Golf Manufacturers Biting The Hand That Feeds Them

There’s nothing more frustrating in our day-to-day retail operations than having to compete with the manufacturers that have products in our store!  This recent phenomenon has been increasing over the last several months and seems to be even greater now that the holiday shopping season has arrived.

Think of it this way;  what would you think if Ford Corporate opened up a factory dealership in the same town as your local Ford dealer.  Your first thought would be “how can my local dealer survive competing with the manufacturer being right down the street?”  That’s basically what’s happening in the golf industry.  Giants like TaylorMade, Callaway, Tail, and Nike are going directly to the end-user to sell their products, thereby competing directly with their approved and licensed retailers.  The reasons are obvious – profit margins!  It’s obviously less expensive to sell direct than to have to sell through local retail outlets.  Meanwhile, the local retailer spends thousands promoting their products in an attempt to try and squeak out a living in a very difficult marketplace.

Manufacturers should take notice that retailers are not going to continue to attempt to compete with them, but rather, we’ll just offer the products of companies that support our  efforts!

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