The D2C kids, pets and gifting trust table: care as a strategy
16 brands. 3 rankings. A pet retailer leads, and the American group averages above 80.
“People forgive a late parcel. They do not forgive a brand that lets their child or their pet down.”
WCRC Intelligence Unit
The finding that frames the industry
Across WCRC's three 2026 Most Trusted D2C rankings, 16 brands come from kids, pets and gifting. They average a D2C Trust Score of 77.53, second only to jewellery and eyewear among the 12 D2C industries. The five American brands average 80.55, the four Australian brands 78.01 and the seven Indian brands 75.09.
The oldest brand in the group is FNP, founded in 1994, and the youngest is Supertails, founded in 2021. The median founding year is 2011.
Chewy at the top: what the leader proves
Chewy's 87.69 is the highest score in the group and one of the highest in any D2C ranking. Founded in 2011 by Ryan Cohen and Michael Day, it is known for caring customer service, including handwritten cards and flowers for grieving pet owners. Net sales reached $12.6bn in FY2025.
The lesson is that small acts of care, repeated at scale, build trust that price alone cannot. The weakness is margin: Chewy competes on price with Amazon and big-box stores.
Pets: three markets, one habit
Pet brands rank in all three markets. Pet Circle (82.12) serves more than 700,000 customers and is described as Australia's largest online pet retailer, though its net loss widened to A$36.9M in FY2025. BARK (78.06) sells dog-first products by monthly subscription, and PetMeds (72.94) verifies prescriptions with vets.
In India, Supertails (71.66) builds trust with vet-backed care. It is young and still loss-making.
Kids: safety, learning and play
FirstCry (82.94, India #6) is the most trusted Indian brand in the group. Parents rely on it for a wide, genuine range and easy returns. Build-A-Bear Workshop (83.90) has run the same make-your-own toy experience for nearly three decades, and Babylist (80.16) grew revenue 45% to more than $750M in 2025 with product guides parents trust.
Reading Eggs (81.74) has taught children to read online since 2008, and Smiggle (77.98), owned by Premier Investments, sells its own-label stationery. Indian brands lead with safety: Slurrp Farm (75.90) sells millet foods without junk ingredients, SuperBottoms (75.50) sells eco-friendly products, and R for Rabbit (74.76) leans on safety certifications.
Gifting: delivery is the promise
FNP (74.92), founded in 1994 as Ferns N Petals, is the oldest brand in the group. Reliable same-day delivery built its trust, and revenue reached ₹861 Cr in FY25. Peak seasons, when everyone needs a gift on the same day, are its hardest test.
Where the industry is exposed
Several brands are shrinking. BARK's revenue fell 18.5% and PetMeds' fell 21% in FY2026, and PetMeds is run by an interim CEO. Smiggle's sales fell 12.9% and its store count dropped from 309 to 268. Reading Eggs' consumer revenue was flat as parents worried about screen time. Babylist's demand is tied to falling US birth rates, and Joonya had to discount and reverse a batch of inconsistent wipes after a supplier change.
Five things that will define the industry
- Whether Chewy can protect its service culture as it competes with Amazon on price.
- How FirstCry turns its scale into steady profit as general marketplaces push into baby products.
- Whether BARK and PetMeds can stop their revenue declines.
- How falling birth rates in America affect baby brands such as Babylist.
- Whether Smiggle's new loyalty club can bring shoppers back to its stores.
The combined table: all 16 brands by score
| # | Brand | India | US | ANZ | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Chewy | — | #3 | — | 87.69P |
| 02 | Build-A-Bear Workshop | — | #8 | — | 83.90P |
| 03 | FirstCry | #6 | — | — | 82.94P |
| 04 | Pet Circle | — | — | #20 | 82.12P |
| 05 | Reading Eggs | — | — | #25 | 81.74P |
| 06 | Babylist | — | #17 | — | 80.16P |
| 07 | BARK | — | #35 | — | 78.06P |
| 08 | Smiggle | — | — | #42 | 77.98P |
| 09 | Slurrp Farm | #42 | — | — | 75.90P |
| 10 | SuperBottoms | #46 | — | — | 75.50P |
| 11 | FNP | #50 | — | — | 74.92P |
| 12 | R for Rabbit | #51 | — | — | 74.76P |
| 13 | PetMeds | — | #75 | — | 72.94P |
| 14 | Supertails | #71 | — | — | 71.66P |
| 15 | Joonya | — | — | #85 | 70.20P |
| 16 | Hopscotch | #79 | — | — | 69.94P |
P Provisional score. Unmarked scores are published scores carried over from the World's Most Powerful 100 Brands 2026 or validated by WCRC.
The industry in full, ranking by ranking
India's Most Trusted D2C Brands 2026
7 Kids, Pets & Gifting brands. See the full ranking
| Rank | Brand | Owner | Founded | Score | Latest revenue (as per company filings) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #006 | FirstCry | Brainbees Solutions Ltd | 2010 | 82.94P | ₹8,500 Cr+ revenue (FY26), Brainbees Solutions |
| #042 | Slurrp Farm | Wholsum Foods | 2016 | 75.90P | Nearly ₹100 Cr revenue (FY25), Wholsum Foods |
| #046 | SuperBottoms | SuperBottoms | 2016 | 75.50P | ₹84 Cr revenue (FY25) |
| #050 | FNP | Ferns N Petals | 1994 | 74.92P | ₹861 Cr revenue (FY25), Ferns N Petals |
| #051 | R for Rabbit | R for Rabbit Baby Products | 2014 | 74.76P | ₹250 Cr+ revenue (FY25) |
| #071 | Supertails | Supertails | 2021 | 71.66P | ₹100 Cr+ revenue (FY25) |
| #079 | Hopscotch | Hopscotch Retail | 2011 | 69.94P | ₹265 Cr revenue (FY25) |
America's Most Trusted D2C Brands 2026
5 Kids, Pets & Gifting brands. See the full ranking
| Rank | Brand | Owner | Founded | Score | Latest revenue (as per company filings) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #003 | Chewy | Chewy, Inc. | 2011 | 87.69P | $12.6B net sales (FY2025, 52 weeks ended Feb 1, 2026) |
| #008 | Build-A-Bear Workshop | Build-A-Bear Workshop Inc. | 1997 | 83.90P | $529.8M total revenues (FY2025, ended Jan 2026) |
| #017 | Babylist | Private | 2011 | 80.16P | Over $750M revenue (2025, up 45%) |
| #035 | BARK | BARK, Inc. | 2012 | 78.06P | $394.8M revenue (FY ended March 31, 2026; down 18.5% from $484.2M; DTC $324.9M) |
| #075 | PetMeds | PetMed Express Inc. | 1996 | 72.94P | $179.0M net sales (FY2026, ended Mar 31, 2026; down 21.1% from $227.0M) |
Australia & New Zealand's Most Trusted D2C Brands 2026
4 Kids, Pets & Gifting brands. See the full ranking
| Rank | Brand | Owner | Founded | Score | Latest revenue (as per company filings) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #020 | Pet Circle | Private, venture-backed and founder-led | 2011 | 82.12P | A$373.4M revenue (FY2025, year ended 30 Jun 2025) |
| #025 | Reading Eggs | 3P Learning Ltd | 2008 | 81.74P | A$43.6M consumer segment revenue of 3P Learning (FY2026, year ended 30 Jun 2026) |
| #042 | Smiggle | Premier Investments Ltd | 2003 | 77.98P | A$230.2M sales (FY2026, 52 weeks ended 25 Jul 2026) |
| #085 | Joonya | Private, family-owned | 2016 | 70.20P | A$9.9M revenue (FY2026) |
Questions people ask
- What is the most trusted D2C kids, pets and gifting brand in 2026?
- Chewy, with a WCRC D2C Trust Score of 87.69. It ranks #3 in America's Most Trusted D2C Brands 2026.
- What is the most trusted Indian D2C kids brand?
- FirstCry, with a score of 82.94 (#6 in India's Most Trusted D2C Brands 2026).
- What is the most trusted D2C pet brand in Australia and New Zealand?
- Pet Circle, with a score of 82.12 (#20 in Australia & New Zealand's Most Trusted D2C Brands 2026).
- How many kids, pets and gifting brands are in WCRC's 2026 Most Trusted D2C rankings?
- 16: seven in India's ranking, five in America's and four in Australia & New Zealand's.
- Which pet brands are in the 2026 Most Trusted D2C rankings?
- Chewy, BARK and PetMeds in America, Pet Circle in Australia and New Zealand, and Supertails in India.
Methodology in brief
This analysis groups every brand from WCRC's Most Trusted D2C Brands rankings of 2026 into newsroom industries and compares them on the scores, ranks and facts published in those rankings. The WCRC D2C Trust Score rates each brand from 0 to 100 across seven pillars led by Consumer Trust and Sentiment, Brand Recall, Brand Positioning and Brand Love. The detailed methodology is available on request.
About WCRC. WCRC (World Centre for Research and Consulting) is an independent research and consulting organisation. It publishes brand rankings including the World's Most Powerful 100 Brands, regional and national Most Powerful 100 Brands rankings, and national Most Trusted D2C Brands rankings, through its sites wcrcint.com, wcrcleaders.com and mostvaluablebrands.com. The WCRC Intelligence Unit publishes research briefings and industry analysis.
© 2026 World Centre for Research and Consulting (WCRC). This article may be quoted with attribution to WCRC and a link to this page.