Shout about sales prices
Ian James, chief executive of RetailTribe, writes that when setting prices in the pro shop, how you tell consumers a price is just as important as what the actual price is. If you want to sell more golf balls to happier customers, you don't need to change your golf ball pricing, you just need to change what you are telling the golfer.
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Visible pricing = visible profit
A Boston Consulting Group study of golfers and consumers concludes that even golfers - never mind the uninformed consumer - think golf is more expensive than it actually is. Ian James, chief executive of RetailTribe, writes that pros need to make their pricing clearer
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All prices are relative
In recent issues of SGB Golf, Ian James, chief executive of RetailTribe, has written about the importance of selling the benefits of premium products. Here Ian explains how consumers view retail prices in relative terms
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Learn your lines
In the August SGB Golf, Ian James, chief executive of RetailTribe, recommended that shop staff should know at least three key selling points for every premium product in stock. Here he takes his sales advice a step further
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Getting to grips with sales: it is vital that shop staff can impress customers with product
knowledge if premium products are going to sell through |
Converting product knowledge into profit margin
Ian James, chief executive of RetailTribe, writes that a set of year-to-date ‘Point of sale’ reports alerted him to a professional whose gross margin for a particular shoe brand was 10% down on the average - A recent review of sales figures for a number of club professionals highlighted that the margin achieved on a top-end shoe from one professional was dragging down the overall performance of that brand. Rather than being a result of a high trade price, this was a self-inflicted problem, and it is a very common issue among specialist retailers.
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A question of timing: Ping’s G15 irons are coming to the end of a hugely successful two-year retail cycle |
Converting plans into profit
Having written extensively in this column in recent issues on managing product lifecycles, Ian James, chief executive of RetailTribe, emphasises that translating theory into practice is straightforward
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Selling game improvement
Golfers are inspired into equipment purchases by the prospect of game improvement, reminds Ian James, chief executive of RetailTribe New equipment has arrrived in your store, so what are you going to do to get it into customers’ hands?
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Staying ahead of the game
Ian James, CEO of RetailTribe, writes that club professionals should start selling their new stock even before it arrives in the pro shop With most equipment orders now placed for the new season, it is time to take the lead in the sales process.
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Every professional needs a crystal ball
In January Ian James, head of marketing at Foremost Golf, wrote about managing product life cycles and clearing discontinued stock. This month he heads for the opposite end of the product spectrum, to a product’s pre-launch phase.
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The cycle of (equipment) life
Golf professionals need to capitalise on the excitement and retail opportunity created by manufacturers this Spring, writes Ian James, head of marketing at Foremost Golf. But first they need to clear the shelves
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Building partnerships
Ian James, head of marketing at Foremost Golf, recently helped a PGA professional plan stocking for a new store. They created an RFP (Request for Proposal) for suppliers, containing the following questions:
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On the count of two
Ian James, head of marketing at Foremost Golf, embarked on this column by recounting the feedback from PGA professionals who wouldn’t know what to write in a regular email to customers. That’s a pity on two counts, he says There is no one better positioned or qualified to encourage more people into golf, or to improve a golfer’s enjoyment, than the PGA professional. Here’s proof.
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Changing the rules
Brands are changing the rules on the retail channel, according to Ian James, head of marketing at Foremost Golf
Ten years ago, when the internet promised so much, many predicted that brands would, increasingly, go direct to the consumer, eventually removing the need for the retailer. However, in the face of intense pressure from the large retailers, brands have largely held off from alienating this traditional distribution channel. Even Levi, faced with the threat of being de-listed by large retailers, was forced to close down its direct e-commerce strategy.
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Spread the word
Ian James, head of marketing at Foremost Golf, writes that PR is a powerful tool that PGA Professionals DON’T use
The internet hasn’t just brought golfers closer to you. You now have almost instant access to the in-boxes and mobile phones of your club or facility management and owners, and your supplier management and staff. The battle to communicate and illustrate your value as a PGA professional has never been easier, but how often does the industry hear your success stories?
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The retail battle enters cyberspace
Embarking on a new series to address pressing issues in the pro shop, Ian James, head of marketing for Foremost Golf, considers the importance of developing an email database
The way that people shop and the way shoppers expect to interact with retailers is changing dramatically, and it’s good news for the golf professional at a green-grass golf operation.
It used to be that retailers worked hard on finding great locations. High customer traffic in a mall with lots of convenient parking, restaurants and cafés to keep the shoppers watered and fed, and anchor tenants to pull those customers to each end of the centre, would create a passing trade of potential shoppers that could be converted into loyal customers.
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