Owning the Relationship: Direct vs. Curated Routes to Market

As channels proliferate, the question is no longer whether brands should choose direct or partner routes, but how to strike the right balance between control, reach, relevance, and credibility. In this session, executives will share how they are making these trade-offs in practice: where wholesale is being recalibrated, where DTC investment is being defended, and how brands are using curated retail partners, from specialty boutiques to leading multi-brand platforms, to extend reach without compromising brand experience. You will leave with a more sophisticated framework for building the right channel architecture in a market that increasingly punishes both over-distribution and under-investment in the direct relationship.