£3m viral football brand dominates market but wants more!

Creating a new product category isn’t easy, but Glove Glue shows how focusing on a specific niche can lead to global success. Here’s how they built a £3m business selling grip spray for goalkeeper gloves.

Business overview:

• Created a new product category in goalkeeper glove care
• Currently selling in 55 countries globally
• Revenue approaching £3m annually
• Product sold every 150 seconds worldwide
• 30% domestic (UK) market, strong presence in US, Japan, Korea, Scandinavia

Distribution strategy:

The business operates through three main channels:

• Marketplace (primarily Amazon)
• B2B (direct retail and distributors)
• Direct-to-consumer (D2C) website

Key success factors:

Category creation:

• Identified clear customer need
• Built awareness through education
• Established market leadership
• Created complementary product lines

Channel strategy:

• Multi-channel approach
• Strong marketplace presence
• Strategic B2B partnerships
• Growing D2C focus

Geographic expansion:

• Localised approach to key markets
• Partnership with Global-e for international sales
• Strategic retail partnerships
• Market-specific product offerings

Marketing strategy evolution:

The brand focuses heavily on:

• Social media presence (875K Instagram, 870K Tiktok and 200K YouTube subscribers)
• Educational content
• Peak season optimisation (40% of revenue in Q4)
• Strategic retail partnerships

Future growth areas:

D2C development:

• Subscription model potential
• Web-exclusive products
• Enhanced customer experience
• Loyalty program development

Market expansion:

• Localised Shopify stores
• 3PL partnerships
• Market-specific marketing
• Regional inventory management

Brand protection:

• Maintaining category leadership
• Product innovation
• Strategic pricing
• Channel management

The key learning from Glove Glue’s success is that dominating a niche can be more valuable than competing in broader markets. By focusing on solving a specific problem and educating their market, they’ve built a sustainable global business.