Just like the equipment side of the business, On/Off Course sales of Golf Apparel improved vs. last January, up by 3% in dollars even though units fell broadly.

There were some big winning categories like Women’s golf shirts, as well as bottoms for both sexes, but those categories that are more likely to be stimulated by  poor weather, like Outerwear (rain suits/jackets/pants) and “Tops” (Sweaters, Vests, Fleece) struggled to cope with the bounty of good weather enjoyed by most of the country (west coast notwithstanding).

As stated in the January Equipment Report, “one datapoint does not make a trend”, however after 9 consecutive months of decline in Apparel, it’s nice to start 2017 on a positive note.  And as February comes to a close, those of us in the northern tier or across the Southwest and Southeast have been basking in great golf weather once again in February, which bodes well for another good month at least in rounds played and hopefully in sales of both equipment and apparel.

If you own/operate a Pro Shop or a Golf Retail Operation and are interested in participating as a data provider (and receiving the in-depth monthly report on sales, market share by brand, inventories, selling prices, etc. for free), or are a manufacturer of golf apparel interested in evaluating and analyzing industry trends, please email Golf Datatech at info@golfdatatech.com for more information.