Taylor Ross, the 2021 Gulf States PGA Section Assistant Professional of the Year, is the PGA First Assistant Professional and Buyer at The Country Club of Jackson (Mississippi).
Taylor Ross on the importance of adding fitness and wellness products to your merchandise mix:
At The Country Club of Jackson, Theragun by Therabody started our transformation to fitness. I had a conversation in 2020 with our PGA Head Professional Jason Prendergast about what we could sell besides traditional items like golf shirts, hats, shorts, etc. We decided that adding categories to our merchandise mix could increase revenues. So, we brought in the Theragun products that fall and actually pre-sold many of the units. We’ve reordered six times already, with 24 units each time, and followed that up with another promotion, pre-selling 48 more units. All I did was email the membership news of our sale, notifying them that they had a certain number of days to buy the Elite model for $299, after which it would revert to the regular price of $399. This product line normally sat on our catch-all table, but were displayed prominently in front for the holiday season last winter. We carry the Mini, Elite and Pro – three different price points from which to choose. We also provide a description of each one, as well as the differences between them. We also brought in Lululemon apparel to continue our fitness and wellness push. We started with 50 units that included leggings and long- and short-sleeve tees, and have since expanded to 288 pieces on the floor, adding tennis skirts and an assortment of colors, which keeps our members shopping here.
Taylor Ross on the business impact of adding fitness and wellness products to your merchandise mix:
After recognizing a trend of men coming in for something to wear to their tennis lessons, we also brought in some basic bottoms and tops, and that’s been going well too. These new products have allowed us to see a lot of new faces that hadn’t come into the golf shop before. In addition to Lululemon, we’ve expanded our selection and brands to stock short-sleeve and long-sleeve tees, as well as hoodies, and can’t keep them in stock. Our primary consumer of these products has been our younger members – 45 and under, a demographic that is wearing a golf shirt, but with a hoody over it. It’s part of a more health-conscious fitness lifestyle, and sales have reflected this trend. By expanding our product lines, we’ve expanded our potential customer base. We’re more than just a golf shop, and members understand that many of their fitness, gift-giving and of course, golf needs can be satisfied right here in our golf shop.
If you would like to email the author of this Best Practice directly, please email taylor@ccjackson.com.
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