🛍️ End-Demand Layer

Direct-to-Consumer

Industries that interact directly with end consumers, bypassing distribution intermediaries. Customer experience, brand loyalty, and demand-side pricing power are structurally stronger here than at any other chain position — but so is direct exposure to shifts in consumer demand.

Downstream relationships include direct end-retail sale to consumers, or the industry falls within accommodation and food service (ISIC 5500–5699).
116 Member Industries
3.5 Highest Risk Score
422 Total Profiled Industries

What is a Direct-to-Consumer Industry?

Direct-to-Consumer industries sell straight to the end buyer, with no distributor or retail intermediary standing between the industry and the customer relationship. Dairy processors selling through their own retail presence, restaurants, and accommodation providers all share this shape: the transaction, the brand relationship, and the pricing decision all happen in the same place, without a channel partner setting terms in between.

That direct contact is a structural advantage unavailable to an End-Market Supplier or Mid-Chain Processor: pricing power, brand equity, and customer data all accrue directly to the industry rather than being captured or filtered by an intermediary. It is also the position with the most direct exposure to consumer sentiment — there is no channel partner absorbing the first shock of a demand shift.

Pricing Power Comes With Direct Exposure

Because there's no intermediary between the industry and the customer, Direct-to-Consumer industries can generally command better pricing and margin than a comparable End-Market Supplier selling the same underlying product through a channel. That pricing power is real, but it is earned by carrying risk that a channel-mediated business doesn't: demand volatility, reputational exposure, and customer acquisition cost all land directly on the industry rather than being shared with a distributor.

The strategic implication is that Direct-to-Consumer industries should be judged less on production efficiency alone and more on their ability to build durable customer relationships — brand strength, repeat-purchase behaviour, and customer experience quality are the assets that convert direct market access into sustained pricing power rather than one-off transactions.

Pricing Power Is Structural, Not Just Earned

Direct-to-Consumer industries start with a structural pricing advantage that other chain positions have to build deliberately — direct control of the customer relationship, with no intermediary setting terms in between.

The Same Directness That Creates Power Creates Exposure

Because there's no channel partner absorbing the first shock of a demand shift, Direct-to- Consumer industries feel changes in consumer sentiment, discretionary spending, and brand perception faster and more directly than any other chain position in this framework.

116 Member Industries

Ranked by overall GTIAS risk score, highest to lowest.

# Industry Risk Score
1 ISIC 2520 Manufacture of weapons and ammunition
3.5
2 ISIC 2640 Manufacture of consumer electronics
3.4
3 ISIC 4661 Wholesale of solid, liquid and gaseous fuels and related products
3.3
4 ISIC 0311 Marine fishing
3.2
5 ISIC 1010 Processing and preserving of meat
3.2
6 ISIC 1410 Manufacture of wearing apparel, except fur apparel
3.2
7 ISIC 3510 Electric power generation, transmission and distribution
3.2
8 ISIC 1079 Manufacture of other food products n.e.c.
3.1
9 ISIC 1080 Manufacture of prepared animal feeds
3.1
10 ISIC 3520 Manufacture of gas; distribution of gaseous fuels through mains
3.1
11 ISIC 4641 Wholesale of textiles, clothing and footwear
3.1
12 ISIC 52 Warehousing and support activities for transportation
3.1
13 ISIC 6020 Television programming and broadcasting activities
3.1
14 ISIC 8530 Higher education
3.1
15 ISIC 0126 Growing of oleaginous fruits
3
16 ISIC 0127 Growing of beverage crops
3
17 ISIC 0141 Raising of cattle and buffaloes
3
18 ISIC 0145 Raising of swine/pigs
3
19 ISIC 0146 Raising of poultry
3
20 ISIC 1020 Processing and preserving of fish, crustaceans and molluscs
3
21 ISIC 1040 Manufacture of vegetable and animal oils and fats
3
22 ISIC 1050 Manufacture of dairy products
3
23 ISIC 1073 Manufacture of cocoa, chocolate and sugar confectionery
3
24 ISIC 1075 Manufacture of prepared meals and dishes
3
25 ISIC 1101 Distilling, rectifying and blending of spirits
3
26 ISIC 2023 Manufacture of soap and detergents, cleaning and polishing preparations, perfumes and toilet preparations
3
27 ISIC 2750 Manufacture of domestic appliances
3
28 ISIC 3212 Manufacture of imitation jewellery and related articles
3
29 ISIC 3230 Manufacture of sports goods
3
30 ISIC 3240 Manufacture of games and toys
3
31 ISIC 4100 Construction of buildings
3
32 ISIC 4620 Wholesale of agricultural raw materials and live animals
3
33 ISIC 4719 Other retail sale in non-specialized stores
3
34 ISIC 4759 Retail sale of electrical household appliances, furniture, lighting equipment and other household articles in specialized stores
3
35 ISIC 5913 Motion picture, video and television programme distribution activities
3
36 ISIC 9200 Gambling and betting activities
3
37 ISIC 0149 Raising of other animals
2.9
38 ISIC 0321 Marine aquaculture
2.9
39 ISIC 1103 Manufacture of malt liquors and malt
2.9
40 ISIC 1430 Manufacture of knitted and crocheted apparel
2.9
41 ISIC 3012 Building of pleasure and sporting boats
2.9
42 ISIC 4510 Sale of motor vehicles
2.9
43 ISIC 4630 Wholesale of food, beverages and tobacco
2.9
44 ISIC 4711 Retail sale in non-specialized stores with food, beverages or tobacco predominating
2.9
45 ISIC 4763 Retail sale of sporting equipment in specialized stores
2.9
46 ISIC 5510 Short term accommodation activities
2.9
47 ISIC 5629 Other food service activities
2.9
48 ISIC 5813 Publishing of newspapers, journals and periodicals
2.9
49 ISIC 0111 Growing of cereals (except rice), leguminous crops and oil seeds
2.8
50 ISIC 0128 Growing of spices, aromatic, drug and pharmaceutical crops
2.8
51 ISIC 0142 Raising of horses and other equines
2.8
52 ISIC 1030 Processing and preserving of fruit and vegetables
2.8
53 ISIC 1074 Manufacture of macaroni, noodles, couscous and similar farinaceous products
2.8
54 ISIC 1104 Manufacture of soft drinks; production of mineral waters and other bottled waters
2.8
55 ISIC 1399 Manufacture of other textiles n.e.c.
2.8
56 ISIC 1420 Manufacture of articles of fur
2.8
57 ISIC 1511 Tanning and dressing of leather; dressing and dyeing of fur
2.8
58 ISIC 1520 Manufacture of footwear
2.8
59 ISIC 1820 Reproduction of recorded media
2.8
60 ISIC 2818 Manufacture of power-driven hand tools
2.8
61 ISIC 3092 Manufacture of bicycles and invalid carriages
2.8
62 ISIC 3100 Manufacture of furniture
2.8
63 ISIC 4390 Other specialized construction activities
2.8
64 ISIC 4649 Wholesale of other household goods
2.8
65 ISIC 4722 Retail sale of beverages in specialized stores
2.8
66 ISIC 4753 Retail sale of carpets, rugs, wall and floor coverings in specialized stores
2.8
67 ISIC 4799 Other retail sale not in stores, stalls or markets
2.8
68 ISIC 5610 Restaurants and mobile food service activities
2.8
69 ISIC 5621 Event catering
2.8
70 ISIC 5820 Software publishing
2.8
71 ISIC 7500 Veterinary activities
2.8
72 ISIC 7912 Tour operator activities
2.8
73 ISIC 9103 Botanical and zoological gardens and nature reserves activities
2.8
74 ISIC 9311 Operation of sports facilities
2.8
75 ISIC 0112 Growing of rice
2.7
76 ISIC 0124 Growing of pome fruits and stone fruits
2.7
77 ISIC 0163 Post-harvest crop activities
2.7
78 ISIC 1200 Manufacture of tobacco products
2.7
79 ISIC 1391 Manufacture of knitted and crocheted fabrics
2.7
80 ISIC 1392 Manufacture of made-up textile articles, except apparel
2.7
81 ISIC 1393 Manufacture of carpets and rugs
2.7
82 ISIC 1702 Manufacture of corrugated paper and paperboard and of containers of paper and paperboard
2.7
83 ISIC 1811 Printing
2.7
84 ISIC 2652 Manufacture of watches and clocks
2.7
85 ISIC 3091 Manufacture of motorcycles
2.7
86 ISIC 3290 Other manufacturing n.e.c.
2.7
87 ISIC 4520 Maintenance and repair of motor vehicles
2.7
88 ISIC 4911 Passenger rail transport, interurban
2.7
89 ISIC 5920 Sound recording and music publishing activities
2.7
90 ISIC 9321 Activities of amusement parks and theme parks
2.7
91 ISIC 0121 Growing of grapes
2.6
92 ISIC 0143 Raising of camels and camelids
2.6
93 ISIC 0230 Gathering of non-wood forest products
2.6
94 ISIC 1312 Weaving of textiles
2.6
95 ISIC 1512 Manufacture of luggage, handbags and the like, saddlery and harness
2.6
96 ISIC 1622 Manufacture of builders' carpentry and joinery
2.6
97 ISIC 1812 Service activities related to printing
2.6
98 ISIC 3220 Manufacture of musical instruments
2.6
99 ISIC 4781 Retail sale via stalls and markets of food, beverages and tobacco products
2.6
100 ISIC 5590 Other accommodation
2.6
101 ISIC 5914 Motion picture projection activities
2.6
102 ISIC 8292 Packaging activities
2.6
103 ISIC 8430 Compulsory social security activities
2.6
104 ISIC 9319 Other sports activities
2.6
105 ISIC 9329 Other amusement and recreation activities n.e.c.
2.6
106 ISIC 1071 Manufacture of bakery products
2.5
107 ISIC 4752 Retail sale of hardware, paints and glass in specialized stores
2.5
108 ISIC 5520 Camping grounds, recreational vehicle parks and trailer parks
2.5
109 ISIC 5630 Beverage serving activities
2.5
110 ISIC 8030 Investigation activities
2.5
111 ISIC 9529 Repair of other personal and household goods
2.5
112 ISIC 4761 Retail sale of books, newspapers and stationary in specialized stores
2.4
113 ISIC 5819 Other publishing activities
2.4
114 ISIC 7722 Renting of video tapes and disks
2.4
115 ISIC 9601 Washing and (dry-) cleaning of textile and fur products
2.4
116 ISIC 9820 Undifferentiated service-producing activities of private households for own use
1.7