SGBGolf_Feb09_p3 26/1/09 11:12 Page 1
Issue No. 73
February 2009
First
words...
The start of a new year always seems to be a time for making forecasts, understandably, but
you are not going to catch me having a ‘Michael Fish moment’ – remember when the BBC
weatherman told the nation in 1987 that hurricane winds would miss the UK, just hours
before we endured the worst storm in nearly 300 years?
A logical forecast was put to me recently: that in these troubled economic times we would
see the golf trade’s biggest swingers chopping down their retail prices in a bid to maintain
unit sales and to put the squeeze on smaller competitors. That makes perfectly good sense, I
thought, particularly with the rate of inflation heading south. It’ll be good news for the
consumer at least, if not necessarily for the retailers and smaller manufacturers.
Since the beginning of the year we have already had a number of significant equipment
releases, and if TaylorMade’s new R9 driver (from £349) and Ecco’s Ultra Performance shoe
(£150) are anything to go by, the price war is yet to begin. Bionic is even boldly stepping in
with a new price point for gloves at £24.99 (see p14). One exception comes from Cleveland,
however, whose HiBORE Monster XLS driver is recommended at £219 – that’s £30 less than
the HiBORE XLS last year.
Price is only part of the equation of course. If the price fairly reflects the quality of the
product, and it is supported with dynamic sales and marketing, a premium item will still sell
through.
So that’s my forecast for 2009: products and services at a variety of price points will
prosper, but only if the complete strategy surrounding it is just right.
Robin Barwick, Editor
On the cover . . .
on tour
February 2009
Bridgestone Golf
Bridgestone Golf, known for its industry-changing
Yours for £150
Is this the best shoe
Bridgestone Challenge ball-fitting program, has launched
in golf?
three new Tour level balls. The new B330-RX, a ball unlike
any other product on the market, and the newly enhanced
Severn Under
Greg Norman’s got a
new look 4-piece versions of the award-winning TOUR B330 and
TOUR B330-S series of balls are set to hit retailers’ shelves in
No.1
March 2009.
In the pink
We show you the cuts and
colours of Autumn 09
SGB Golf working
in association with
the British Golf
Industry
Association
Always
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