From cross-border to a managed local DTC business
A global fashion brand handed us its e-commerce buildout from zero — from the business case for HQ to day-to-day operations across 7 domains.
Situation
GUESS served the Eastern European market through a cross-border model run from a central European office. Delivery took 2+ weeks, the customer experience fell short of local market standards, and there was no local strategy.
DTC wasn't a managed channel — it was a storefront without an operating system. The local office had no e-commerce director with relevant experience, and a hiring freeze was in effect.
The task
Build the local DTC channel as a managed business unit. Get the model approved by global HQ, launch the platform, and take over day-to-day operations.
How we worked
Concept — the strategic case
Built the P&L model and shaped traffic and conversion hypotheses. Designed the target DTC architecture: IT landscape, operating structure, logistics. Prepared the pitch package for global HQ. Outcome: decision approved, budget secured.
Launch — orchestrating the rollout
Ran the launch as a single accountable owner. Coordinated every workstream: development (1C-Bitrix), ERP integration, fulfillment, logistics, payments, assortment, CX, legal. Sourced and managed vendors. Shipped on schedule.
Run & Grow — managing for growth
Took over daily management of 7 operating domains. Staffed a team of 5 specialists. Weekly cadence: finding growth levers, prioritizing the backlog, tracking metrics. AI speeds up the routine work — content generation, reporting.
Results
Domains under management
Beyond the brief
Built a complete process library across 4 domains (~100 processes with owners, deadlines, and effort estimates). It became the operational backbone for running the channel.
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