Malbon Golf: Revolutionizing golf gear

Founded in 2017 by LA entrepreneurial duo Stephen and Erica Malbon, the stylish golf apparel brand caters to a new wave of creative golf enthusiasts. People who engage in not just the game but the lifestyle— and want to look good while doing it.

Fresh off a new partnership with Australian professional golfer Jason Day, Malbon’s unique style and relaxed fit have been striking up some polarized opinions on the vintage look. Either way, it’s driving engagement around the LA-founded brand.

Malbon’s fun style, streetwear, and collabs have caught the attention of musicians, actors, and celebrities alike. With support from names like Justin Bieber and Travis Scott, Malbon has quickly made a name for itself as a golf gear brand that’s more than just functional—it’s cool.

Their mission? ‘To inspire today’s youth to participate in the greatest game on Earth.’

Rewind the clock a few years: Malbon’s President & COO, Bryant Knight, was introduced to another entrepreneur, Jesse Kaufman, who was working on a fulfillment software solution. Enter ShippingTree. Both businesses grew successfully. When Malbon was ready to outsource operations to a 3PL, Bryant reached out to Jesse to discuss their needs.

“It was an easy decision to work with someone we knew and trusted,” said Knight. “I found the ShippingTree WMS to have a more modern, tech-forward approach than some of the 3PLs I had worked with previously.”

With a partnership built on trust, the Malbon and ShippingTree teams work closely together to optimize operations on the ground, build out standard operating procedures, and integrate new technologies.

“ShippingTree has been a great partner. They’ve supported our brand from the startup days to the high-growth mode that we’re in right now,” said Knight. “Our Director of Operations and customer service team works directly with the ShippingTree team. All of our departments are tightly linked and we’re constantly working on optimizing our operation to meet our growing demand.”

High-growth mode meets scalable fulfillment

Like many startups, Malbon began self-fulfilling their ecommerce orders to push their product out the door with complete control. However, as the brand continued to gain traction, they found themselves in need of an outsourced fulfillment solution to support their growing volume and retail initiatives. With self-fulfillment pain still fresh, Malbon had a few must-haves for their first 3PL partner:

Rewind the clock a few years: Malbon’s President & COO, Bryant Knight, was introduced to another entrepreneur, Jesse Kaufman, who was working on a fulfillment software solution. Enter ShippingTree. Both businesses grew successfully. When Malbon was ready to outsource operations to a 3PL, Bryant reached out to Jesse to discuss their needs.

“It was an easy decision to work with someone we knew and trusted,” said Knight. “I found the ShippingTree WMS to have a more modern, tech-forward approach than some of the 3PLs I had worked with previously.” With a partnership built on trust, the Malbon and ShippingTree teams work closely together to optimize operations on the ground, build out standard operating procedures, and integrate new technologies.

“ShippingTree has been a great partner. They’ve supported our brand from the startup days to the high-growth mode that we’re in right now,” said Knight. “Our Director of Operations and customer service team works directly with the ShippingTree team. All of our departments are tightly linked and we’re constantly working on optimizing our operation to meet our growing demand.”

Acing modern fulfillment 

Delivering on and off the course 

With a dense customer base in California and a streamlined operation in ShippingTree’s 36,190 square foot, multiclient West Coast facility, Malbon’s CA customers receive their orders the next day with ground shipping, boosting satisfaction. No matter where Malbon’s DTC orders go, over 99% of them ship within 24 hours with ShippingTree.

For their community that prefers an in-store experience, Malbon leverages ShippingTree to keep their retail stores fully stocked in SOHO (NYC), Los Angeles’ Melrose Place, Carmel By The Sea (CA), and Miami’s Coconut Grove.

Unlocking seamless integration & customer-first fulfillment 

Whether a brand is selling across multiple channels or using other tech platforms to boost efficiency, the right 3PL will provide them with native integrations to enable a streamlined ecosystem and seamless data-sharing.

“We know that modern ecommerce brands need technology that allows them to sell wherever their customers are, which is why we built ShippingTree with ultimate connectivity in mind,” says Jesse Kaufman, Founder & CEO of Shipping Tree. “The ShippingTree API unlocks seamless integration with the modern ecosystem, including Shopify Plus and popular ERP systems.”

Malbon takes advantage of ShippingTree’s easy integration with Shopify and open API, enabling them to move ERP systems and update their fulfillment tech stack, hassle-free.

Plus, the ShippingTree fulfillment team on the ground is in constant communication with Malbon to ensure technology and operations are running smoothly.

“When orders scale it’s up to our team to meet demand. We work directly with Malbon’s Director of Operations to understand their seasonal roadmap and prepare for increased order volume. Our goal is to get orders out to Malbon customers as timely and efficiently as possible,” says Sokvy Heang, ShippingTree’s Cypress CA facility manager.

Additionally, ShippingTree’s real-time order visibility has unlocked unprecedented insight and control for Malbon’s customer service team, bolstering higher inventory accuracy rates and happier customers.

“The ShippingTree platform allows us to know exactly what’s happening with an order,” says Knight. “Our customer service team can amend or update orders before they ship, and pull tracking information for our customers.”

Linking with Loop for seamless returns management 

Malbon works hand in hand with ShippingTree’s operations team on the ground to develop a returns process that includes centralized returns reception, detailed inspection, sorting, and resale processing.

Meanwhile, the ShippingTree technology syncs directly with Malbon’s Loop Returns account, enabling customers to easily self-service returns.

“For apparel brands, effective returns management is no longer optional—it’s an integral part of the customer experience and it can determine whether or not a customer will return in the future,” says Kaufman. “It’s why we’ve made integrating with intuitive returns technology like Loop a priority.”

Rapid international growth = Rapid international fulfillment 

Global expansion is an incredible opportunity for brands to expand their reach and increase their customer base, as long as they can streamline the process and remain profitable. ShippingTree’s comprehensive international fulfillment ensures orders reach customers across the globe—efficiently and accurately.

Malbon has unlocked international shipping in over 75 different countries with help from ShippingTree’s international shipping expertise:

• Customized, prioritized batching
• Streamlined shipping configuration
• Automated and on-demand reporting
• Relationships with major international carriers including DHL, USPS, FedEX, UPS and Global-E

“We’re one of the top golf brands on the apparel side in Korea,” says Bryant. “We have multiple flagship stores and presence in over 40 Korean department stores.”

Playing the long game 

What’s next for Malbon?

The apparel brand is continuing to lean into their creative, fun approach to an industry that has been coined the opposite. Catering to professional golfers and enthusiasts alike, expect to see them more—they recently struck up deals with professional golfers Charley Hull, Jeongeun Lee (Lee6), and Jesper Parnevik as well as partnerships with Nike, the LA Rams, and Footjoy.

On the logistics side of things, Malbon plans to leverage ShippingTree and its new parent company WSI to bolster their international presence, continue to expand their retail footprint, and develop custom projects like kitting and bundling influencer boxes.