Pickleball and the Enthusiast Economy

Future Commerce Podcast: eCommerce, DTC and Retail Strategy

The enthusiast economy drives purchasing trends in all areas of the economy—especially in sports, driving consumers to desire the same equipment as the best players. Premium pickleball apparel brand PB5Star is futureproofing by building a sustainable business model and systems during accelerating growth. Listen now!

PB5star and the Pickleball Phenomenon

Key takeaways:

- The enthusiast economy drives purchasing trends in sports, making consumers want the same equipment as the best players.

- Pickleball's rapid growth offers opportunities for brands to cater to players and enthusiasts beyond the sport itself.

- Building a brand requires patience, focus on core values, and understanding customers' needs and wants.

- PB5star aims to bring fashion, performance, and a cool vibe to pickleball while supporting players and contributing to the sport's growth.

- The sport's accessibility, community elements, and connection to wellness contribute to its rising popularity.

- PB5star is looking to expand into wholesale distribution channels, partnering with retailers to reach a wider audience while maintaining its direct-to-consumer presence. The brand founders emphasize patience, staying focused on core values, and being prepared to pivot as necessary to navigate the challenges of building a brand in an emerging industry.

- Shaping the future of pickleball will require investing in and supporting players who can help enhance the sport's growth.

• [00:03:36] "When you have the nerds of the sport sort of driving the outcome, a lot of the population will end up following a lot of that as they want to have the pieces of equipment that the best players are going to use and the best people in their community are going to use." — Brian
• Excerpt 2: [00:27:09] "If you work with good people who have good common sense, they have a great personality and good values at heart. They're the sorts of people we want to work with, and they're the sorts of businesses we want to work with as well." - Chris Gallagher, Founder of PB5star

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