Recess CEO Benjamin Witte: I reject the idea that being on Amazon hurts your brand

Witte says direct-to-consumer sales, as measured by weekly revenue run rate, are up 4X since before COVID-19, and average order value is up 30%. It recently launched subscriptions, which now represent more than 30% of orders. And the company’s “direct-to-business” wholesale e-commerce channel is up 3X since April, which has helped Recess get into s... See more

But Recess has faced an even bigger retail growth challenge since the beginning: While CBD has attracted a lot of attention and investment, it’s still a legal gray area, and national chains like Whole Foods and Target won’t stock it. Witte says he still spends about half his time working on regulation.

These data highlight the resilience of independent retail in a world where Amazon has grown its market share over time. Among the reasons for this: Independent retailers are nimble and provide a differentiated value proposition from vertical to vertical. The retail businesses most negatively impacted by the acceleration of e-commerce are midsize an... See more