Hawkers wasn’t always a global sunglasses brand with operations across 20 countries. When four Spanish friends started the company with $300, they sold trendy eyewear through social media at prices that undercut luxury brands by two-thirds. The formula worked—so well that by 2016, Alejandro Betancourt López led a €50 million investment and became president to help scale the young company into a retail powerhouse.
That experience—taking a promising startup and building the infrastructure to compete internationally—taught Betancourt López which consumer behaviors matter and which ones fade. He’s applied those lessons across his portfolio, from his early backing of Auro Travel’s ride-sharing service in Spain to his leadership of O’Hara Administration’s investment group.
“Once I start something, I just don’t stop,” Betancourt López said. “I try to see every single option that could turn negative and try to mitigate it beforehand. Even if the idea is great and you have the right people, it’ll always surprise you with things that are not expected.”
The global direct-to-consumer e-commerce market reached $162.91 billion in 2024 and is projected to hit $595.19 billion by 2033. Five patterns have emerged that will define how companies connect with customers through 2025—and Alejandro Betancourt López has firsthand experience with each.
Hyper-Personalization Moves Beyond Basic Recommendations
Generic email blasts and one-size-fits-all product suggestions belong to the past decade. Today’s consumers expect brands to understand their preferences and adjust accordingly. AI-powered personalization is projected to add $24.1 billion to retail by 2028, driven by technology that tracks browsing patterns, purchase history, and real-time behavior.
Hawkers collects data from both its online store and physical locations to tailor what each customer sees. Someone browsing aviator-style frames receives different follow-up recommendations than someone exploring round frames. The system adjusts website displays, email content, and product suggestions based on individual signals rather than broad demographic categories.
The shift extends beyond marketing into operational decisions. Inventory planning, store layouts, and even manufacturing schedules respond to aggregated customer data. Companies without these capabilities face competitive disadvantages as consumers come to expect tailored experiences as standard rather than exceptional.
Younger consumers show more willingness to share personal data in exchange for customization. That creates opportunities for brands that balance personalization with transparent data practices—and risks for those that mishandle customer information.
Physical Stores Make an Unexpected Comeback
The direct-to-consumer playbook promised to eliminate expensive retail locations and sell exclusively online. Many brands discovered that customer acquisition costs on Facebook and Instagram eventually exceeded traditional retail margins. Physical stores emerged as a solution, offering lower acquisition costs and higher transaction values.
Alejandro Betancourt López opened more than 60 Hawkers locations across multiple countries, contradicting the conventional wisdom that digital-native brands should avoid real estate commitments. The decision proved prescient. Deloitte’s 2025 Retail Outlook identifies “accelerating digital transformation/omnichannel capabilities” as a top priority for retail executives.
Stores serve functions beyond transactions. They collect data on try-on behavior, color preferences, and style selections that inform online inventory decisions. Staff interactions reveal customer questions that shape product development. Geographic foot traffic patterns guide expansion decisions.
The economics support the strategy. Customers who shop both online and in stores demonstrate higher lifetime value than single-channel shoppers. Return rates drop when customers examine products before purchasing. Store associates build relationships that generate repeat business.
Hawkers manufactures in Spain, Italy, and China—a three-region approach that enables rapid response to demand shifts in European and American markets while maintaining production cost advantages. The manufacturing footprint supports both e-commerce fulfillment and retail inventory management.
Community Building Replaces Traditional Advertising
Hawkers’ early success came partly from partnerships with college students who had modest social media followings. They received free sunglasses in exchange for authentic content—a strategy that generated millions in earned media value before influencer marketing became standard practice. That “free sunnies” campaign demonstrated how community building could replace expensive advertising.
“We always have been conscious about sustainability, and we know that the market is shifting toward that direction,” Alejandro Betancourt López said. “Everyone is getting more conscious and wanting to understand how the product they buy impacts their life, but also the world and environment as well.”
That consciousness extends beyond environmental concerns into how brands communicate. Two-way engagement between companies and customers is replacing one-directional advertising. User-generated content, ambassador programs, and interactive campaigns deepen engagement while reducing paid media dependency.
One company working with referral marketing platform Mention Me saw nearly 20% of new customers arrive through referrals, up from 10% the previous year. The shift reflects economic pressure as social media advertising costs have increased dramatically. Facebook and Instagram now capture margins that previously flowed to brands.
Building owned communities through email lists, SMS subscribers, and loyalty program members provides more stable customer acquisition channels than renting attention through platform advertising.
Sustainability Demands Operational Changes
Environmental claims without operational substance no longer satisfy consumers. Gen Z shoppers, who now account for 40% of U.S. consumers, prioritize sustainability but also scrutinize whether brands deliver on promises. Sixty-four percent express willingness to pay more for environmentally sustainable products.
Hawkers created a sunglasses line using plastic recovered from oceans. The initiative addresses consumer demand for sustainable products while tackling the operational reality of material sourcing. Customers receive tangible evidence that their purchase contributed to environmental improvement rather than abstract promises about future commitments.
The broader resale market demonstrates how sustainability creates business opportunities. The sector is projected to reach $73 billion by 2028, up 217% since 2023. Brands launching their own resale channels keep customers within their ecosystem while appealing to environmentally conscious shoppers.
Manufacturing decisions carry sustainability implications. Producing in multiple regions reduces shipping distances for final products while providing flexibility to respond to regional demand without excess inventory and waste.
Data Privacy Becomes a Competitive Advantage
Twenty-three percent of U.S. internet users refuse to share personal information online regardless of incentives offered. That resistance creates challenges for brands relying on personalization while presenting opportunities for companies that build trust through transparent data practices.
Direct-to-consumer businesses collect extensive customer information. Transaction history, browsing behavior, email engagement, and customer service interactions create detailed profiles that inform marketing and product development. Managing that data responsibly has become a competitive requirement rather than a compliance burden.
Betancourt López navigates this tension daily at Hawkers. The company needs customer data to deliver personalized experiences and optimize inventory. Customers increasingly question how companies use their information. Brands that communicate clearly about data usage and provide genuine control over privacy settings build trust that translates into higher conversion rates and stronger retention.
Technical and operational investments required to manage data responsibly include secure storage systems, clear consent mechanisms, and processes to honor deletion requests. Companies that treat privacy requirements as mere compliance miss the opportunity to differentiate through trustworthiness.
These five trends interconnect. Personalization requires data, which demands trust. Physical stores support community building while collecting information that improves online experiences. Sustainability commitments influence manufacturing decisions that shape customer experience. Companies that address these factors together position themselves for growth as consumer expectations continue shifting through 2025 and beyond.
Click here to learn more about Alejandro Betancourt Lopez >>