Turn Your Pro Shop Into a Profit Shop

Written by Ryan Doerr | Feb 6, 2020 6:30:00 PM

If your pro shop isn’t up to par (profitable, offering fresh merchandise and featuring engaging displays), you’re cheating your Members and your Club’s operations. When Clubs understand how to utilize their pro shops to their advantage (beyond a logo-ed collared shirt and golf balls), it’s a win for the Club, the shop owner, the staff and the Members.

Mark Bergman gets it.

As a Head Golf Professional, Golf Club Owner, and multi-award-winning PGA Professional, he has figured out the secret sauce for boosting revenues, giving merchandise a purpose in elevating the brand experience and the Member experience. This combined with best practices in operations, Marks’ proven formula for success, has helped Clubs double or even triple their merchandising sales while driving engagement and retention. Mark is ranked in the top 1% of the 29,000 PGA Professionals nationally.

Interested to know if your pro shop makes the cut?

When assessing, take a moment to consider the following:

Do you currently have an inventory plan?
What about a merchandise assortment plan (MAP)?
What are your current sales categories?
How are your sales by month and by category, and what is your merchandise revenue by month?
Pricing Plan – do you have one? What is your markup schedule?
Procedure for releasing new inventory?
How about excess inventory? Are there large amounts at the end of the year?
Is there a seasonal promotional calendar?

Here are some of Mark’s proven tips that have helped Clubs increase their bottom lines:

Address low-hanging fruit to increase sales, fast

Stock impulse buys, like sunscreen or mosquito wipes, near the register.
Move merchandise around the shop every two weeks to make it look new to returning visitors.
Offer gift cards and gift wrap to make it easy for Members to shop.

Increase sales by bringing merchandise to your Members

Host a trunk show or other fashion event to keep merchandise top-of-mind.
Invest in portable fixtures so that you can move your merchandise to other areas of the Club in case their is an event where it would make sense to showcase your pro shop offerings.

Find ways to use the pro shop experience to make Members feel special

Hold a focus group over coffee to ask your Members what they want to see in the pro shop.
Invite your “VIP” shoppers in for “sneak peeks” and first-come-first-serve access to merchandise before it hits the floor.
Keep track of your Members’ sizes, shoe sizes and preferred brands to make their shopping experiences easier and to help you buy with specific Members in mind.

SCS’ risk free Merchandising Opportunity Assessment can help you to audit your pro shop and determine key areas for improvement that will increase your bottom line. SCS’ Mark Bergman will guide you through it. Schedule your consultation.

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