2021 – The Beginning of DiscKing
The idea for the company was born in the spring of 2021, right after I completed my military service and was working as a teaching assistant before starting university. I’d been playing disc golf casually for years, but the COVID-19 pandemic had taken the sport’s popularity to new heights. I noticed that demand for discs had skyrocketed – new discs were nowhere to be found, and buying used ones on Facebook was slow, expensive, and risky.
The dream of owning my own business had been simmering in my mind for a while, and I saw market potential in this situation. I discussed the idea with friends and found a webshop selling used discs. I realized it could be done with higher quality and decided to start my own webshop. Even if the store didn’t succeed, I thought I’d at least learn more about entrepreneurship and e-commerce, which would help with my future business studies. With limited experience in business, I wanted a partner.
I proposed the idea to my army friend Jere, with whom I’d played on Hamina’s RUK disc golf course. Jere had competed a bit and was more familiar with the players and the industry. Jere was excited about the idea, and we got to work.
We established a limited company, designed the logo, and created the webshop on Shopify. Our goal was to build a webshop where people could buy discs quickly, easily, and reliably. We bought used discs and bags for about 500 euros, priced and photographed them, and listed them on the webshop. The first version of the webshop launched on May 16, 2021 – and so, DiscKing was born.
Orders started coming in immediately, and we decided to hold a giveaway for Väinö Mäkelä’s Archer disc on Instagram. This turned out to be one of our best decisions, as the giveaway brought in nearly 4,000 followers, creating a strong foundation on social media. We released restocks of used discs every couple of weeks, sometimes with over 700 customers browsing simultaneously. This also brought challenges, like when seven different customers managed to buy the same disc in a single second.
My parents’ garage quickly became cramped, so in July, we moved into a small 20-square-meter office in Kaarina. We worked from morning to evening, adding used discs to the webshop, and all profits were reinvested into expanding our inventory. We wanted to add new discs and accessories to the selection, but getting new products proved challenging in the fall. Many suppliers required a physical store, so our next step was to open one.
2022 – Opening the Physical Store
During the winter, we searched for suitable premises, and in January 2022, we found a 100-square-meter space in Piispanristi, Kaarina. We secured a bank loan, renovated the space to match our brand, and opened the store in March. The opening day was a huge success: hundreds of people lined up, and over 500 customers visited the store that day. The selection included both used discs and new discs from well-known manufacturers like Prodigy and Innova.
The store performed well, and online sales returned to a growth path. We continued with our Sunday restocks, creating a routine for our customers. We also established our first representative team and participated in events across Finland. However, as the summer went on, our space began to feel small as the inventory kept growing.
By chance, another 500-square-meter space became available from our landlord, right next to our store. We immediately realized it would be perfect for our business. The new space would allow for a large retail area, office and storage facilities, and a long-dreamed-of indoor disc golf training center. Financing was arranged, renovations began, and in October 2022, we opened the new store and Finland's first indoor training center.
2023 – A Year of Growth
In 2023, we focused on developing the webshop, store, training center, and marketing. We invested in inventory and streamlined processes for used discs. We also began paid marketing, which showed promising results. We launched KingiLiiga, our own putting league, which quickly gained popularity among local players.
The representative team grew with new members, and we established Junior and Ambassador teams, receiving hundreds of applications. For the first time, we were also able to pay a small salary to shareholders.
2024 – Aiming for International Expansion
The goal for 2024 has been to professionalize the business. We refined the brand image and processes and expanded inventory further. We have now sold nearly 100,000 used discs, and our Sunday restocks have continued consistently. Our new product selection has expanded even more, and we started a collaboration with Merrell to sell their disc golf shoes.
International expansion has been one of our main goals this year. Our English webshop (discking.eu) has been running for a few years, receiving orders from around the world. This summer, we launched a Swedish webshop (discking.se) and started marketing in Sweden, which has brought positive results. Our goal is to grow the DiscKing brand internationally to scale our business to the next level.
Time will tell how far we can go – thank you to all our customers and partners for joining us on this journey!
-Eemil Matti / Founder