Josh Wilks
We have an active membership of Quail Creek homeowners who play upwards of 80,000 rounds of golf per year. With that much engagement throughout the club, it’s imperative to present a golf shop with quality merchandise that members desire. In fact, I see a successful golf shop as an amenity to your members and believe that this success begins with staffing. Throughout my career at other facilities, I’ve always hired merchandise managers to ensure we buy the right product for the shop and effectively display these items to not only attract members to the golf shop, but also get them buying. Understanding that my goals for our Quail Creek golf shop would require a full-time merchandiser, I hired someone to take on these vital tasks. She attends most vendor meetings, receives merchandise shipments, and gets the product on the floor for members to enjoy. She creates new golf shop displays monthly and during all holidays. With my aggressive approach to merchandising, we carry more product than many other shops, but that only serves our members better, providing a greater selection of brands, styles, and sizes. That merchandising philosophy also entails buying for the members who are going to support your golf shop. We don’t mind having high-end product that carries a larger price tag, because we trust in the quality of the merchandise and know that a large portion of our membership appreciates that level of product and will buy it. This quality merchandise sets the tone for someone who’s buying a home at the level of those in our community. We want them to come in and see big-name brands, rather than a bare bones presentation with products that don’t fit with their tastes. The notion of knowing your customer definitely applies here.
Josh Wilks on the business impact of buying product for your shop that meets your members’ expectations:
Hiring a skilled merchandiser pays for itself not only in sales revenues attained, but in the service provided to your members. In fact, we’ve tripled golf shop sales during my four years at Quail Creek. In addition, having a merchandiser on staff allows me to engage with members more freely, conduct more lessons and clinics, and play with members to forge those valuable relationships. That’s also how I get to know my members’ preferences. I see what they’re wearing on the course—apparel, shoes, headwear—and what equipment they’re playing. One member might need new grips, while another can use a new wedge. Whose putting requires your attention, and who’s at his or her wits’ end with their golf game in general? Having a merchandiser in the golf shop allows you the time to be more knowledgeable about your membership, which circles back to knowing your clientele and how to best serve their needs.
If you would like to email the author of this Best Practice directly, please email Josh.Wilks@robson.com.