Mon 06 Apr — Multi-channel is the default now (ops first)

Primary Audience: West Midlands DTC founder

Summary: Multi-channel growth (own site + marketplaces + wholesale) is normal now, and the operational work has to come before the commercial push.

Suggested Posting Day: Monday

If you’re trying to grow DTC in 2026 with just “a website and a courier”… you’re already behind.

Multi-channel isn’t a fancy strategy anymore.

It’s the default.

Own site.

A marketplace.

Maybe a retail partner.

Sometimes all three at once.

Here’s what I see from a Birmingham depot:

founders obsess over ads and creative, then act surprised when ops falls over the minute they add a second channel.

A recent UK retail survey had 53% of leaders calling fulfilment and delivery costs a barrier to growth. (International Logistics Group)

That’s not because everyone suddenly got bad at marketing.

It’s because the operational complexity is real.

Mini-example.

A West Midlands brand starts on Shopify.

Then they switch on Amazon and take a small wholesale order.

Within two weeks they’re fighting:

Practical takeaway:

Before you add a new channel, write a one-page “rules of the road” for inventory, dispatch cut-offs, and returns.

If you can’t explain it simply, you can’t run it at volume.

When you added your second channel, what broke first: stock accuracy, dispatch, or returns?