How data – not agencies – drives Wayfair’s $1-billion marketing program

Geoffrey Precourt

Wayfair, the online retailer, has rapidly grown into a significant marketer, both in terms of its budgets and in its approach to innovation.

Direct-to-consumer retailer Wayfair cracked the Fortune 500 in 2019 – checking in at number 446 – driven in large part by a reported $1-billion investment in marketing.

The company offers 14 million items from more than 11,000 global suppliers through its eponymous Wayfair website, as well as a list of affiliate digital brands including Joss & Main, AllModern, Birch Lane, and Perigold.

Last year, the company’s revenues totalled $2.3 billion, a 36% increase from 2018. And, according to Barron’s, “Active customers in Wayfair’s direct retail business grew to 19.1 million, up 38% year over year. And repeat customers accounted...

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