By Vanessa Salomons
Director of Retail, Monaghan Golf Group
It’s a brand-new retail world.
At Monaghan Golf Group we have been establishing new protocols - as all golf courses have - around how and what we sell in the Pro Shops we manage.
The reality is, the way of doing golf-business has changed dramatically over the past 10 years and the arrival of a pandemic has simply hastened this change. Like all in the golf industry, we’ve had to adapt and create new ways of selling to and supporting our dedicated golf clientele in different ways than we are used to. The biggest thing we are learning is that this may be the ‘new normal.’
Below are a few things that we have identified as critical to keeping our retail endeavours operating fruitfully during these times.
People are playing golf… thank goodness… and that means golfers need golf products. As a destination, the pro shops have a captive audience.
The setup of the pro shop is key. With social distancing comes an opportunity to recalibrate the setup to best service our clientele. Create product stops at your distancing stickers such as ball pyramids, tees and gloves etc. While people are waiting, line the queue with easy-to-grab necessities.
You cannot run out of commodity items. Everything that golfers NEED to play the game will now be on a much higher turn ratio. Being attentive to stock levels for these items is key to the success of retail.
Apparel is the most heavily impacted category right now. As we watch mainstream retail nosedive, we have to get creative to make this category viable. There is opportunity to be found in how we present this category and still keep it safe for guests to shop.
Product specific pop-up shops around our facilities are now more important than ever. With fewer guests allowed into the shop and queuing outside, we have the opportunity to use the space by the line-up. Set up “SMART” shoe tables, sell golf balls at the first tee or create and post a glove-size guide or hand-mannequin by the gloves to help make purchasing easier.
The option to purchase online is EVERYTHING. A portion of the population doesn’t feel comfortable shopping in person. Shopify - and other companies - offer a user-friendly way to set up your pro shop online to help sell through your inventory. (Curbside Pickup and local delivery has become prevalent and we are seeing a surge in this aspect of buying.) A special note: attention to detail is critical when sharing inventory between your pro shop and your online shop. You don’t want to mess up a sale with incorrect inventory numbers!
It’s time to stop front-loading inventory at the beginning of the season and instead manage it throughout the length of the season. We must all be fiscally responsible.
Retail Best Practices protocols for your staff must be in place for the safety of both employees and clientele. Ensure your staff is well versed in the practices and create signage so your guests know they are being protected.
Where does golf retail go from here? It’s still too early to tell but I believe we will eventually see our margins go up, our turn ratios increase and our inventory levels come down, but it will take hard work and innovation to make this happen.
As we forge on throughout this time, we need to see that we have an opportunity to support our clientele, our vendors and our teams. The landscape has definitely changed and may have forever – but now is the time to invent new ways to make our shops work and function better than ever.