COVERSTORY
Completely redesigning every part enabled the company to make sure the R1 and now the R1-S Push fold down even more compactly than the company’s previous Z3 model – making it the 33 per cent smaller, in fact – while still offering a comprehensive range of accessory points and accepting all cart, tour and even carry bags in their correct position without having to be twisted to accommodate the stand mechanism.
Mark Stewart, the company’s CEO, said: “Since the launch of the R1 Push in 2014 we have been inundated with requests for colour options from customers right across Great Britain and Europe.
“We are really excited about these new variations and the other enhancements that we’ve been able to build into the R1-S Push, and we are sure that both our retailers and our customers are going to be too.”
The R1 Push was the first trolley ever to use a rack-and-pinion mechanism – obviously retained in the R1-S Push – to make folding it easier and more reliable and keeping the folding mechanism free from dirt and muck forever.
The core of the RRP £199 R1-S Push is a bespoke aluminium alloy frame, powder coated in black or white or platinum with three quick- release wheels, all of which have dual bearings for the smoothest possible ride across the ground, and maintenance-free airless tyres. In just two steps it folds down smaller than any other push trolley, is fully adjustable to the height the user is most comfortable with, and has room for glasses, phones, tees, pencils, scorecards, etc, in a console that has both a magnetic ball marker and accessory points for everything from a universal GPS holder to insulated cooler bags.
Very importantly, a drinks holder, ball holders, and an umbrella holder are all standard – with the umbrella holder designed to give maximum strength in the wind. The foot brake is on an easy-to-use and reliable rocker mechanism so there are no cables to lose tension, and another innovation is the silicone bag straps that hold any size bag firmly in place.
Stewart Golf started a quiet revolution in 2014 by turning a 3,000sq ſt warehouse that used to be filled with imports from China into a factory where they could build their new push trolley, the R1 Push, and ship them across Britain – and export too.
This means the folding mechanism, which Stewart Golf has a patent on, is completely hidden: there’s no need for external tensioning wires and there are no sliding tubes to trap dirt or grit – that means a fantastically clean design and nothing to get in the way of folding it up or down quickly and easily.
The company had been building its X and F Series remote-controlled powered trolleys by hand in Gloucestershire for more than a decade but decided in 2013 that the latest iteration of its volume product, The three-wheeled push trolley, would be manufactured by hand there too.
What that means is: delivery to retailers direct from the manufacturer’s own workshops; industry-leading Quality Assurance levels; ability to react instantly to market demand; and off-the-shelf access to spare parts and accessories.
The company launched the first version of its powered trolleys in 2003 and improvements to the X Series have been based both on customer feedback and advances in technology, with the current X9 version (RRP £999, introduced in 2014) able to boast Bluetooth connectivity. Powered by the latest lightweight Lithium battery, it is available in a range of colours. 2008 saw the introduction of a flagship F1 Lithium model, featuring a base unit small enough to fit into the boot of a Porsche 911 and a
bag incorporating the trolley’s spine to cut down on weight. April 2014 saw the introduction of the
revolutionary X9 Follow (RRP £1,499), using Bluetooth proximity technology to allow golfers to walk totally hands-free with their trolley following them wherever they choose to go. Earlier this year Stewart Golf launched the
F1-S Remote (RRP £1,749) an upgraded version of the F1 Lithium, offering 21 per cent more battery capacity, two new British-built motors that deliver the power more efficiently, a new NASA- derived moisture-control system and Electronic Launch Control straight out of a Formula One race car!
What hasn’t changed over the years, however, is Stewart Golf’s commitment to extend and develop its retail relationships. In addition to a professional approach to margins, carriage-free deals on relatively small numbers of trolleys, volume-related incentives and no requirement for pre-orders, the company is currently putting together a team of premium agents to present its premium products to the UK’s premium on-and off-course retailers.
If you would like to hear more about how Stewart Golf supports its stockists then see
www.stewartgolf.co.uk or email the company’s UK Chief Operating Officer at
robert@stewartgolf.com
SGBGOLF 13
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