Quarterly Checklist for Golf Shop Success

Written by Justine Gray

What are things you do every quarter in your golf shop for success?

A merchandiser’s consistent attention to detail and proactive management throughout the year ensures the shop runs smoothly and efficiently. Here is a comprehensive quarterly checklist to help inspire your business operations:

 Clean Up Your SKUs/Inventory:

A thorough inventory audit every quarter is essential. Identify slow-moving items and consider markdowns or promotions to clear them out. Ensure your SKUs are up-to-date, accurately reflecting your stock levels to avoid discrepancies and shrinkage.

  Review Your Upcoming Orders:

Take the time to review your upcoming orders. This helps in anticipating stock arrivals and planning your displays and promotions accordingly. Adjust orders if necessary to align with seasonal trends and sales data.

 Outstanding Special Orders:

Check for any outstanding special orders. Follow up with vendors on items that haven’t arrived. Keep customers informed about delays to help maintain trust and satisfaction.

 Clean Out Your “Hold” Merchandise and Lost & Found:

Clear out any items that were placed on “hold” for your customers that have not been purchased or picked up. Consider giving these customers a call to inquire if they would still like the item, if not place it back in stock. If you have a lost and found in your shop, also clean out these items and donate if appropriate to free up space and reduce clutter.

 Replenish Supplies:

Ensure essential supplies such as shopping bags, receipt paper, wrapping supplies, shipping supplies and tags are well-stocked.

 Unclaimed Special Orders:

While you may make every effort to deliver special orders to your members’ lockers, there are inevitably orders that remain unclaimed in the Golf Shop. Reach out to these customers with a friendly reminder to pick up their orders, consider offering solutions such as shipping to their home to ensure these sales are completed.

 Attention to Props and Hangers:

Inspect and maintain your props, fixtures, and other display items. Also take a look at your apparel hangers. Be mindful of what may need replacing from normal wear and tear usage.

 Unreturned Demo Clubs:

Review any unreturned demo clubs that have been out of the shop for an extended period of time. Utilizing tools such as Golf Genius Golf Shop can help in these endeavors to manage demo inventory and ensure items are returned in a timely manner. Consider reaching out to members who have had clubs out for extended time periods and work to find any lost items.

 Markdown Flow:

Evaluate your markdown flow. Avoid backlog by scheduling regular markdown updates. A backlog suggests the need for more foresight in your markdown strategy. Make notes of what vendors and sizes are on the markdown rack the most often to support future buying decisions.  

 Staff Training and Engagement:

Invest in your team. Conduct training sessions to keep staff updated on product knowledge and new merchandise arrivals. Organize fun activities outside of work to build team morale and engagement!

 Re-tagging Items:

Check for items that need re-tagging. This ensures all products are accurately priced and prevents customer confusion.

 Check in with Other Department Heads:

Visit with other department heads at your facility. Learn what events they may have coming up in their respective departments. Is there anything you can support them with from a retail perspective? Or opportunities to collaborate? Staying engaged with your facility as a whole is a key to success and will ultimately lead to greater harmony and a collaborative work environment across departments.

Conclusion

Addressing these tasks each quarter will ensure that your golf shop remains organized, efficient, and customer-focused. By staying proactive and attentive to every aspect of your operations, you set the stage for sustained success throughout the year. Implement this checklist to keep your shop thriving and your customers coming back.

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