2 days ago
The Miami Matchmaker Helping DTC Golf Brands Break Into Big-Box Retail
Customer at big box retailer takes a look at Golf Daddy's portable simulator.
For direct-to-consumer golf brands coveting the expanded reach and visibility provided by big-box shelf space, Miami-based consultant Sam Kornblum serves almost as a fractional VP of Sales—helping convert online momentum into major retail placement at stores like Dick's Sporting Goods, PGA Tour Superstore, and Walmart.
Getting a niche golf product into big-box retail can be trickier than holing a 50-foot putt on the quirky greens of Oakmont, where this week's U.S. Open is being held for the 10th time. Legacy players dominate the shelves at golf retail heavyweights leaving smaller brands feeling like they're stuck in an opposite-field event, grinding for a shot at a signature event—the way Gary Woodland did recently via the AON Swing 5.
Think of retail distribution consultant CWK (short for 'Consult With K'—as in Kornblum) as a kind of retail rangefinder—helping emerging brands lock in their target number so they can execute their shot, score coveted aisle space and keep it.
Kornblum, who has an apparel manufacturing and wholesale distribution background, first teed up the company in 2017 as a side hustle. The gears got turning after a friend who landed a deal on Shark Tank ran into a wall. Despite fifteen minutes of fame and a big-name investor, retail doors didn't part like the Red Sea. That's when they rang up Sam, knowing he understood the process.
'They paid agencies and consultants and they had a shark on their team but they just couldn't crack the code,' Kornblum explained. Two weeks later he delivered a 2,500 door order and realized that the service he just provided was pretty valuable.
'The irony behind that is they wrote me a commission check and I didn't even have an LLC open—this was me helping a friend in good faith. I actually lost that check and never cashed it. But that's how it started.'
Since, CWK has repeated that placement feat dozens of times, emerging as a go-to matchmaker linking niche golf brands with major retailers. The company has helped products like Grooveit, Golf Daddy and Caddie Uniform make the transition from direct-to-consumer curiosities to retail staples.
Five years ago, Grooveit, a maker of club cleaning brushes, including the MiniG, were going into the world of wholesale pretty much company had built a direct-to-consumer following but wasn't familiar with the intricacies of pitching national chains, so needed hand holding so they didn't come off as rookies.
'When we were faced with big box retailers wanting our products initially, it was a world we were unfamiliar with,' Nicholas Laffin, Grooveit's director of sales explained.
'Partnering with Sam to be our liaison and guide our company through those initial meetings was critical to ensure a smooth rollout with the buyers. If you get a shot with a major retailer, you do not want to be a fish out of water and make any mistakes to jeopardize a huge opportunity for growth,' he added.
The guidance has paid off. They've created a seven-figure annual retail business with their products that are now in the aisles of Dick's Sporting Goods, Golf Galaxy, PGA Tour Superstore, and 3000 Walmarts.
'We've been able to expand our product line with new SKUs, colors, and NCAA licenses, none of which would have been possible without Sam's expertise and CWK's deep understanding of what it takes to win in retail,' added the company's founder and CEO Clint Sanderson.
The Grooveit brush and the Mini G
"You can get a test order, but that means nothing if you don't follow through and execute... If you drop the ball, Dick's is going to say we tried it, didn't work. And now you're out."
CWK doesn't just open doors—it helps brands stay in the room. Kornblum has become a trusted curator for major retailers who now take regular meetings with him, asking what's worth paying attention to. 'The PGA Superstore guys didn't even walk the PGA Show,' he says. 'I said, 'Hey, how was the show?' He goes, 'You tell me—what do you got?''
That credibility only works if he maintains his gatekeeper status. 'When people are vetting us, we are vetting them,' Kornblum says. 'If I go get them a large order and they fumble it, that impedes on our reputation and relationship.'
And getting a product into stores is just the beginning. 'You can get a product on a shelf, but maybe it's just on the bottom shelf. Maybe it's in the back collecting dust. We ensure that if we put a product in stores, we're visiting and traveling to stores checking on inventory. We're not setting it and forgetting it.'
Another brand that benefited from CWK's approach is Golf Daddy, which makes a portable golf simulator built around a swing mat—so no flying ball—facilitating rec-room play in front of a T.V., provided there's enough clearance to let a driver rip without taking a divot out of the ceiling.
'CWK has been instrumental in establishing and expanding our retail presence, which continues to grow year after year. We highly recommend their services to any brand looking to break into or scale within the retail space,' CEO and founder Daniel Puumalainen who tapped the company to be their wholesale support company. Since partnering with CWK, Caddie Daddy's retail business has also risen to over seven figures annually.
As Kornblum continues to grow CWK, the goal is simple: help founders of disruptive businesses solve the challenge of getting onto shelves of national retailers and then keep tabs on those relationships. He provides direction on everything from refining packaging, boosting sell-through rates and increasing SKU counts to seasonal timing. He's providing the map to get product in stores and the compass to navigate the shifting winds of retail.
