A Cincinnati brand known for its retro-inspired pickleball paddles is looking to expand its retail footprint in 2023 as it continues to land a slew of celebrity-type press — and its most recent roll out includes a spot in the country’s largest sporting goods retailers.
Nettie Pickleball Co. founder Catherine Baxter said the company has leveraged news coverage from outlets including Forbes, Fast Company and Vogue to forge ahead with its partnership with Dick’s Sporting Goods. The brand is now in 81 stores across the country. Nettie’s paddles (priced at $79.99) and its two-pack set ($149.99) are also available via the retailer’s online site.
Baxter told me the partnership fell into place quickly. While there are challenges moving into big-box retail, it helps make the brand more accessible. “Dick’s felt like a natural place,” she said. Nettie also continues to build out its selection of independent retail stores, which range from specialty racket shops, like Tennis-Point, to local boutiques.
“We’re taking advantage of the awareness that comes with being on a store shelf, and we’re reaching people where they are,” she said. “The fact we fit in with so many different niches – to be able to appeal to a bunch of different retailers – is unique.”
Baxter, a Cincinnati boomerang, founded Nettie in her New York City apartment during the pandemic. She moved herself and the company to Cincinnati last year, and formally launched the effort in August.
Pickleball, a popular combination of tennis, badminton and Ping-Pong, has seen explosive growth – it’s considered the fastest-growing sport in the country – and Baxter saw an opportunity to carve out a niche with a line of Don Draper-inspired paddles.
During an interview with Cincy Inno last year, Baxter said when she went to buy her own gear, she noticed paddles were either super expensive and masculine, or cheap Amazon finds.
Nettie’s stand-out look has been a big driver behind its national press push. The company was featured on the “Today” show last week, follow-on coverage to an award it won from Women’s Health (the magazine named the brand a “top fitness product" for 2023). That came after Men’s Health named Nettie a “best pickleball paddle, according to guys who love the game.” Last year’s press highlights included "The Drew Barrymore Show" and Glamour.
The brand also continues to forge ahead with new partnerships. Its newest collaboration with MadTree Brewing is another example of the sport’s growing popularity, Baxter said. The brewery is offering open-play pickleball at its Oakley taproom once a week. Nettie has its demo paddles available for use.
“Coverage begets coverage,” she said. “There’s also a natural buzz around pickleball, and our designs are very colorful and vibrant and gender neutral – they appeal to a wide audience while still being unique. While there’s an instant (sales) pop to these things – sometime's they’re fleeting – but there’s credibility that comes from national press. It helps consumers filter through the noise.”
Baxter declined to disclose company financials but said Nettie did seven-figures in sales last year. The company did close a seed round of funding in 2022, which has “allowed us to say yes to opportunities, to take advantage of the momentum we have coming into 2023,” Baxter said.
“It’s been faster than expected, but we’ve been able to manage it,” she said. Corporate gift opportunities continue to be a big play, she added, "and that’s becoming a necessary and exciting growing part of the business.”
The company plans to grow its retail footprint. Dick's has more than 800 locations, but the brand is not solely centering its efforts there. Baxter said there are plans to roll out new products.
She said it’s too early to disclose what those opportunities would be – she's keeping details close to the vest as more pickleball brands take hold. But in general, Nettie will offer variations on its sets (paddles sold in pairs or more). There’s some twists, she said, that would appeal to a younger audience.
“There’s a lot of competition now, and we are finding a lane,” Baxter said. “We’re leaning into ways people can play together, and the sets make that possible.”
