DNVB and the Circular Economy?

For the past decade, a new entrepreneurial model has been establishing itself in the brand landscape: DNVBs, or Digital Native Vertical Brands.

Born on the internet, designed for digital, and often obsessed with customer experience, these brands are disrupting the codes of traditional distribution.

But behind this digital success, we see another dimension emerging, more sustainable, more committed: their natural compatibility with the circular economy.

Why DNVBs are revolutionizing responsible consumption

DNVBs don't just sell online. They completely rethink the brand-consumer relationship.

This disruptive approach gives them unique advantages for integrating sustainable practices from their inception.

DNVB Advantage	Impact on circular economy
Total chain control	Flow optimization, waste reduction
Direct customer relationship	Education on responsible practices
Structural agility	Rapid adaptation to sustainable challenges
Data-driven	Precise measurement of environmental impact

The key questions we'll explore

How do these young brands reconcile commerce and environmental consciousness?

We'll analyze the concrete strategies implemented by leading DNVBs to combine economic performance with positive impact.

Why are they so well positioned to embody more sober and responsible consumption?

Their native digital structure gives them structural advantages that traditional brands struggle to match.

How does their very structure facilitate the adoption of circular practices?

From product design to customer relations, every step of their model favors the integration of sustainable principles.

What exactly is a DNVB?

Let's start with the basics: DNVB stands for Digital Native Vertical Brand.

In other words, brands born on the internet, which master their entire value chain – from product design to delivery to the end customer.

No intermediary, no distributor. These brands are also called "Direct To Consumer" (DTC).

The distinctive characteristics of the DNVB model

The DNVB model differs radically from traditional approaches through several fundamental aspects:

Aspect	DNVB/DTC	Traditional model
Distribution	Direct to consumer	Via distributors/retailers
Quality control	Total across the entire chain	Shared with partners
Customer relationship	Direct and personalized	Filtered by intermediaries
Agility	Rapid testing, easy pivots	Long and rigid processes
Customer data	Complete ownership	Limited or no access
Margins	Optimized without intermediaries	Reduced by commissions
Innovation	Reactive to customer needs	Constrained by distributors

This unique architecture gives DNVBs decisive competitive advantages in a constantly evolving market.

Agility as a catalyst for circular transition

And it's precisely this agility that allows them today to anchor themselves in circular logic.

This structural flexibility becomes a major asset for integrating sustainable practices.

Without the constraints of traditional distribution channels, DNVBs can quickly adapt their processes to circular economy requirements.

Natural compatibility with the circular economy

The circular economy is based on a simple principle: produce less, but better.

It aims to extend product lifespans by favoring their reuse, repair, or recycling.

The goal: avoid waste at every stage of the product lifecycle.

DNVBs: pioneers of the circular economy

When you look closely at DNVBs, you realize they have often integrated these reflexes from their creation.

This natural compatibility is not coincidental. It stems from their very DNA and their fundamentally different business approach.

This synergy is explained by several structural factors that distinguish them from traditional commerce:

• Optimized inventory management: they avoid massive unnecessary stocks through lean flow models
• Ethical positioning focused on transparency, traceability, and waste reduction
• Structural agility: they can quickly pivot toward more sustainable practices without organizational heaviness
• No legacy constraints: no need to reorganize a sprawling logistics chain inherited from the past
• Direct customer relationship: ability to educate and raise awareness about responsible practices
• Innovation by necessity: obligation to differentiate pushes toward creative and sustainable solutions

Comparison of approaches: DNVBs vs Traditional commerce

Criteria	DNVBs	Traditional commerce
Inventory management	Lean flows, production on demand	Massive stocks, overproduction
Product cycle	Durable products, limited collections	Frequent renewal, obsolescence
Transparency	Direct communication on impact	Opacity in the value chain
Adaptability	Rapid pivot toward sustainability	Inertia of existing structures
Customer relationship	Education on responsible practices	Focus on consumption
Innovation	Continuous experimentation	Long and rigid processes
Impact measurement	Integrated sustainability KPIs	Financial indicators priority

Manufacturing less, but manufacturing better

One of the great strengths of DNVBs is that they can produce on demand, or at least in lean flows.

This logic limits unsold items, production surpluses, massive sales that destroy perceived value… and waste.

Innovative models of responsible production

Some brands go further and even launch models based on pre-orders or product crowdfunding.

Asphalte, an emblematic French example, perfectly illustrates this approach. The brand only launches production once orders are collected.

This allows manufacturing only what has been ordered, no more, no less. A real advance in terms of industrial sobriety.

Traditional model	Responsible DNVB model
Mass production → Stock → Sale	Order → Production → Delivery
High risk of unsold items	Zero unsold
Value-destroying sales	Stable price all year
Strong environmental impact	Reduced carbon footprint

Usage economy and integrated services

Others adopt even more circular models that transform the customer relationship.

These approaches revolutionize the traditional shopping experience:

• Subscription model to spread usage over time
• Integrated second-hand (Jimmy Fairly takes back your old glasses)
• Lifetime repair guarantee to maximize usage duration

These long-cycle logics fit perfectly into circular philosophy.

Measurable impact of this transformation

This approach generates concrete and quantifiable results for brands that adopt it.

Measurable benefits of this approach:

• Waste reduction: up to 80% fewer unsold items
• Customer loyalty: 40% higher retention rate
• Cost optimization: 25% savings on storage costs
• Brand image: reinforced premium positioning

Customer relationship: a lever for circularity

Another strength of DNVBs: their proximity to their customers.

This direct relationship allows for easy awareness-raising about more sustainable practices. Brands can thus transform their customers into true actors of circularity.

Encouraged practices include:

• Return of end-of-life products for recycling or refurbishment
• Repair instead of systematic replacement
• Rental or subscription rather than definitive purchase
• Preventive maintenance to extend lifespan

Education as a pillar of circularity

Some brands like Les Récupérables or Le Pavé don't just sell.

They explain, they tell stories, they educate their communities about environmental issues. This educational approach radically transforms the brand-customer relationship.

And this storytelling, well anchored in a strong community relationship, is an integral part of the circular economy.

It restores value to usage, maintenance, transmission rather than pure possession. This philosophy disrupts traditional consumption codes.

Traditional approach	Educational DNVB approach
Sell the product	Transmit values
Unidirectional communication	Dialogue with the community
Focus on possession	Valorization of usage
Systematic replacement	Culture of repair

The example of DNVBs in furniture, tech, or textiles

Furniture sector

The furniture sector is particularly interesting to observe. It perfectly illustrates how DNVBs are reinventing traditional business models.

DNVBs like Move & Rent or Camif propose renting furniture rather than buying it. This approach completely revolutionizes the relationship to ownership in this sector historically based on purchase.

A usage economy logic that perfectly fits the values of new generations. These consumers primarily seek:

• Flexibility in their furniture choices
• Reduced environmental impact
• The ability to change easily according to their needs

More mobile, more conscious of their impact, they prioritize access over ownership. This trend fundamentally transforms the sector's revenue models.

Tech sector

In tech, some DNVBs specializing in smartphone refurbishment build their entire offer on circularity. They transform potential waste into commercial opportunity.

Back Market perfectly illustrates this approach: repair and extension of device lifespans. The platform has democratized the purchase of refurbished tech products by offering:

• Extended warranties on refurbished products
• A rigorous certification process
• Attractive prices (up to -70% vs new)

Others like Murfy for appliances propose subscription to refurbished products. This hybrid model combines circular economy and revenue recurrence.

Textile sector

In textiles, brands like 1083 or Hopaal experiment with recycling their own clothing. This approach goes beyond simple external recycling.

They thus close the loop in a virtuous way, creating a closed ecosystem. The customer becomes an integral part of the brand's circularity process through:

• Used clothing take-back programs
• Transformation into new textile fibers
• Creation of new collections from recycled materials

Comparison of circular models by sector:

Sector	Brand	Circular innovation	Measured impact	Business model
Furniture	Move & Rent	Furniture rental	-70% carbon footprint	Monthly subscription
Furniture	Camif	Usage economy	Facilitated mobility	Rental + services
Tech	Back Market	Smartphone refurbishment	+18 months lifespan	Marketplace + warranty
Tech	Murfy	Appliance subscription	-60% environmental impact	All-inclusive subscription
Textile	1083	Own clothing recycling	Closed loop	Sale + take-back
Textile	Hopaal	100% recycled materials	Zero textile waste	Direct-to-consumer

An agile structure, digital DNA, long-term vision

What makes DNVBs particularly compatible with the circular economy is their ability to test, measure, adjust.

Unlike traditional players, they don't carry the weight of inherited structures.

No chain of stores to restructure. No distributor partners to convince.

They have free hands to experiment with new formats, materials, return circuits, or business models.

Structural assets of DNVBs for circularity

Native digital brands have unique advantages for implementing circular strategies:

• Operational flexibility: rapid pivot toward new models
• Data-driven: precise measurement of each initiative's impact
• Innovation culture: permanent experimentation
• Long-term vision: building sustainable brands

This combination of assets allows them to quickly transform their operations.

Where a traditional brand will take months to validate a change, a DNVB can implement it in a few weeks.

Digital DNA: a circularity accelerator

The digital DNA of DNVBs gives them unique capabilities to create connected circular ecosystems.

They can easily integrate advanced functionalities into their customer journey:

• Real-time product traceability
• Automated return programs
• Integrated second-life marketplace
• Personalized impact scoring

This native digital integration facilitates the emergence of new models like "Product-as-a-Service" or automated take-back programs.

Comparison: DNVBs vs Traditional brands

Criteria	DNVBs	Traditional brands
Decision time	A few weeks	Several months/years
Experimentation cost	Low	High
Resistance to change	Minimal	Strong (legacy systems)
Impact measurement	Real-time	Deferred
Product adaptation	Agile	Rigid
Tech integration	Native	Complex
Innovation culture	Intrinsic	To develop

Long-term vision: building to last

DNVBs don't just optimize the short term.

They build brands designed to span decades, anticipating regulatory and societal evolutions.

This long-term vision naturally pushes them toward sustainable models:

• R&D investment in bio-sourced materials
• Strategic partnerships with circular economy players
• Team training on environmental issues
• Total transparency on product impact