industry case study
Direct Golf UK Edinburgh Store
Direct Golf UK Peterborough Store
“An opportunity not an excuse” A
SGB speaks to Direct Golf founder John Andrew about how the company has managed to thrive despite the recession
ll too often we hear a tale of woe about how the recession
has killed the retail trade. Direct Golf UK, Europe’s leading multi-channel golf retailer, is bucking the trend of retailers in this harsh economic climate. In the past economic year, the company has managed to achieve 42% retail growth. This growth is all the more impressive when considering the little growth high street retailers have experienced. Founded by John Andrew in 1991, Direct Golf UK has enjoyed substantial growth in its 20 years of trading. A PGA Professional, Andrew started with a single shop in Huddersfi eld and now has expanded to 20 sites in the UK and employs over 250 people. The original company policy was simple yet eff ective. By cutting manufacturers RRP prices by up to 70%, the golfi ng public were quickly attracted by the prices they could off er. The company has however managed to maintain their success through a variety of measures and places customer service at the forefront of their business. “Service is the single most
important thing to a business”, commented John Andrew. We don’t off er good customer service; we off er world-class customer service. Too often other retailers employ workers on poor wages with limited knowledge and it is no wonder that customers choose to shop online.” Andrew places huge emphasis on the quality of his staff service to ensure repeat custom and it appears to be paying dividends. “We are the single largest PGA employer with 55 pros on our books and all our staff are experienced golfers. All my training is carried out in-house by me personally and it is no word of a lie that we only received 1 complaint last year.” When asked why Direct Golf
UK are thriving when other retailers are struggling, Andrew believes other retailers are relying on old methods to increase revenue rather than seek out alternative methods. “I see the recession as an
opportunity not an excuse. We have looked towards other revenue streams rather than simply rely on old tried and tested methods.” For Direct Golf UK, this includes their new Direct Golf TV service on their website. The feature is designed to help customers
off er world-class customer service. Too o en other retailers employ workers on poor wages with limited knowledge and it is no wonder that customers choose to shop online
We don’t off er good customer service; we 08 |
SGB-SPORTS.COM
choose the right equipment to improve their game. The channel also provides a series of tips and drills, equipment reviews and a series of exclusive off ers. Designed to improve the shopping experience of the consumer, the channel looks to go above and beyond the norm expected of retailers. For retailers looking to
invest in golf who have never previously delved into the sport, now is the ideal time due to the increasing success of British
and Irish golfers such as Lee Westwood, Luke Donald and Rory Mcllroy to name but 3. With golf also returning to the Olympics in 2016, the sport is likely to continue to thrive in future years. It is however the increasing growth within the youth side of the sport that has the biggest potential for retailers. With 70% of state schools now introducing golf onto their sports curriculum, the huge potential in golf should certainly not be ignored.
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