# Solbari Entered U.S. Wholesale With a Sales Hire and UPF 50+ Certification as Retail Demand Rose *The Australian sun-protection brand appointed a head of sales to place certified daily-wear apparel in specialty stores.* By **Jenny Huang Goodman MPA MSc MHSA, Principal** — The Stash Edge, Hako Shikin LLC. Published 2026-06-28. Canonical: https://www.pops4.com/stash/articles/solbari-2026-06-28t03-4 Subject: Solbari Tags: wholesale, distribution, certification, specialty retail, sun protection, upf --- Solbari, a Melbourne-founded sun-protection apparel brand, launched a U.S. wholesale expansion and appointed Grayson Davis as head of sales to drive specialty retail placement, according to Morningstar and Business Wire. The brand manufactures clothing certified to **UPF 50+**, blocking **98 percent** of UV radiation, and positioned the wholesale move to capture rising demand for certified daily sun-safe apparel across American specialty retail channels. The company hired a dedicated sales executive to open the channel rather than rely on distributor reps or self-service outreach. Davis will identify and onboard specialty retailers—dermatology-adjacent boutiques, outdoor retailers, resort gift shops—where customers already seek sun-protection solutions and where staff can explain the UPF certification difference. Solbari sells direct online but recognized that a subset of buyers, particularly those seeking medical-grade sun protection or shopping in high-UV regions, prefer to touch fabric and consult sales associates before purchasing premium-priced protective apparel. The wholesale strategy works because it solves a retailer problem: differentiation in a commoditized activewear market. Most athleisure and outdoor apparel carries no certified UV rating. By stocking a brand with independent **UPF 50+** testing and a clear clinical use case—dermatologist-recommended daily wear for patients with photosensitivity, skin cancer history, or high occupational sun exposure—the retailer can justify higher price points and avoid competing on fashion alone. The brand also benefits from implicit endorsement: placement in a dermatology clinic's retail corner or a resort spa shop signals credibility that paid ads cannot replicate. A small physical-product brand can copy this play without hiring a full-time sales executive. First, manufacture or source one product with a measurable, third-party-certified performance claim—antimicrobial certification, flame resistance, biodegradability, allergen testing—that a retailer can explain to a customer in one sentence. Second, list **20 to 30** independent specialty retailers whose customers already seek that attribute: medical supply stores, allergy-focused boutiques, eco-conscious gift shops, occupational safety distributors. Third, send a one-page wholesale linesheet via email with the certification logo, suggested retail price, minimum order quantity (start at **6 to 12 units** per SKU), and net terms (bill on delivery or **Net 30**). Fourth, offer a no-risk first order: accept returns on unsold inventory after **90 days** or provide a small point-of-sale display and product education card the retailer can hand to customers. Total cost: certification fee (**$500 to $3,000** depending on category), linesheet design (**$200** if outsourced), and sample product shipped to **25 retailers** (**$15 to $40** per shipment). If **three retailers** place opening orders averaging **$600**, the channel pays back in **60 days** and builds a repeatable sales motion. The broader lesson is that wholesale does not require a large sales team or trade-show budget. It requires a product attribute a retailer can sell and a sales process that removes the retailer's risk. Solbari built that by hiring one person to carry the certification story into stores where the customer was already looking for it. ## The takeaway Certified performance and a retail-risk hedge open wholesale without a sales team or show circuit. --- ## Publisher **Hako Shikin LLC** — Virginia Beach, Virginia. Founded 1997. ASI 217876 · DUNS 18-204-6339. Principal and author: **Jenny Huang Goodman MPA MSc MHSA**. - Author: https://www.huanggoodman.com/about - LLM context: https://www.pops4.com/stash/llms.txt - MCP endpoint, for AI agents: https://mcp.pops4.com/mcp - Client dashboard: https://dashboard.pops4.com/ - Catalogue: 70,000+ products, 200+ brands