The market for golf apparel appears to finally be on the rebound, according to a new study by Golf Datatech. The independent research firm reports that the on-course dollar volume in 2011 increased by 8 percent compared to the prior year.
“Through the first 11 months of 2011, every product category shows significant improvement over 2010 dollar sales volume,” said Tom Stine, Co-Founder, Golf Datatech. “These totals don’t take into consideration December numbers, which reflect the bulk of holiday sales and are likely to further increase these figures considerably.”
Men’s tops, which includes sweaters, vests and fleeces, showed the biggest year-to-year increase as a category — up 21.9 percent. The average retail price was $75.13, a 4.2 percent increase. Men’s bottoms increased by 20.6 percent, with the average sale price for pants and shorts at $49.04, a 2 percent increase. Not all prices were up, however, as men’s shirts dropped by 1.3 percent to an average of $50.42. That was still far higher than off-course prices, which averaged $34.70.
Women’s shirts sold for $45.49, a 2.8 percent increase, and bottoms for $53.61, a 4 percent increase.
For outerwear, the average retail price was $72.79 at on-course locations, which reflects a 0.6 percent increase from 2010, while the average retail price at off-course locations was $62.94, which reflects a decrease of 2.8 percent from 2010. Overall, outerwear sales have increased 9.4%.
Golf Datatech makes the Golf Apparel Market Reports available on a monthly basis to apparel companies, retailers and golf shop operators and managers, providing a detailed snapshot of apparel sales for every category. The reports list the market shares, retail pricing and inventory levels of virtually every apparel manufacturer, as well as define the market leaders.