Air Force golf shop merchandising: a benchmark approach

Parks & Recreation, Dec, 1994 by Ed Miles

When customers walk into an Air Force golf shop, their first impression is "Wow! Now this is a golf shop!" Many military golf shops and clubhouses are drab and poorly structured. Today's Air Force customers demand more value for their money and more sophisticated service and facilities. The golf industries continues to grow at an unprecedented pace, and beautiful municipal and resort golf courses and club houses are being constructed throughout the world. As a result, many more Air Force golfers are visiting civilian golf clubs and courses. As the popularity of the sport increases among Air Force members, customers expect a level of service comparable to that provided by the private sector.

The golf shop is one of the first customer contact points on a golf course and often sets the tone for the rest of the visit. with this in mind, the Air Force Services Agency in San Antonio, TX, launched a benchmark study of the successful military and civilian golf shops. Both military and civilian benchmarking "partners" were selected, with the Andrews AFB Golf course in the Washington, DC, area as one of the military operations selected. This course was named the "number one" golf course operation in the Air Force in 1993 and one of the nation's top 100 golf shops in 1994. The Hanging Oaks Golf Course in Sacramento, CA was selected as a civilian "partner" course. This operation received the "Merchandiser-of-the-Year Award" from the PGA in 1990 and consistently has remained as one of the top 100 golf shops in the nation. The Lackland Air Force Base, TX, and two Fort Hood, TX, golf courses were selected as partners because of their outstanding merchandising programs.

All of the these golf shops have different approaches and are faced with different challenges and customer bases. However, one significant factor they share is quality management. This study searched for common or like methods of operation among successful golf shops, and plans are being made to weave these threads of success through the more than 80 Air Force golf courses worldwide. The goal is to foster pride ownership, stimulate a substantial increase in customer satisfaction, generate more participation in Service programs, increase sales per round, and create a healthier bottom line.

Partners in Progress

The benchmarking team identified "enablers" at each of the courses selected as partners. Enablers are those practices or processes that "enable" an activity to facilitate particular performance levels--those things that allow them to excel. The team quickly found that the most significant enabler was "presentation." Customers begin forming impressions and opinions the moment they drive into the golf course parking lot. From that point on, everything the customer sees offers a preview of things to come. Everything counts, from the landscape, signs, and cleanliness to the organized appearance of parked golf cars. From there, the presentation continues into the club house entrance, restrooms, locker rooms, food service locations, and the golf shop. To project the progressive, aggressive, upscale image desired, each area must reflect the same attention to detail. In many cases, the only clubhouse area visited is the golf shop, which is where most purchasing activities take place. To be successful, the golf shop must have an appearance and level of ambiance that entices customers to pause and browse through the merchandise displays. Getting the average golfer to "stop and shop" requires planning and merchandising strategies. Attractive merchandise displays are the first step down the road to success.

Several key golf shop characteristics have a significant impact on sales per round and golf shop merchandising programs. The primary focus areas include: floor planning, lighting, fixturing, point of sale (POS) counters, carpeting, and fixtures. The characteristics must all come together to create a well coordinated shop that is appealing to our customers.

The shop also must be appropriate for the geographical area and customer base it services. The golfers have to be comfortable with the golf shop's atmosphere if it is to be effective.

Floor planning creates an upscale, functional, distinctive area that will encourage customers to browse and guide them toward "target items" that need to move quickly. The cost of a professional store planner to create a basic plan can more than pay for itself in sales activity. The location of a stand-alone sales counter, mobile fixtures, sales tables, spot-lighting, eye-ball lighting, types of displays, and traffic flow patterns usually are beyond the average golf manager's expertise. In many cases, the floor space available to Air Force golf shops is limited (less than a thousand square feet), so efficient floor planning can make a big difference. Lighting and mirrors can make a small shop seem twice as large and bright and give customers a shopping environment that they will use and enjoy.

Slatwall fixtures are a relatively inexpensive but effective method of expanding floor space by moving merchandise off the floor and lifting it to eye-level for easy viewing. The assortment of attachments and fixtures available with slatwall today can add warmth and richness and make the entire golf shop appear more upscale. Dollar for dollar, adding slatwall to the golf shop is the most effective and least expensive upgrade a golf manager can make.