DTC brands are finding growth with older customers

A growing number of direct-to-consumer brands are discovering that their largest growth audience isn’t who they initially thought it would be.

While a number of early, venture-backed DTC brands like Away, Warby Parker and Casper built their brands by targeting millennials, the latest generation of DTC brands is trying to reach a more comprehensive set of customers. In turn, some brands are finding that they are seeing more growth from older customers than they initially expected — and they are tailoring their marketing tactics, product development and overall messaging accordingly.

For example, baby food startup Little Spoon recently identified an influx of grandparents ordering its products. And charcuterie board delivery service Boarderie has found that it is increasingly Baby Boomer moms who are gifting its charcuterie boards, not just millennials self-purchasing the Instagram-worthy assortments. These customer cohorts have helped fuel significant sales growth at a time when many brands are struggling to reach the right customers digitally.

For Little Spoon, grandparents have quietly become one of the brand’s most passionate customer segments. Caryn Wasser, chief brand officer at Little Spoon, attributes this to more grandparents taking on caregiving responsibilities for their grandchildren. “Food decisions for a baby usually involve more than one generation,” she said. The company started to pick up on the trend earlier this year.

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