The founders of online mattress company Leesa are launching a marketplace with 100 direct-to-consumer brands like Allbirds, Untuckit and S'well.If it seems like every day you get an Instagram ad for yet another brand you’ve never heard of, you’re not alone.
“Direct-to-consumer brands are springing up left and right. It’s getting harder and harder to discern which brands are fly-by-night and which are quality brands driven by a mission,” says cofounder Matt Hayes, 37. “We are making it our mission to curate a lot of that.” Online marketplace Verishop was started in 2018 by former Snapchat executive Imran Khan to help consumers discover new fashion and beauty brands. The Yes, created this year by Stitch Fix’s former chief operating officer Julia Bornstein, offers shoppers a Tinder-like experience where they swipe yes or no on apparel and then receive personalized recommendations.
At launch, the site will have content on about 100 brands. It plans to introduce a checkout feature next year, allowing shoppers to purchase items without leaving the site. Brands will determine which of their products are available for purchase.