PROFILE
Golfers’ Warehouse
Meets the Needs of Today’s Players
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ike other businesses, Golfers’ Warehouse outlets were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting shutdowns. “We closed all WorldWide Golf Shops locations on March 20, all 85 stores,” said Michael Britt, eastern regional manager for The Golfers’ Warehouse/World Wide Golf Shops. “We then started opening where we could based on the local restrictions on April 20, such as in Little Rock, Arkansas and Ridgeland, Mississippi. Over the next eight weeks the remainder of WWG opened the doors. We did do curbside business in areas that we could, but golf retail is not designed to be `picked up.’” In New England the Cranston, Rhode Island Golfers’ Warehouse was the first store to open on May 9, followed by the Hartford store on May 20, then the Massachusetts stores on June 8. Said Britt, “We have taken every step from a safety and cleanliness standpoint to provide a very safe and confident shopping experience. Business has been very good since we reopened...thank goodness! We are seeing a lot of new golfers and also some that left the game and came back to it, which is very exciting.” Britt reported that popular items since the re-openings have been push carts (“Good luck finding one right now.”), shoes (“So many golfers are walking now and realized their shoes were uncomfortable.”), lightweight bags, pre-
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owned equipment, and beginner/intermediate sets. All of this is likely because golf is one of the few sports that individuals are allowed to take part in and feel relatively safe and overencumbered by regulations and guidelines. Said Britt, “There are also many outstanding new clubs on the market this year from TaylorMade, Callaway, Ping, Titleist, Cleveland/Srixon, Cobra, Wilson, and Mizuno to name a few. There are a lot of great values right now throughout the store.....many because of the circumstances that happened with the shutdown in the spring. Let’s hope the manufacturers can ramp up production and fill orders quicker and quicker as we move forward.” A strong suit of Golfers’ Warehouse stores is their club fitting capacity and expertise. “Club fitting is vital nowadays to find the right club for a player’s game,” said Britt. “There are so many shaft options and shaft/head combinations
Golfing Magazine • New England Edition
out there that it makes club fitting a must. This is something that we always do free of charge at Golfers’ Warehouse and suggest customers never purchase a club or set without consulting an experienced club fitter first.” Golfers’ Warehouse is under the “World Wide Golf Shops” umbrella, which includes Roger Dunn, Golfers’ Warehouse, Golf Mart, Uinta Golf, Edwin Watts Golf shops and Vans Golf shops. Golfers’ Warehouse locations have become famous for the scope of their inventory, their staff ’s helpful and knowledgeable service, and interactive displays, where customers can feel at ease trying out equipment or browsing through the newest apparel and other golf-related items. Golfers’ Warehouse 90-Day Satisfaction Guarantee exchange policy remains in place, and as a major factor in continued consumer approval ratings. It’s pretty simply: If for any reason the buyer is not completely satisfied with a product that is purchased from Golfers’ Warehouse within a 90-day time period, the customer can return the equipment for a replacement or full store credit. The store used to allow people to demo equipment before they purchased, but felt the 90-day Satisfaction Guarantee is much more helpful to the customer. For more information about Golfers’ Warehouse, visit www.GolfersWarehouse.com.
www.GolfingMagazine.net
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