Consumers are cutting back on larger purchases like new clubs but in golf, as with other leisure pursuits, committed players are always looking for something to buy because the sport is very much part of their life. Clothing, in this climate - especially because of its seasonality - can be a great source of revenue for pros.
There is still good margin to be made in clothing, despite some current pricing increases filtering through to the market.
By focusing on the key elements that ensure a well presented clothing offer to consumers, and by this I mean a well-balanced, carefully chosen, well-stocked range of products that are merchandised clearly in-store, clothing can contribute a healthy percentage of a shop's turnover.
But successful retailing is not just about offering choice of brands - in an environment when every sale counts, rapid stock replenishment has a part to play. We are encouraging our customers to carry sensible levels of stock and to use our stock service and swift delivery turnaround to help them maximise cash flow.
Smarter pros are also very much tuned in to selling something extra that appeals to the club golfer, and society or competition organiser, like crested garments for winners, societies and teams. These often require a quick turn-around with excellent customer service and Glenmuir is one of the few companies that can provide this on a major scale.
Like most companies, Glenmuir isn't immune from the recession, but we are working hard to minimise its effects and focus hard on what differentiates us from our competitors.
This is where a commitment to customer service is vital. Being flexible, supplying from stock, offering speedy turn-around times, offering a 'from logo design to stitching' embroidery service, accepting bespoke orders and offering small order fulfilment are all added-value aspects of our business that become super-important when trading is tough.
At peak times we hold more than 250,000 units in stock to satisfy the demands from pro shops and corporate customers, and to give access to a wide range of product on a short lead time.
I think golfers are also becoming much more attuned to the performance of their clothing as well as its looks. They are fully aware of the enormous strides that have been made in sportswear development in high-profile sports like football and rugby and they expect golf brands to follow suit.
We've identified a growing trend in the 'performance' category and Glenmuir introduces new fabric technologies whenever we can to make clothing lighter, more breathable and more flexible. Again, those clothing brands that don't invest enough in product development quickly become outdated in the mind of the golfer.
It would have been very easy for Glenmuir to focus solely on the more traditional end of the market, where we have a fantastically loyal following, but we have shown a commitment to being contemporary too.
We like to think all the people in our business understand what our customers need - whether it's a case of picking the right garment and putting the right logo on it in the most appropriate way, or helping pros run their businesses.
It's tough out there - and we're all in it together. For suppliers, viewing customers as partners and not just as a revenue stream is paramount.
Glenmuir by numbers
500,000 - the average number of individual garment crests created annually at Glenmuir's Lanark factory.
250,000 - units of stock held at Glenmuir at any one time, which is increased at peak times.
16,000 - customer crest designs held on the company's digital archive.
228 - individual thread colours available for embroidery.
85 - UK staff in total.
13 - stitching machines in the Lanark factory.
11 - consecutive European Ryder Cup teams supplied with shirts and knitwear in a relationship stretching back to 1987.
