What’s Wrong With the Way You Retail?

Last week, I challenged you by asking, “What is your Augusta?” I asked how you were going to be the best at whatever it is that you do. Maybe that’s your golf shop. This is a particular passion of mine, so let’s dive in and see if there are any nuggets you can uncover.

You’ve got the goods. Now what are you going to do with them?

Because if you want to be the best at what you do, you’ve got to master the craft. And merchandising? That’s a craft. It’s not about hanging shirts and crossing your fingers. It’s about planning, phasing, refreshing, and moving product with purpose. Most shops don’t fail because they picked the wrong shirts—they fail because they didn’t have a plan. They put everything out too early, and by the Fourth of July, it’s all been picked over. No wonder they have to discount everything just to survive the second half of the year.

Last week, I stepped into a shop outside my territory. Small footprint—maybe 20 by 25 feet. Add a counter, a big HVAC column in the middle, a door at each end, and an office, and the space closes in fast. But here’s the thing: it was loaded. Absolutely packed. Racks full. Tables full. Walls full. A member could spend a half hour just looking.

And all of it was out.

Now that might sound good—until you realize what happens next.

Because in July? All that same stuff is still sitting there. August? Same. Come October, when you really need to move product, your members have already seen it, picked it over, and moved on. You’re not running a shop anymore—you’re babysitting inventory.

There’s got to be a better way.

And there is.

It starts with a plan. Not a buy sheet. Not a spreadsheet. An actual game plan. What drops now? What’s coming in June? What’s your summer refresh? What’s your fall push? Think like a chef running a seasonal menu. You don’t serve everything on day one. You stagger it. You build anticipation. You give people a reason to come back.

Great shops don’t just order well. They reveal well. They know “new” doesn’t mean “recently delivered.” It means recently seen. The secret isn’t how much product you have—it’s how you manage what you have.

If your members know you rotate inventory the first of every month, guess what? They’ll show up. You’ll sell more. If they see everything all at once, they’ll buy one thing in May—maybe one in September. But if you mix it up, keep it fresh, and give them something to look forward to? They’ll buy one each month… and probably grab one off the discount rack too.

That’s four shirts instead of one. That doesn’t stink.

What’s your exit strategy?

Every product line needs a launch plan—and an exit plan. We already talked about launch timing. Now let’s talk about what happens next.

What do you do with the inventory that didn’t sell?

Simple.

Who likes a sale?

Everyone.

Take the leftovers off the rack, fold them up, and put them in a box in the back. Let ’em breathe. A month or two from now, that’s your discounted rack. Until then? That’s where you pull league gifts, tee prizes, or staff comps—still at full price. You’re not throwing money away. You’re just keeping your shop clean.

Keep adding to that stash as the season rolls on. When the rack starts thinning, restock it—but keep it separate. And don’t let your discount rack spill into your full-priced floor. The second your members realize everything ends up on sale? They’ll wait you out.

Instead, let the discount rack do what it’s supposed to. You know who looks at it? Everyone. And when it’s sparsely stocked—just one or two pieces in each size—it does exactly what it should: it pushes people back to full price.

“That’s an option,” they’ll say. “But I didn’t see anything I loved.”

Boom. Back to full price.

And here’s the kicker: the discount rack tells you what didn’t work. Which patterns missed. What sizes you overbought. You learn. You adjust. You sell a few discounted pieces each month—and in the fall, you don’t have to discount the whole shop. You moved more product. Made more margin. And didn’t lose control.

That’s the job.

It’s not that your members don’t support you. It’s not that they don’t support the shop. It’s that they don’t support howyou retail. They came in, saw four or five things they liked, and picked one. In their minds? They supported you. But if you’d paced the inventory, built some anticipation, and gave them a reason to come back? They’d support you with all five.

Same member. Same shop. Just a better plan.

That small golf shop I mentioned above? That’s a blessing.

Smaller footprint means less inventory. Less pressure to cram it all in. If it were mine? I’d box up two-thirds of it and highlight what’s left. I’d be intentional. I’d make sure the stuff on the floor worked together—shirts, hats, belts, outerwear. I’d pick two brands and stage it so pieces from both lines complimented each other.

Got a lot of blank slatwall now? Good.

Fill it with old club photos. Add character. Tell your story. Better yet, throw in a TV and a couple chairs. Give your members a reason to hang out. Because when they hang out in the shop, they talk to you. And when they talk to you? They buy stuff. They’re going to be at the club anyway—might as well have them spending time with you.

As you think through all this, ask yourself: What would Augusta do?

I’ll tell you.

They put out a pre-portioned amount of inventory every day. In their case, it’s the same product—but the shop looks fresh every single morning. Every guest—whether they walk in at 8:00 a.m. or 3:30 p.m.—gets the same experience. Same selection. Same sizes. No leftovers. No gaps.

Why?

Because they planned how and when to release inventory.

It gets picked over daily—but there’s always a medium shirt at 3:00 in the afternoon. If they put everything out at once? It’d be gone before lunch on day one. Half the patrons wouldn’t even get a look.

Can you merchandise like Augusta?

You can.

There’s real value there.

Do you see it?