Taylormade/Adidas to open a slew of outlet mall stores?

[markb 244]

Has anyone else heard this new rumor?   Post details if you've got 'em!

[JBones 1,236]

I have not heard that, but back in the day I used to stock up on the Nike Tour Accuracy ball at the Nashville Nike outlet.  You could still get them there for a couple years after they left the shelves in golf stores and they were dirt cheap.  At one time, i had about 20 dozen in my garage. LOL  I think this would be a good thing.

[GolfSpy Dave 1,601]

Adidas already has outlet stores. Adding TM gear to them seems natural. Perhaps they could rebrand a bit to show consumers that the gear is there.

[fozcycle 12,750]

I guess you can only Dump so much into the Dick's sporting Goods stores.....

[Tony Covey MGS 672]

The proverbial SOMETHING is happening. Not sure of the details yet. I'm going to chat with Team TaylorMade at some point in the near future. If it sounds interesting, there might be a story in it.

 

Does this type of thing interest you guys?

[markb 244]

Well, it sure as heck interests me!  

 

When I sniff out stuff that may fundamentally change the wholesale-retail model in our dying game, I'm all ears.   TMag has to move that product somehow and if they can't stuff it into other big box stores, they'll have to sell it themselves.   I don't know if it will work, but all we have today are retail channels that DON'T seem to work, so they might as well try it and see if it helps them move all those old Jetspeed take-back clubs etc.   They'll probably make more money doing that than dumping them to GlobalGolf and 3Balls for pennies on the dollar.

[GolfSpy Barbajo 9,319]

I would think manufacturers in any business would love to control how their products are sold at retail.  There are lots of benefits (you control the message and the pricing), but you'd also have to add personnel to sell the stuff, you wind up shipping stuff to multiple locations instead of say main Big box distribution center, you carry the warehouse and inventory costs instead of the Big Box, etc.  Your stores would have to be larger than the typical outlet type stores that just sell soft goods, too. 

 

In addition, you directly have to handle individual returns, bad credit expense, etc, rather than, say, Dick's.  So this type of model probably wouldn't lead to lower prices.  

 

That idea of "cutting out the middle man" doesn't necessarily apply.

[xxio 107]

I mentioned how golf retail would change to this model of direct selling because it does not add much cost, players generally don't buy in pro shops/stores anymore, the one brand mentality is more prevalent because now brands carry a model for everyone, as long as you train the salesperson in the golf section well golfers will not complain. Of course a ton of people disagreed with me. Branding/lifestyle is the next avenue for golf to survive and thrive. TMaG and Nike have an advantage. Non golfers will walk into a Nike store see the nice shoes and shirts, figure what the heck I'll give it a shot. There's always ebay to sell the clubs after if it doesn't work out.

[xxio 107]

Those additional costs are already absorbed in pricing. The current system has the retailer plugged in for his own profit and cost already anyway. That "margin" just now goes to the OEM retailer to cover their costs. I don't know it works in the US but here not all Nike stores are owned by Nike. There a quite a few that are franchises.

[revkev 23,062]

It would interest me and certainly you could see it happening.  BTW I just received an email from Adams golf about the new Adams Golf - I think the website says it all - very simple, easy to you and clearly designed for the non-tech savy.  I'm right in the cross hairs of their target group.

[langesc88 27]

Agree with trying to keep them separate. I struggle to think that an 18 year old kid is going to give me the professional input on a new set of irons. He can however tell me what "kicks" I should be wearing. Poor business models will take a top performing company to it knees in a hurry leaving them asking what went wrong.

[xxio 107]

Agree with trying to keep them separate. I struggle to think that an 18 year old kid is going to give me the professional input on a new set of irons. He can however tell me what "kicks" I should be wearing. Poor business models will take a top performing company to it knees in a hurry leaving them asking what went wrong.

What is preventing them from hiring 2 "golf sales" only people to man the golf department? Golf has to become a lifestyle sport otherwise it will not grow.

 

Golf shirts and shoes becoming mainstream or being usable off the course has been a huge step for the soft goods portion. Every golfer I know, even the upwards of 50 year old crowd has at least one pair of golf street shoes. I see a lot more golf shirts when I'm out compared to 6-7 years ago.

 

I'm not even actually emphasizing growth. I'm just talking keeping people in the game and having that translate into actual sales. Those $65 golf shirt and $100 shoe sales will keep companies like Nike and Adidas making money to make staying big in golf worth it.

 

Most of my golf clubs are Callaway and Tourstage (and Bettinardi). But I don't have a single pair of Callaway shoes, only 1 Callaway shirt, 0 for both in Tourstage/Bridgestone. I do have 2 Bettinardi shirts.

 

Yet I have 12-14 Nike golf shirts and 3 pairs of Nike golf shoes. 8-10 Adidas golf shirts and 1 pair Adidas shoes.

 

I do have 3 pairs of FootJoy Contour Casuals (non lifestyle brand) only because I won them in raffles or were a tournament giveaway.

[xxio 107]

Going that route may actually be good for the smaller independent shops. Most of the lifestyle buyers will just be there in the Nike/TMaG outlet for the bling sale/purchase. They probably play 6xs a year anyway.

 

The true golfers from here and wrx will go get their fitting, reshafts (not available as upcharge), loft and lie checks at the smaller mom and pops that have been shut down by these golf superstores that half of which  (if you read a lot of posts) are manned by clueless sales people as well.

 

All of this is a guess on my part but for me it makes more sense from a sales/marketing perspective than continuing to have Superstores with brands competing against each other. Every OEM has models to match their competition anyway. It comes down to brand choice.

[BombTech Golf 6]

Yes. Very interested.

[finalist 4]

I noticed one coming soon (may be done by now) at the Folsom, CA outlet mall.
 

[markb 244]

I noticed one coming soon (may be done by now) at the Folsom, CA outlet mall.

 

 

I'm really interested in a boots on turf report of this Folsom store, should you ever get a chance to visit it.   I have an Adidas outlet store near me and while they carry Adidas golf shirts and shoes, the do not carry any Taylormade stuff.   The store manager told me that their store will NOT be getting any of the TMag golf stuff, indicating that some will be, but not the Utah store.

[Chal 18]

The outlet idea is intriguing. I agree with a lot of the previous comments.  It would be "outdated" clubs.  Interesting idea, hope something comes of it.

[rustamtom 0]

if TM (or any mfgr for that matter) really believes that "knowledge overcomes distance"  (TM tagline of 2015 PGA Merch Show),   They will invest heavily in every small golf club in the US and build the businesses of their true customers; the local Proshops!   No need to hire any specialized salesmen, or rent any retail space... 

[kygolfer1980 36]

I love the idea but my area is about 20 years behind the times on things of this nature.  It will be a drive for me to visit one.

[markb 244]

They made it official today.  The first one will open in Myrtle Beach and the second in Livermore, CA, with more to follow.    You heard it here first folks, way back in December.