2025 DTC Trends: Insights from Chargeflow’s Expert Panel

This is a recap of Chargeflow’s second annual “Shaping the Future of DTC” webinar, where ten eCommerce and marketing leaders came together to answer one big question: what will it take to grow in 2025?

The message was clear: success won’t hinge on hacks or paid channels. It will require clarity, resilience, and a sharper focus on what customers actually care about. Across two interactive panels, operators, marketers, and founders broke down what’s changing, and what smart brands are doing to stay ahead.

What Today’s Shoppers Actually Want

Consumers are more cautious and selective. Brands can’t rely on clever messaging alone. They need to show value fast.

Alexa Kilroy of Fermat summed it up well: “You want your product to feel like medicine, not a vitamin.” Today’s shoppers prioritize urgent, essential, or emotionally satisfying products over nice-to-haves.

Zoe Kahn of Inevitable Agency emphasized that trust has become everything: “If your content doesn’t build trust instantly,” she said, “your CAC is going to keep climbing.”

Takeaway: Build fast trust through clarity, not polish. Sell the outcome, not just the offer.

Where Ads Still Work (and Where They Don’t)

Ad platforms haven’t disappeared, but their effectiveness depends on where and how you use them.

Mia Healy of Triple Whale shared that TikTok is excelling with impulse purchases for lower-priced items, while Pinterest is winning for visually driven, higher-consideration categories like home goods and fashion.

“The ad creative has to match how people are feeling, not just who they are.”

Nick Sharma of Sharma Brands emphasized the need for cultural nuance when expanding globally:

“Different cultures respond differently to the same message. You can’t just duplicate your strategy internationally; it needs to be adapted to how people think and buy.”

Takeaway: Align platform, mindset, and creative. Test more, guess less.

How to Adapt Your Supply Chain (Without Panic)

Tariffs and shifting trade policies are pressuring merchants more than ever, but overhauls aren’t the answer.

“Things are changing by the hour. You don’t need a full overhaul, just options,” said Healy.

Her sourcing playbook (in response to ongoing tariff and trade pressures):

• Revisit outdated supplier contracts
• Use tariff-friendly design tweaks
• Pilot production runs in alternate regions like India or Mexico

Alexa Kilroy also noted how some brands are responding to tariffs on the front end: running “tariff sales,” adding checkout surcharges, or doing nothing at all. Her advice?

“Please A/B test before you roll out tariff surcharges. Consumers are wary.”

Takeaway: Flexibility beats reaction. Add optionality before making big changes.

Why Retention Beats Acquisition in 2025

Retention isn’t just cost-effective; it’s the key to long-term profitability.

Ellie Weiss of Yotpo said it best: “Stop treating loyal customers like strangers.”

That means loyalty programs should feel rewarding, not generic. And SMS should start real conversations, not just trigger offers.

Eli Weiss added a CX lens: “The idea that customers don’t have to fight with a chatbot to fix an order… that’s a win.”

Ebuka Chukwuaonwe of Gorgias built on that, noting, “Support is no longer reactive. The brands winning in 2025 are thinking about CX as a conversion tool, not just a cost center.”

Takeaway: Don’t just keep customers: equip them. Empowerment drives loyalty.

The Future of Getting Paid

Payments are evolving fast, and with them, the strategies that safeguard revenue.

“The next big shift isn’t just in marketing; it’s in how you get paid.” (Dan Moshkovich of Chargeflow)

He highlighted trends like real-time payments, stablecoins, and automated dispute recovery from payment service providers. With rising fraud and tighter margins, proactive revenue protection isn’t optional; it’s a growth lever.

Ronak Shah of Obvi shared how automation has transformed how his team handles disputes:

“We win 6 out of 10 chargebacks. A year ago, we were only winning 2 out of 10. Now, I don’t even have to think about chargebacks, that’s the point.”

That kind of turnaround comes from filing compelling evidence on every case, which keeps a brand’s chargeback ratio in check.

Takeaway: Your financial stack is now a performance channel. Treat it like one.

What AI Means for Discovery and Growth

Jonathan Snow of Avenue Z explained how generative AI is reshaping product discovery, from search to recommendation. As AI moves from discovery to autonomous buying, brands are also weighing new AI agent chargeback liability and agentic commerce chargebacks questions.

Meanwhile, Taylor Holiday of Common Thread Collective reminded us that marketing should be tied to business fundamentals:

“Most brands don’t need more growth; they need more predictability.”

Takeaway: Plan for visibility in an AI-first ecosystem and align teams around financial outcomes.

Meet the Speakers

Alexa Kilroy
Director of Marketing, Fermat

Zoe Kahn

CEO & Founder, Inevitable Agency

Mia Healy

Director of Tech Partnerships, Triple Whale

Ellie Weiss

VP of Retention, Yotpo

Ebuka Chukwuaonwe

Partner Manager, Gorgias

Dan Moshkovich

VP of Marketing, Chargeflow

Dov Carpe

Host & Strategic Partnerships, Chargeflow

Jonathan Snow

Co-Founder, Avenue Z

Taylor Holiday

CEO, Common Thread Collective

Ronak Shah

Co-Founder & CEO, Obvi

Nick Sharma

Founder & CEO, Sharma Brands

11 Quotes That Captured the Moment

1. "Your product needs to feel like medicine, not a vitamin." (Alexa Kilroy, Fermat)
2. "If your content doesn’t build trust instantly, your CAC is going to keep climbing." (Zoe Kahn, Inevitable Agency)
3. "Things are changing by the hour, you don’t need a full overhaul, just options." (Mia Healy, Triple Whale)
4. "The idea that customers don’t have to fight with a chatbot to fix an order… that’s a win." (Eli Weiss, CX & Retention Leader)
5. "In 2025, your tech stack is only as strong as its weakest integration." (Mia Healy, Triple Whale)
6. "We’re not just talking about trends, we’re talking about survival." (Dov Carpe, Chargeflow)
7. "The next big shift isn’t in marketing; it’s in how you get paid." (Dan Moshkovich, Chargeflow)
8. "Generative AI is already reshaping how people discover and buy." (Jonathan Snow, Avenue Z)
9. "Most brands don’t need more growth; they need more predictability." (Taylor Holiday, Common Thread Collective)
10. "We win 6 out of 10 chargebacks. A year ago, it was 2 out of 10. Now, I don’t even think about chargebacks, that’s the point." (Ronak Shah, Obvi)
11. "Different cultures respond differently to the same message. You can’t just duplicate your strategy internationally; it needs to be adapted to how people think and buy." (Nick Sharma, Sharma Brands)

Want to watch the full webinar replay? Check it out:

Part 1, Part 2

FAQ

What is Chargeflow’s “Shaping the Future of DTC” webinar?

It’s Chargeflow’s second annual webinar, bringing together ten eCommerce and marketing leaders to discuss what it takes for direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands to grow in 2025, covering trust, advertising, supply chains, retention, payments, and AI.

Which ad platforms are working best for DTC brands in 2025?

According to Mia Healy of Triple Whale, TikTok performs well for impulse purchases on lower-priced items, while Pinterest works better for visually driven, higher-consideration categories like home goods and fashion.

How should DTC brands respond to tariffs and supply chain pressure?

Rather than a full overhaul, Mia Healy of Triple Whale recommends revisiting outdated supplier contracts, using tariff-friendly design tweaks, and piloting production runs in alternate regions like India or Mexico. Alexa Kilroy of Fermat adds that brands should A/B test any tariff surcharges before rolling them out, since consumers are wary of price changes.

How much has automation improved chargeback win rates for DTC brands?

Ronak Shah, Co-Founder and CEO of Obvi, said his team’s chargeback win rate improved from 2 out of 10 disputes a year ago to 6 out of 10 after adopting automated dispute recovery and filing compelling evidence on every case.

Why do panelists say retention matters more than acquisition in 2025?

Ellie Weiss, VP of Retention at Yotpo, and Ebuka Chukwuaonwe, Partner Manager at Gorgias, argued that brands should equip loyal customers rather than just retain them, using rewarding loyalty programs, real SMS conversations, and customer experience as a conversion tool rather than a cost center.

How is AI changing product discovery for DTC brands?

Jonathan Snow, Co-Founder of Avenue Z, said generative AI is reshaping how consumers discover and evaluate products, moving from traditional search toward AI-driven recommendation and, eventually, autonomous buying.