brand. A huge goal.

You’ve seen the posts. A founder in front of the shelves, hundreds of likes on LinkedIn. Comments going nuts. Maybe a billboard in Times Square.

After that, there’s not much about the first 90 days on shelf, and even less about the day-to-day operational reality.

Take a retail audit. It’s how the retailer verifies you’re holding up your end of the agreement. Fail and it can mean chargebacks, and repeated failures put the relationship at risk. There’s a whole checklist to consider.

Retailers don’t care what your stack looks like: they care your ASN matches what shipped, lot codes trace end-to-end, and OTIF hits their number by SKU and DC.

This is what DOSS’s Operations Cloud is built to solve. It unifies inventory, procurement, orders, and 3PL data on one layer, so the records your retailer asks for are ready.

If your brand is preparing for a launch or in your first year on shelf, we’re connecting you with Evan from the DOSS team for a chat. Verve Coffee Roasters and Spread the Love saw why it worked. You’ll probably land in the same place after a call.

[ in the news ]

Rachel Comey x UNREAL Snacks

The designer Rachel Comey just cleverly transformed a chocolate wrapper into a $425 clutch — bringing "good taste" to NYFW (literally).

It's called the Coco Bag, and it's a collaboration with UNREAL Snacks based on the shared belief that just because something is a fit for everyday, doesn’t mean it has to be ordinary. (Because if there's one thing I know, it's that we all need a bit more daily joy).

The Coco Bag turns the familiar chocolate wrapper inside-out to create a fashion accessory that’s as unexpected on the outside as it is functional on the inside.

Rothy’s POV Campaign

Rothy’s debuted "Point of View," a series of intimate video portraits featuring Mamie Gummer (actress; Meryl Streep's daughter), Malika Andrews (Emmy Award-winning sports journalist), Coco Mellors (NYT bestselling author), and 13 other subjects across fashion, culture, journalism, literature and film.

Each was asked one question: “What do you know for sure?” Their answers form the creative backbone of the series, all to celebrate its 10th anniversary.

What this means for DTC operators:

You don’t have to follow the same trends as everyone else. The brands that stand out are the ones that plant their flag and lead rather than follow along.

Your ramen just got an upgrade

Fly by Jing is getting spicy with their noodles.

Made with authentic Chinese sauces, these guys are building a strong brand with:

• advent calendars
• premium sauces
• branded swag and merch

Smart playbook to run when most brands would just stick to the noodles.

Final Boss Sour enters Walmart

Final Boss Sour dominates the pixel-first branding, creating characters and worlds inside their brand. And now, they’re inside Walmart.

They recently dropped a killer promo video to announce the move.

Great push with BFCM right around the corner.

On-target branding and creating a strong association between your style, mission, and customers is only getting more and more important in DTC.

[ brands we’re watching ]

Azuna

Inc. announced its list of the 5000 Fastest-Growing Private Companies in America, and Azuna was listed at #224. With their product-first strategy in scaling a DTC brand and with the fall season in mind…

Azuna launched three new seasonal scents:

• Autumn Sage: Fresh sage, crisp lime, and warm palo santo
• Pumpkin Spice: Fresh pumpkin, warm cinnamon, and nutmeg
• Apple Pie: Crisp apples and warm cinnamon

All three are available in Azuna’s long-lasting Odor Eliminating Gel (designed for our Luxe Glass jars) and our Ultra Mist Spray (for quick room refreshes). You can purchase all products on Azuna’s website, Amazon, and Fresh Thyme Market for those shopping in-store.

Main Event

Think protein bars smashed with nutritional experts at the UFC Performance Institute.

That’s what Main Event Protein Bars is coming to the arena with.

Built over 18 months alongside UFC Performance Institute nutritionists, performance experts, and PhDs to meet the standards of elite athletes (without compromising on taste). The result is a bar with 20g of high-quality protein, 0g sugar alcohols, no seed oils, functional ingredients for focus and recovery, and taste and texture that deliver.

Our team tried them: “Love the crunch, it wasn’t as heavy as other protein bars (and no typical protein taste)”.

Matcha DNA

Matcha DNA, the brand turning matcha into a pop culture moment, is now officially on shelves nationwide, bringing the same convenience that made it the #1 most sold culinary matcha on Amazon US and a TikTok favorite to retail.

The numbers say it all:

$4M+ in annual sales, 2 million+ units sold lifetime, and 25,000+ Amazon reviews averaging 4.4 stars.

[ quick hits ]

Humann → Superbeats are “the #1 cardiologist-recommended beet brand for heart health support”. Check them out if you’re deep in the health and wellness game.

Wizard Wellness → Raises $1M. Already in Walmart, CVS and Target

Dyson → Drops their first AI + Camera toothbrush

Petit Pot → Locks in 7-figure Series A, redefining what’s in the fridge

AI in DTC → AI for our customers combined with November shopping is going to get wild.

See you Thursday,

Zach and 1800DTC Team 1800DTC.com

P.S Know a DTC brand or founder that needs the latest in the space? Get em’ on over.