Lienhard, Severin DominicSeverin DominicLienhard2023-04-132023-04-132023-02-20https://www.alexandria.unisg.ch/handle/20.500.14171/107730Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) strategies are among the key trends and growth opportunities currently employed for established consumer goods manufacturers. However, in order to achieve the desired success in D2C, established consumer goods manufacturers need new skills. This is because developing this sales channel is fundamentally different from selling through intermediaries. Therefore, the author addressed the following overarching research question: How can established consumer goods manufacturers build D2C capabilities to achieve success in D2C strategies? For this purpose, a systematic literature review was carried out in a first step, compiling the literature on D2C and classifying it into four categories. In the first article, the authors Severin Lienhard, Prof. Dr. Marcus Schögel, and Angela Boppart examined the prerequisites for D2C strategies of established consumer goods manufacturers. The results showed that commitment, capabilities, and customer transformation management and culture are the central prerequisites. In the second article, the authors Marcel Härtlein, Pascal Mühlheim, Dominic Bolliger, and Severin Lienhard addressed the phenomenon that D2C strategies cannot necessarily be used only for selling, but also for learning. In the third article, the authors Severin Lienhard, Martin Berger, and Prof. Dr. Marcus Schögel explored the strategic options for dealing with D2C. Four options (engage, expand, build, buy) are possible, with further design levels within these four strategic options as well. In the fourth article, Severin Lienhard focused on the dynamic capabilities of own D2C brands of established consumer goods manufacturers, demonstrating that these D2C brands can pursue different goals. In addition, the similar and different dynamic capabilities of the different cases were shown. In the fifth article, Severin Lienhard examined the dynamic capabilities of established manufacturers and existing brands. Ten overarching dynamic capabili-ties along sensing, seizing, and reconfiguring capacities could be defined as well as propositions derived. In the sixth article, Prof. Dr. Marcus Schögel and Severin Lienhard investigated the implementation of offline store concepts in the context of the emerging cashierless stores. The authors identified four purchase stages. Finally, the author has compiled the findings from the literature and the six articles in the form of detailed conclusions. To this end, he developed the D2C Strategy Excellence Guide that enables managers to build and further develop D2C strategies.enMarketing; Vertrieb; Strategie; Direktvertrieb; EDIS-5297; Strategy; MarketingSales; Vertical Integration; Direct-to-Consumerdoctoral thesis