• by Sarah Mahoney , Staff Writer @mahoney_sarah, January 3, 2023

Last year, the D2C universe had plenty of unsettling news. Publicly traded companies lost their luster, and some -- like Peloton, Glossier and Casper -- spent lots of time fending off negative press. Venture funding dried up. And the stampede to retail turned out not to be the road to salvation after all, as the pandemic continued to reshape foot traffic.

So it's not surprising that D2C Insider readers pushed a few of those pieces to the top of the year's "most read" pile. Those include "Good News? Peloton, Warby Parker And Allbirds Slash Jobs" (No. 4); "Research: What's Behind Declining Interest In D2C?" (No. 6) and" Glossier And Peloton Stumble, Cut Jobs, Revaluate Strategies" (No. 8.)

More surprising, though, is the high levels of estrogen surging through the balance of the list. Fashion and beauty brands represent an estimated 70% of all D2C businesses, and that female focus shows in our top stories.

"New Demi Moore Line Helps Andie Swimwear Sharpen Its Focus" is the most-read D2C column of the year detailing how Moore, an early investor (shown in image above) has helped it find its footing.

"25-Year-Old Viv CEO Talks Gen Z, Brand Advocacy" ranked second, as young Katie Diasti shared the company's approach to combining sales of period products with its strong sustainability message.

In "SCOTUS Sets Off D2C Marketing Scramble In Massive Birth Control Biz" (the third most-read story), readers dug into what brands like Favor and Stix are doing to protect their business models with pro-choice ads and novel media strategies.

"Why Adore Me Keeps Investing In Livestream Commerce" (No. 5) explored this popular brand's growth via social commerce. (Victoria's Secret recently acquired AdoreMe.)

And "Rothy's Rolls Out First-Ever Brand Awareness Campaign" (No. 10) detailed why this fashion company felt it was time to move to a more mature marketing mix.

Readers also liked new campaign stories from "Zocdoc Adds Sass To Healthcare Search" (No. 7), and" Fair Harbor Launches Its First Ad Campaign, Touting Chafe-Free Swim Trunks" (No. 9.)