Steven David, a four-time Merchandiser of the Year in the Colorado, Minnesota and Nebraska PGA Sections, is the PGA Director of Golf & Athletics at Denver Country Club in Denver, Colorado.
Steven David on the importance of selling fitness merchandise in your golf shop:
We have seen steady growth in fitness participation at Denver Country Club, and our fitness apparel and accessories have become a significant part of our overall retail business. With our facility’s fitness center conveniently adjacent to our retail stores, we utilize fitness as a separate segment, not necessarily tied in with our golf merchandise. It’s a nice category to add as a different component to our overall selection. Our retail stores offer yoga apparel, leggings, sports bras, razor backs, T-shirts, pullovers, men’s shorts, pants and underwear, yoga mats, foam rollers, Theragun massage therapy devices, Trexz Air headphones, water bottles, socks, heart rate monitors and several other items. We carry leading brands, such as Alo Yoga, Lolë, 2UNDR, tasc, Ouray, Straight Down, Theragun, Smartwool and EcoVessel. Having separate departments within each shop, we place a distinct and individual focus on each of our primary segments – golf, racquets and fitness. Sales of one category are not usually dependent upon another. In serving our members, our staff is trained to ask the right questions and help customers find what they’re looking for, as well as potentially upsell them into an apparel piece or accessory from another department or category.
Steven David on the importance of selling fitness merchandise in your golf shop:
We enjoy the benefit of having men’s and women’s retail stores, each featuring fitness apparel. This allows us to promote the importance of fitness by creating dedicated space within both stores. In addition, we can offer a greater selection of apparel, as we have few limitations to what we can bring in the shops. The PGA Professionals and fitness experts have partnered to support one another in improving their “shared” clients’ success within golf, as well as their overall lifestyle habits. The professionals analyze the strengths and deficiencies of our members, and collaboratively design a plan based on drills and exercises that benefit the members’ progress and overall performance. This synergy between golf and fitness professionals helps members improve at golf and live healthier lives, while ultimately driving sales in our shops, as well. Creating a fitness presence from all corners of the facility helps drive home the importance of the topic and demonstrates our commitment to serving our members’ well-being.
If you would like to email the author of this Best Practice directly, please email sdavid@denvercc.net.
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