D2C Dispatch :What’s new this week

The D2C landscape is shifting fast, with platforms evolving, customer behaviour changing, and brands racing to build deeper retention engines. In this edition, we break down what’s shaping the market this week and share how real brands are solving real retention challenges with smart tech.

1. Zepto raises $450 M at $7B valuation amid quick-commerce boom

Quick-commerce leader Zepto secured a massive funding round, reinforcing its dominance as instant delivery gains ground across urban India.
Signal: Quick-commerce is not just grocery anymore, it’s evolving into a multi-category, high-speed retail channel.
Why it matters: If you’re a D2C brand, Zepto’s growth means easier and faster distribution to customers. Tap into quick-commerce to boost conversions and widen your reach, especially for small & frequent purchases.

2. NXTFACE by Naturals Salon launches as a new D2C skincare brand targeting Gen-Z & millennials

Salon-chain Naturals has introduced NXTFACE, their own D2C skincare line, priced affordably and geared for digital-first beauty buyers.
Signal: Legacy offline players are launching digital-first D2C brands; the boundary between offline legacy commerce and new-age D2C is blurring.
Why it matters: For emerging beauty/wellness D2C brands, competition is intensifying. To win, you need strong brand identity, product-market fit, and digital storytelling to stand out against legacy names entering the D2C space.

3. Two Brothers Organic Farms bags ₹110 Cr funding to scale manufacturing and exports

Health-food / organic-produce D2C brand Two Brothers Organic Farms raised big capital from 360 One Asset, Rainmatter and others to expand operations and target global markets.
Signal: Investors continue backing niche, health-/eco-focused D2C brands, not just fashion or beauty.
Why it matters: For brands in food, wellness, or sustainable segments, this validates the opportunity. Demand + capital = favourable ground for scaling production, penetrating niche markets, and expanding reach.

4. D2C brands double down on offline stores, retail leasing by D2C firms hits 18% of total leases in H1 2025

According to a new industry report by CBRE, D2C brands leased nearly 6 lakh sq.ft in retail space in H1 2025, up sharply from previous periods. Fashion/apparel dominate the trend.
Signal: The “online-only” D2C model is evolving, brands are embracing omnichannel, using offline presence to boost brand visibility, trust & reach.
Why it matters: As a D2C leader or marketer, you should consider blending digital + physical strategies. Offline stores can reduce acquisition cost, increase trust for new customers, and serve as experiential touchpoints.

News aside, here’s something interesting we’ve been working on: a lot of D2C brands lose repeat sales not because of product issues, but because customers simply… forget. This week’s case study shows how one brand turned that human behaviour into an opportunity, and built a system Shopify couldn’t.

Boxup : Event Reminder System That Drives Repeat Purchases

Gifting is emotional. But remembering to buy gifts? Not so much.
Boxup noticed a major pattern: customers loved their products, but they weren’t returning as often as expected. Why?
Not because they didn’t want to, but because life gets busy and people simply forget the occasions they shop for.

Birthdays. Anniversaries. Rakhi. Diwali.
All high-intent moments… easily missed.

So Boxup approached us with a question:
“Can we remind customers of upcoming events in a personalised, automated way?”
The catch:
Shopify doesn’t support this natively. At all.

The Challenge Boxup faced

Boxup wanted a system where users could:

• Save important dates (birthdays, anniversaries, festivals)
• Receive reminders at the right time
• Get nudges with curated product suggestions
• All without relying on any Shopify-native feature
  

The complexity?

• Shopify doesn’t support milestone-event fields
• Klaviyo needs structured data to trigger personalised flows
• Data has to be captured, stored, and synced reliably
• It must work across devices & customer sessions
  

This wasn’t just a “feature.”
It was a completely new capability that had to be built from scratch.

What We Built for Boxup

We worked directly with both Boxup and Klaviyo’s team to architect an end-to-end solution.

The System Includes:

Custom Event Capture

A clean UI that lets users save dates (Birthday, Anniversary, Custom Events). Not as tags. Not as notes. As structured, reusable data.

Klaviyo Data Sync

Every saved date gets pushed into Klaviyo with absolute accuracy, enabling automated flows tied to each event.

Smart Reminder Logic

The system schedules reminders days before the event, not after, ensuring customers have time to shop.

Personalized Product Prompts

Each reminder pulls curated products (e.g., birthday gifts, anniversary boxes, festive combos), increasing relevance and conversions.

The Impact

Even before full rollout, the results look extremely promising:

• Higher repeat purchase probability, customers now get timely nudges from Boxup
• Greater CLTV through personalised milestone marketing
• Reduced dependency on festive seasons, Boxup now has a year-round engagement engine
• A new customer habit loop, users actively save dates when they buy
  

Most importantly:
Boxup is now building a relationship, not just transactions.

In a Nutshell

Data-driven reminders = higher lifetime value.
With a custom-built flow syncing live into Klaviyo, Boxup now has a retention engine Shopify simply couldn’t provide on its own.

At FarziEngineer, we build the tech that makes retention feel effortless, and profitable.

If you’re wondering what opportunities your brand is missing, we can help.
We prepare a CRO + Business Analysis Blueprint for every brand we work with, highlighting leaks, revenue opportunities, and the exact features that will move your retention and conversions.
Schedule a call with us by filling out the form – let’s map out what we can build for you.

Build Better by FarziEngineer

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