Andrews Honored as 2021 Southern Ohio PGA Public Merchandiser of the Year

Anthony Andrews, PGA, a 26-year PGA Member, is the 2021 recipient of the Southern Ohio PGA Public Merchandiser of the Year Award for his success at Blue Ash Golf Course. Andrews prides his golf shop on constantly presenting a “Wow” factor to each guest. He and his team incorporate tactics such as weekly movement of unique displays, communication on multiple digital marketing platforms and specific sales to move stale or outdated products. Andrews has been recognized for his success in the industry previously as Southern Ohio PGA Section’s Public Merchandiser of the Year in 2017. 

Read below to hear Anthony’s thoughts on becoming a successful golf shop merchandiser.

SOPGA: What has been the most important factor in running a successful golf shop? 

AA: I think the most important factor is carrying the right type of products for what your customer base needs. We keep a couple of core lines every year but we continue to kind of move around to try new lines but knowing what people buy and then buying accordingly is huge as far as what the end result will be. 

SOPGA: What best practices have you developed for new people coming into your shop daily to get the best show of your merchandise? 

AA: Well, being in a public course our customers are new every day. A lot of times it’s the first time they’ve ever been here. So I think what’s different on the public end than on the private end, we still change our mannequins and move merchandise around constantly but cleanliness and making the shop look orderly is probably more important here. We try to make sure it has that image. People have said you try to have a “wow factor” but I want them to walk in and feel like they’re walking into almost a resort shop, even though we’re a public golf course. 

SOPGA: In your opinion, how important is it to have a strong support staff in your shop and how do you find those people to help the customers? 

AA: It is so important to have at least three or four or five people on your staff to know what they’re talking about. Most of the customers who come into our shop are buying for need because they forgot something, but then there are customers that come in because they want to shop. Having a staff that can help explain to shoppers why this piece is a hundred dollars versus why that piece is sixty dollars, that’s critical. It takes a while to learn, but having a staff with the knowledge about each product and then empowering them with the confidence to guide the customer around the shop is huge. 

SOPGA: What advice would you give to someone just beginning to learn about building a successful public golf shop? 

AA: You have to start with what core products and what core needs every golfer has. When you’re brand new to a facility, there’s no way to walk in the door and know exactly what that golf customer is going to need. There’s no way to have that knowledge, so you start with a good core. You start with very well known name brand products, and then build around that. As you learn your customer demographics you see how people are buying and which products seem to be moving better and as you learn your buyers, then you can introduce a little bit lesser known brands and take chances while keeping up with the trends.

About the Award: Recognizes SOPGA members who have demonstrated superior skills as merchandisers in the promotion of golf. Awarded in two categories (Private and Public/Municipal/Military/Semi-Private). Credit rating, community involvement, staffing, inventory, displays and merchandising techniques are some of the criteria considered for this award.