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Solbari spent years proving DTC demand before hiring sales staff and entering wholesale, letting category momentum pay for distribution.
98%
of UV radiation
12-to-18-month DTC sprint
before pitching any retailer
60-day post-purchase survey
asking where customers wish they could buy the product…
15-20%
name the same regional chain or category
Solbari, an Australian UPF 50+ sun-protection apparel brand, appointed Grayson Davis as head of sales and launched U.S. wholesale expansion, according to a company announcement reported by Morningstar. The Melbourne-founded brand spent years building direct-to-consumer traction before opening the wholesale channel, timing the move to rising demand for certified daily sun-safe apparel across U.S. specialty retail.
The company waited to hire a dedicated sales executive and enter physical retail until it had demonstrated consumer pull for a category that barely existed a decade ago. Solbari sells clothing and accessories with UPF 50+ certification, blocking 98% of UV radiation. The wholesale push follows years of direct sales that validated the category and built enough margin room to support retail partnership economics.
The move works because Solbari proves demand before it pays for distribution. Most physical-product brands chase shelf space too early, burning cash on trade shows and sales staff while the market is still learning the category. Solbari reversed the sequence: it used DTC channels to educate buyers on UPF ratings, seed reviews, and generate repeat orders. By the time it approached retailers, the brand could show search volume, customer lifetime value, and a price point that survived wholesale discounting. Retailers now stock a product consumers already ask for, reducing the sell-through risk that kills most new wholesale accounts.
The timing also captures a shift in consumer behaviour. Dermatologists have spent the past five years pushing daily sun protection beyond beach vacations, and apparel with certified UPF ratings is moving from niche athletic gear into everyday wardrobes. Solbari enters wholesale as that education cost has already been paid by the category at large, not by the brand's own budget.
A small physical-product brand copies this by running a 12-to-18-month DTC sprint before pitching any retailer. Sell direct on Shopify, Amazon, or your own site. Capture email and SMS at checkout. Send a 60-day post-purchase survey asking where customers wish they could buy the product in-store. When 15-20% name the same regional chain or category, approach that buyer with the survey data, your reorder rate, and your landed cost. Offer them an exclusive 90-day test in five doors. Provide co-op budget equal to 3% of projected sell-through for in-store signage they control. Do not hire a sales lead until you have signed three accounts and can pay the role from wholesale margin, not from fundraising.
The same play works for brands in adjacent categories: technical fabrics, allergen-free materials, sustainability-certified goods. The pattern is identical. Build enough DTC proof that retailers see your product as a solution to customer requests they are already hearing, not as a margin experiment they have to explain.
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