Building a Global Snack Brand Through Retail First With Hassan Alireza of The Daily Crave

Hassan Alireza is the Founder and CEO of The Daily Crave, a California-based snack company that crafts better‑for‑you, non‑GMO, wholesome snacks sold worldwide. He launched the business in May 2012 with Veggie Chips and Sticks, which quickly gained traction in national retail chains. Under his leadership, the brand has expanded its lineup to include award-winning quinoa chips and, more recently, Crunchy Fries To-Go, which are made from high-quality non-GMO potatoes and are both gluten-free and kosher. Hassan's vision focuses on delivering snacks that are delicious, crunchy, flavorful, and made with clean ingredients that offer nutritional value. In this episode… Many brands assume that direct-to-consumer sales is the only way to scale in today's digital-first marketplace. But can leaning too heavily on DTC actually weaken your growth and profitability? Could retail partnerships and smart channel strategy be the real key to building a sustainable brand? According to Hassan Alireza, a retail and food distribution veteran, retail has always been the most reliable engine for long-term growth. He highlights that snacks are expensive to ship directly, often eroding margins and forcing smaller brands to burn cash. By leveraging established distributors and platforms like Amazon Vendor Central, he maintains efficiency and avoids costly logistics pitfalls. The result is steady expansion without sacrificing financial health. He emphasizes that scaling should be about playing to your strengths, using ecommerce as a marketing tool, and protecting profitability through balancing channel strategies. In this episode of Minds of Ecommerce, Raphael Paulin-Daigle interviews Hassan Alireza, Founder and CEO of The Daily Crave, about why retail still wins over DTC. They discuss the challenges of shipping snacks directly to consumers, the importance of leveraging Amazon without losing control of pricing, and how innovative product launches help attract new customers. Hassan also shares insights on relaunching with Amazon Seller Central and other fresh marketing strategies.