Solbari, the Melbourne-founded sun-protection apparel brand, hired Grayson Davis as Head of Sales to lead its first U.S. wholesale push, according to Business Wire. The company has sold UPF 50+ certified clothing direct-to-consumer since 2015. The wholesale play comes now because the brand finally has what retail buyers demand: third-party certification that survives consumer scrutiny.
The move is a distribution shift, not a product launch. Solbari is entering specialty retail with the same garments it has sold online for years — swimwear, activewear, daily basics — all rated UPF 50+ by the ARPANSA, the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency. The hiring of a dedicated sales lead signals the company is staffing up to service wholesale accounts, not just chasing one-off placements.
Why wholesale now instead of in year two? Because certified sun-protection apparel is a compliance category, and compliance categories move slower into retail. A buyer at a specialty outdoor or dermatology clinic gift shop will not stock a product that triggers returns or complaints. UPF claims require lab testing, labeling integrity, and washability data. Solbari spent the direct-to-consumer years building a track record — customer reviews, repeat purchase rates, zero legal noise — that a retail buyer can verify before signing a PO. The brand also benefits from timing: consumer awareness of daily UV exposure has risen sharply in the past three years, driven by dermatologists on social platforms and rising melanoma incidence data.
The mechanic other physical-product brands can steal is the sequencing. Solbari did not lead with wholesale. It built a defensible direct channel first, accumulated proof, then hired a sales lead to carry that proof into doors. The proof is not marketing copy. It is third-party certification, documented repeat purchase behavior, and zero product liability history. A buyer at a specialty retailer evaluates those three data points before shelf space.
Here is the steal for a small brand with a physical product that makes a performance or safety claim. First, secure third-party certification or testing from a recognized body in your category — not a logo you bought, but a lab report a buyer can verify. If your product is GOTS organic, OEKO-TEX certified, NSF tested, ASTM compliant, get the documentation and keep it updated. Second, sell direct for at least 12 to 18 months and track your return rate, repeat purchase rate, and customer service ticket volume. A buyer will ask for this data. Third, when your return rate is under 3 percent and your repeat rate is above 20 percent, write a one-page sell sheet with those numbers, your certification, and a photo of your product in use. Fourth, hire a part-time sales lead or a commission-based rep who already calls on the retail category you are targeting. Pay them 10 to 15 percent of wholesale revenue, not a salary, until you hit $50,000 in wholesale orders per quarter. Fifth, give that rep a sample kit, the sell sheet, and a list of 30 to 50 stores in your target channel. They will close 3 to 8 of those in the first six months if your product and pricing are correct.
The broader pattern: brands that make performance or safety claims earn retail distribution by proving the claim in a direct channel first, then bringing the proof to a buyer. The hire is the signal that the proof is ready.
The takeaway
Build proof direct for 12-18 months, get third-party certification, then hire a commission rep with a sell sheet and your repeat-purchase data.
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