The brand was recently announced as the Professional Golfers’ Association’s (PGA) preferred vitamins, minerals, and nutritional supplements provider and will be supporting professional golfers in the UK.
With the recognition from the PGA, it is also taking the opportunity to distribute its products into golf pro shops.
By the end of July, it will be stocking 12 SKUs of its vitamin and mineral supplements and all its whey protein products in 21 pro shops in golf clubs across Singapore.
Elsewhere in the UK, its products are already stocked in about 100 stores which will be expanded to about 800 stores by the end of this year, while stocking is expected to complete in 25 stores in Dubai by end August.
In Singapore, the company’s products are also sold in Holland and Barrett as well as Pure and Well.
Saying that the venture coming at the right time, founder and CEO Tom Oliver told NutraIngredients-Asia that there has been an increased uptake in golf as a result of the pandemic and golf pro shops could become an additional retail channel for nutrition brands.
Last year, the brand managed to grow its sales by 15 per cent, largely driven by online sales, which Oliver said was “not reflective of sales in the high street stores” since brick-and-mortar retail had been hard hit by the pandemic and lockdowns.
“COVID-19 was taking shape and retail sales were down, footfall went down in stores and although online sales went up, we wanted to connect with the customers in their environment.
“Golf saw a 25 per cent uptake in participation during COVID-19, golf clubs all around the world have never been busier because it is one of the leisure activities that is safer,” he said.
According to the Florida-based National Golf Foundation, the number of people who played on a golf course for the first-time last year hit a record of three million. In previous years, the number of beginners remained at over two million per year.
“With the average golf club doing 50,000 rounds of golf a year, that will be equivalent to 50,000 customers going into the golf shops each year. These are very interesting numbers when you compare them to the high street consumer traffic. Why will we not want to be the brand of choice for the golf community around the world?” Oliver said.
Nutrition and golf
According to Oliver, the US has the most robust market for golfers’ nutrition not yet seen in the other markets.
He believes that this is not because golfers are not taking supplements, but because golf shops are not making the products available to them in the first place.
Some of the common ailments seen amongst golfers are back stiffness and the lack of mobility. As such, Tom Oliver Nutrition's products will be positioned for their anti-inflammatory benefits, recovery, and general wellness.
“Sports injury in golf are mainly back stiffness, tightness, the lack of mobility. A lot of these come down to the overall muscle function and wellness.
“So, by incorporating more protein into the diet, you have the propensity to maintain a slightly higher lean body mass and nutrients such as B vitamins are fantastic for energy production.”
More new endeavours
Moving forward, the brand intends to work with other professional sports associations, including rugby.
It is also planning to launch a supplement for sleep improvement and another one for joint health by December.
To help consumers make nutrition choices, it recently introduced a 10-minute free phone consultation which is available via prior appointment booking on the brand’s website.