B and M golf shop in NI

It ain't me lads. I'm keeping my clubs. At least the ones I have left.


My main worry is about putting a golf shop on the high street. Why not just bung it near a golf club.

Every sat and Sunday golfers are at the club. We are not traipsing around the high street.

Belfast would have to be the city in northern Ireland . No other city would be big enough to have any kind of local or passing trade.
 
Here in the north west of Northern Ireland we had golf store Europe HQ. Now gone lasted maybe two years

Also we had a guy doing golf SIM experience session were you pay x amount and play any course etc. Now gone lasted 6months

The local range has the launch machine on hire a fiver a hour. Don't even need to book just land down anytime.

So my advise to you is forget about it. The items you have listed I would guess 1 in 10 golfers would buy maybe less. And to have a high street unit selling this kind of golf stuff does not have a chance.

People talk about a small mark up on golf gear IE set of irons etc. But yet the big players IE American golf focus on selling these. The non standard stuff you will find some of it on there web site. Normally under accessories or something. The mark up might be higher on but no one really buys it. That's why they push irons and woods sales.

Am sure the boys running American golf or another store have looked at this market and tried a few products over the years and maybe still sell a few but to try and make a business from these is madness.

The mark up is likely much better on non standard golf but there is a reason for that and that's because it doesn't sell aswell. And to get a good discount from the whole saler you will likely need to order a large amount. So please save your money and put it into something tried and tested.
 
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Here in the north west of Northern Ireland we had golf store Europe HQ. Now gone lasted maybe two years

Also we had a guy doing golf SIM experience session were you pay x amount and play any course etc. Now gone lasted 6months
These fail for many reasons, 1st up there is not the population to have one in NI

London
Glasgow
Manchester
Aberdeen

Successful venues

You need a dense population with money (Reason being you need to use high end sims and they cost a lot to buy or rent) which means you need to charge.

Most of these venues that have failed, failed due to poor marketing and having many staff stood behind an empty bar all day.


The local range has the launch machine on hire a fiver a hour. Don't even need to book just land down anytime.

Not sure how that is relevant to a golf store

So my adviCe to you is forget about it.
Are you qualified to give business advice? As i am not looking for that, i am looking for input from those that have run such businesses.

The items you have listed I would guess 1 in 10 golfers would buy maybe less
So with a website on the WORLD WIDE WEB there is a market of only 6 million customers per item (I am being a smart ass of course)

And to have a high street unit selling this kind of golf stuff does not have a chance.
You know this based on what experience?

People talk about a small mark up on golf gear IE set of irons etc. But yet the big players IE American golf focus on selling these.a
Yes you need to buy the stuff somewhere, but if you go up against AG you are in price war

The non standard stuff you will find some of it on there web site.
No doubt they list everything, their NICHE is bringing you in to look at cheap clubs

Normally under accessories or something. The mark up might be higher on but no one really buys it

No one being 10% of 60 million golfers or slightly more than the entire population of Scotland

That's why they push irons and woods sales.
That is why? You know this how?

Am sure the boys running American golf or another store have looked at this market and tried a few products over the years and maybe still sell a few but to try and make a business from these is madness.

There are businesses that do very well based on selling golf technology

The mark up is likely much better on non standard golf but there is a reason for that and that's because it doesn't sell aswell.

That is not the reason, the reason is there are not 5000 retailers selling the exact same thing to the exact same audience, with the only way to win the sale to be cheapest

And to get a good discount from the whole saler you will likely need to order a large amount
I already get better rates than your average store, so this is not an issue.

So please save your money and put it into something tried and tested.

So you have all the information that I have missed, you must have run many stores, how did they go?

OR
Are you turning your best guess into factual business advice based on nothing more than playing golf and watching Dragons Den?


By the way a couple of actual retailers have been sending me messages and the input they have given me has been massively useful, your best guess really is not.
 
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By the way a couple of actual retailers have been sending me messages and the input they have given me has been massively useful, your best guess really is not.

Regardless of what info you wanted from your OP, you're inevitably going to get feedback from the masses of golfers on here

Your attitude is appalling, and i can only hope you treat your clients with more respect - if/when you commence this venture.

You will likely pass over this post as i only manage a leisure centre, therefore don't meet your requirements to post but i have read with interest all your replies and find it astonishing someone speaks to fellow forum members like you do
 
Regardless of what info you wanted from your OP, you're inevitably going to get feedback from the masses of golfers on here

Your attitude is appalling, and i can only hope you treat your clients with more respect - if/when you commence this venture.

You will likely pass over this post as i only manage a leisure centre, therefore don't meet your requirements to post but i have read with interest all your replies and find it astonishing someone speaks to fellow forum members like you do

Why is it inevitable?

The OP was very specific in detailing whose opinion he was seeking so I, for one, can imagine his frustration at receiving the amount of off topic and generally ill informed so called market research.

Yes, this is an open forum but that does not mean it is an opportunity for everyone to stick in their twopennyworth, no matter how irrelevant, when one of us seeks specific advice or information.
 
Why is it inevitable?

The OP was very specific in detailing whose opinion he was seeking so I, for one, can imagine his frustration at receiving the amount of off topic and generally ill informed so called market research.

Yes, this is an open forum but that does not mean it is an opportunity for everyone to stick in their twopennyworth, no matter how irrelevant, when one of us seeks specific advice or information.


Spot on!

But youre halrdly giving answers to his questions, so you can pee off as well :whistle:
 
Why is it inevitable?

The OP was very specific in detailing whose opinion he was seeking so I, for one, can imagine his frustration at receiving the amount of off topic and generally ill informed so called market research.

Yes, this is an open forum but that does not mean it is an opportunity for everyone to stick in their twopennyworth, no matter how irrelevant, when one of us seeks specific advice or information.

A lot of threads on here take a turn in another direction, some go off topic, some end up generating their own thread.

But you almost never see the OP complaining that its gone off topic. And not in the manner this OP has.
 
I think in the instance the OP has an idea that he thinks is a good one and doesn't like it when others think it may not be a runner.
The only way he'll find out for sure is if he goes for it and succeeds or fails.
 
I think in the instance the OP has an idea that he thinks is a good one and doesn't like it when others think it may not be a runner.
The only way he'll find out for sure is if he goes for it and succeeds or fails.

Particularly when he didn't seek those opinions!
 
Why is it inevitable?

The OP was very specific in detailing whose opinion he was seeking so I, for one, can imagine his frustration at receiving the amount of off topic and generally ill informed so called market research.

Yes, this is an open forum but that does not mean it is an opportunity for everyone to stick in their twopennyworth, no matter how irrelevant, when one of us seeks specific advice or information.[/QUOTES

SPOT ON

The thread should still be on page 1
THE PMs on the other hand, my inbox is full with all the back and forth from actual owners

And YES being an employee in a retail store does not qualify you (Since you brought it up)
 
Particularly when he didn't seek those opinions!

Plenty of threads go off topic and when the OP posts on an open forum an idea that he has regardless of if he has asked for opinions on that then people will post what they think of his idea - if the OP just asked for retail information without his idea then people wouldn't have posted

When people have posted they have done it respectfully and politely - the OP had the choice to either just ignore the opinions given or respond in the same manner others have or he could have asked the mods to close the thread but he decided to respond very abruptly and very rude to people.

Now so far your involvement in the thread is to tell people what they should and shouldn't post

Many times lots of stuff have appeared out of topics that haven't exactly stuck to the original topic - that's the beauty of this forum

People have just offered advice - that's all , nothing nasty just advice - it can either be ignored or taken but I don't believe you have the right to tell people what they shouldn't post.
 
Plenty of threads go off topic and when the OP posts on an open forum an idea that he has regardless of if he has asked for opinions on that then people will post what they think of his idea - if the OP just asked for retail information without his idea then people wouldn't have posted

When people have posted they have done it respectfully and politely - the OP had the choice to either just ignore the opinions given or respond in the same manner others have or he could have asked the mods to close the thread but he decided to respond very abruptly and very rude to people.

Now so far your involvement in the thread is to tell people what they should and shouldn't post

Many times lots of stuff have appeared out of topics that haven't exactly stuck to the original topic - that's the beauty of this forum

People have just offered advice - that's all , nothing nasty just advice - it can either be ignored or taken but I don't believe you have the right to tell people what they shouldn't post.

Unlike some I would not be so pompous as to dictate to others what they may post. Equally I would not be so arrogant as to offer advice on a subject (specialist, niche retailing) of which I have no knowledge or experience, doubtless you would not feel so inhibited.

All I have pointed out is the opinions and advice offered by so many including, of course, yourself was not what he had requested. As such, therefore, he is entitled to be frustrated by the amount of unsolicited "advice" and this may be reflected in his response.
 

So you have all the information that I have missed, you must have run many stores, how did they go?

OR
Are you turning your best guess into factual business advice based on nothing more than playing golf and watching Dragons Den?


By the way a couple of actual retailers have been sending me messages and the input they have given me has been massively useful, your best guess really is not.

To come back to your some of your points

Golf store Europe sold to Europe and UK on the world wide web The store used to be total golfand did well so up the owner got outside investment to take it to a wider market ie Europe. Still failed for whatever mainly due to competition and prices.

Did you not say that you are looking at Northern Ireland for cheap rent? But as you stated your on the web so you can't fail.

So your going to get a better rate than must stores? Never heard as much toss in all my life. Anything you can do or buy a good rate can be copied. If this business of yours takes over the world of golf. Some of the big players will copy your model and eat you up.

They push irons and woods because they sell. jez doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that. If the golf game was a big seller they have it all over the front cover of there web sites etc. Personally I don't know one person that buys the stuff your looking to sell.

As for experience I don't claim to have a great deal. Only a degree in business and accounting and started a small parts business here in Northern Ireland a few years ago.

I am not trying to put you off I just giving you my advise on the matter. We might not have a big population here in Northern Ireland but even in Belfast you will find that prime location cost a lot more than most parts in the north of England
 
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