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RETAILFOCUS


The People’s Retail Experts


SGB Golf had a quick catch-up with managing director of TGI, Eddie Reid, to find out the latest from the group and the state of the overall trade in general


For those not aware of how the business operates, can you please give an overview of the TGI model? We at TGI are in a unique position and in our own bubble if you like- for a


one off fee of £500 and the purchase of 200 shares, each partner receives an equal distribution of the company and becomes an equal shareholder. This creates an equal ownership of the company and, as you can see, it’s all about helping our partners. I may be biased but our unique position creates our own unique atmosphere and camaraderie.


TGI’s 30th anniversary was recently celebrated with a merger with EuroPro. How has this benefited your business? We of course have known EuroPro for a number of years and most


groups have conversations from time to time. EuroPro have had some success and have grown from 7-30 guys. However they’ve needed to change their model and with our 70 partners already out there, it made sense. It gives us a strong presence in Ireland and one we are continuing to


develop. The last two years have seen Irish consumers, and therefore retailers, beginning to buy with more confidence. There’s a great deal more buoyancy out there of late and that can only be a positive for us.


Where do you see the golf trade heading in the next few years? Five years ago there was certainly a lot of doom and gloom around but


things are starting to look a little more positive. I think the quality of our golf pros are improving, but the real challenge to our game is the changing nature of society; over the last 15 years we have seen a cultural change and we are living in a shared family culture. Time is precious to people with families and this presents its own challenges. There must be a rationalisation of retail and not just thinking about retail


in terms of the best product at the cheapest price. Golf pros need to work harder; they need to sit on their club’s committee, helps brands establish their products in the area and offer that service quality.


So you think it's survival of the fittest for those within golf? The game of golf is oversubscribed in every area apart from those that


are playing the game. Now we are out of recession the opportunity will survive as long as subscribing to that old adage- finding your USP. In terms of golf clubs themselves, those that actively use their Pro as an asset are less susceptible to changing market conditions. Clubs really need to look at how they run their business and in some


28 SGBGOLF


cases stop underselling their product. Just because ‘Twilight’ deals and Groupon offers are becoming more popular doesn’t mean you have to go down the same route all the time. There is one high profile club that had 5000 visitor rounds last year at £190 per round. That’s a lot of money.


The TGI Group has been very active in terms of Social Media lately. How are your Pros responding? Very well! Those that are


really embracing new technology are seeing a strong relationship with their club. Simple things like tweeting about course conditions and competition updates are a real way of strengthening that bond. If you just bombard


people with sales pitches they tend to switch off, so offering that ‘user experience’ in whatever you do is of real benefit. At our Conferences we have used experts like Dr Jim Hamill on Social Media and our guys have really responded positively. Even ourselves- we have really developed our Social Media side recently and are seeing the benefits!


Have you implemented any new services for your customer? Of course we offer the range of services that any retail service should,


like e-newsletter campaigns, marketing and POS material. However we offer a range of other services that perhaps get forgotten like our own legal helpline, golf travel opportunities with our link-up with Golf King and staging events both on and off the course where our partners can learn from industry leaders. Everything is tailored to the Pro.


www.tgigolf.com


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