Golf Datatech have gone digging through the numbers to see how the industry is faring at the half way point.
Well, trends over the last months have been on the up. Overall sales value versus 2023 for the last three months were March -6.8%, April -2.4% and May +0.4% – just up on last year. Three out of the four main product categories showed growth in the month, the exception being the largest clubs. Their sales were down by -5.1%, quite different to last month when they were up by +0.5%. This has a bigger impact on results as the group can account for nearly half of the sales mix.
Naturally, with the above monthly improvements, year to date figures are better. However, they have a little way still to go before we match 2023. Year to date March was -4.9%, April -4.0% and May -2.7% again. The good news is the trend is certainly going in the right direction.
Reviewing individual product group sales value for May, we find nine out of the eleven hardware products showing growth ranging from +1.1% for shoes to +17.1% for club packs. A marked difference to April’s results when only six groups were showing growth. The two products down in May were woods at -6.4% and irons -12.2% compared to the same period last year.
One of the most interesting results was for balls. This is a general guide to the level of play. So, at +8.3% it suggests that more golfers were out on their courses compared to May last year. A far better result than April when ball sales were down by -1.9%. However, this fact might be being distorted due to the level of promotion we have seen from the key ball brands.
The picture for clothing is showing an improvement from last month with four out of eight products showing growth. These ranged from +4.1 for men’s shirts to +11.8% for headwear. Those down ranged from –1.6% for men’s tops to -11.3% for women’s skirts and shorts.
Year to date sales are now showing seven out of the eleven hardware products up compared to last year. These range from +0.1% for trolleys to +10.2% for club packs. Unfortunately, the picture for clothing is still bleak with all products showing a decline. These range from -1.7% for men’s shirts to -16.7% for men’s trousers and shorts.
So, what is the rationale behind these figures? Strong ball sales would suggest that there are more people out on the course but this might be overstated following the recent promotions. Overall sales values have not yet matched last year which would suggest a reduction in footfall. One thing for certain is that prior to May the weather was very wet and we lost many playing days. Now the weather is drier sales are bouncing back supported by some pent up demand. We saw this during lockdowns and it does seem to be repeating itself.
The general feeling within the retail trade is that customers are still cautious, waiting to see if the economy has truly turned a corner. Warmer weather and a possible change in government direction could be the trigger needed. GR
Golf Datatech is a world leader in golf industry research. It provides the trade with specialised market research covering retail sales, inventory, pricing, distribution, along with strategic sales and marketing consultancy. In the UK, Golf Datatech research is based on an average of 2,000,000 records per month, recorded by EPOS systems at the point of sale. For greater detail contact John Hassett on 07976 797081.
