I’m not from Texas nor am I a big fan of country music, so I have never understood the plethora of purchase options or the extensive price range for cowboy boots. However, after reading an article about Paul Hedrick, a young man who took his cowboy boots business, Tecovas, direct-to-consumer, a lightbulb went off in my head — no, I still don’t understand the need for cowboy boots, but I understand why it made sense for Hedrick to have a B2C business.
At Farland Group, I spend a lot of time on calls with clients — learning and understanding what their current strategy is or the new technologies they’re implementing. After reading “Even cowboys love direct-to-consumer fashion,” I instantly remembered a call where a client spoke about B2C and technology, and how it is disrupting the typical B2B2C market. If one thing is clear, it is that technology has made B2C easier than ever; a B2C business can keep their prices low and competitive, while giving consumers direct access via the Internet.
I think more retail and startup companies will begin to follow suit. The “Sharks” from the TV show “Shark Tank” understand this theory too. On Friday nights after my two-year-old has gone to bed, I turn on “Shark Tank.” While the “Sharks” often argue amongst each other, they seem to agree on one thing: If you have an online-only business model that is working well, do not add retail to the mix. It sounds like Hedrick heeded the sharks’ advice without even knowing it — cutting out the middle man with his business Tecovas and keeping it direct-to-consumer.
Cowboy boots aside, there are many other industries waiting to be disrupted by a direct-to-consumer model; the possibilities — including which cowboy boots to buy — are endless.