Longitudes Group Releases Timely Big Box Golf Closure Research

Significant retail closures at Golfsmith, Sports Authority and others leave shopping patterns in flux as golf season begins to open across the country. 

PORTLAND, Ore. (March 1, 2017) - Longitudes Group LLC, a leading independent sports research company, announced the release of the Big Box Golf Closure Report.  The report shares how golfers in 38 major markets are planning to shop and spend in the wake of Golfsmith, golfsmith.com and a cluster of sporting goods chains’ bankruptcies in 2016 and 2017.  Longitudes Group estimates more than $800M in golf spending is up for grabs with the closing of nearly 670 retail stores that sold golf equipment, apparel and footwear. 

Longitudes Group Releases Insightful 2016 Golf Online Shopping Report

 Unexpected Industry Moves Disrupt Perception of Online Golf Consumer Habits

PORTLAND, Ore. (Nov. 16, 2016) - Longitudes Group LLC, a leading independent sports research company, announced the release of the 2016 Golf Online Shopping Report.  The report provides insights into golf consumers’ current online shopping behaviors and future intentions for digital purchases of over a billion dollars on golf gear, tee-times, travel and more.  The research is derived from Longitudes Group’s just launched, proprietary Golf S&P™: Spenders & Playersgolfer panel powered by a volunteer database of GolfNow’s more than 3 million registered users.

Key findings include:

- Despite bankruptcy, Golfsmith is still the #1 pure golf specialty online retailer in the  minds of golf consumers.  The top 15 golf online retailers are ranked by avid golfers and more importantly, avid shoppers

- Amazon takes over the strongest specialty golf retailers to be ranked as the #1 online store for golf purchases.  The generalized ecommerce sites such as Amazon, eBay, and Dicks Sporting Goods gained momentum with golfers in the last three years versus the leading golf specialty webstores

- Tee-times (66%) and golf hard goods (65%) are the two most common products or services researched and purchased by golfers  

- Millennials and young GenXers (< 44 years of age) are behaving quite differently in a few key digital spending areas versus the Boomer generation of golfers

- Attitudes are changing quickly since the last Golf Online Shopping research conducted in 2013 by Longitudes Group including favorite golf sites, brands and future intentions for spending this Christmas season and in the new year

- The types of devices most often used to make online purchases by young GenXers / Millennials have important repercussions for companies’ web usability and design strategies

“We estimate 2016 has been the year when the US retail value of golf gear sold online surpassed $500 million,” shared Sara Killeen, President of Longitudes Group.  “Tee-time bookings and golf travel also account for hundreds of millions in spending, and this research takes the pulse on spenders and players intentions for opening their wallets across a variety of golf-related categories in 2017.”

The 2016 Online Shopping Report will provide golf industry stakeholders with information to make informed investment decisions to help grow their unique business and connect with the fast growing online shopping segment.  You can purchase the 36 page report at longitudesgroup.com for $950. Buy here

 

The report was created from Longitudes Group’s Golf S&P™: Spenders & Players panel.  The Golf S&P™ panel, powered by a volunteer database of GolfNow’s more then 3 million registered users consists of over 10,000 active spenders and players in the game and the panel is growing in size every quarter. The results in the report are culled from the survey of 1,092 respondents. 

About Longitudes Group LLC

Longitudes Group, LLC, headquartered in Portland, Oregon, is a research and marketing company providing unique analysis on the travel and spending behaviors of avid golfers in the US and Canada. Armed with the Golf S&P™ panel and a database containing information on the behavior of 5.2 million avid golfers mapped by county and zip code, Longitudes Group uses a geo-demographic approach to probe both the location and purchase behavior of the avid golfer population.  On the supply side, Longitudes Group has built the most up-to-date database of golf retailers including 15,300 golf facilities, 775 off-course retail stores and 1,900 chain sporting goods store.  For more information about Longitudes Group and the Golf S&P™ Panel, please visit www.longitudesgroup.com

  

Contact: 

Sara Killeen, President                                    
(503) 477-6284                                               

Sara@longitudesgroup.com   

                        

Eric Stanton, Vice President of Marketing

(503) 475-7970

Eric.Stanton@longitudesgroup.com

Longitudes Group Launches Golf S&P™ Consumer Research Panel

Largest and most dynamic golf research panel in the industry will be powered by a volunteer database including young, digitally active and avid golfers from GolfNow’s more than 3 million registered users

 

PORTLAND, Ore. (Nov. 15, 2016) – Longitudes Group LLC, a leading independent sports research company, will build an exclusive golfer research panel in the U.S. marketplace with data gathered from a volunteer group of the most-engaged customers within the 3.5 million golfers who have registered with GolfNow to book their tee times. 

 

The Golf S&P™:  Spender and Players Panel has the ability to extract market insights identified from numerous dimensions of golfer participation, digital engagement and spending patterns. The breadth and depth of this new research pool offers those in the business of golf a chance to measure the transformation of this fast-changing society, and understand the strategic implications across its most valuable golfing segments. Comprising young and old, newly professional and nearly retired, golf serves as a common denominator in the fabric of their active lifestyles. 

 

“The industry has been hungry for fresh dialogue with golfing segments in order to understand the pace of changing consumer expectations and digital habits, as well as measuring their emotional connectivity to golf,” said Sara Killeen, president of Longitudes Group.  “The volunteers from GolfNow’s member base are passionate about the game and they will share insight into how golf fits into their lives is evolving, from booking a tee time to playing 9 or 18 holes to making other golf purchasing decisions.”

 

The Golf S&P™ panelists have specifically opted-in to take part in research studies. Longitudes Group will remain wholly independent throughout all research conducted with this panel. 

 

A year in the making, the Golf S&P™ will provide golf companies, from product manufacturers to tourism and all points in between, with the power to make informed investment decisions to help grow their unique businesses and connect with a valuable sample of today’s golfing Americans. The strength of the panel and its economic insights reflect all ages – including highly desired Millennials – skill levels, spending profiles and more. Thirty-seven percent of the panel is under the age of 44, and 47 percent play 40 rounds or more annually.  The output from this panel will drive many unique syndicated and longitudinal research reports and is also available to the industry for custom research projects. 

 

Longitudes Group is releasing the first syndicated report utilizing the Golf S&P™.  The “2016 Golf Online Shopping Report” queried 1,092 panelists to share the latest on:

·      What they are buying – or not buying – online

·      How they conduct research

·      Key influencers for purchase

·      Favorite online retailers and golf brands

·      Golf spending outlook for 2017

 

The 36 page report is available for purchase at Longitudes Group Reports

 

About Longitudes Group LLC

Longitudes Group, LLC, headquartered in Portland, Oregon, is a research and marketing company providing unique analysis on the travel and spending behaviors of avid golfers in the US and Canada. Armed with the Golf S&P™ panel and a database containing information on the behavior of 5.2 million avid golfers mapped by county and zip code, Longitudes Group uses a geo-demographic approach to probe both the location and purchase behavior of the avid golfer population.  On the supply side, Longitudes Group has built the most up-to-date database of golf retailers including 15,300 golf facilities, 775 off-course retail stores and 1,900 chain sporting goods store.  For more information about Longitudes Group LLC and the Golf S&P™ Panel, please visit www.longitudesgroup.com.

  

Contact:

Sara Killeen, President
(503) 477-6284

Sara@longitudesgroup.com

 

Eric Stanton, Vice President of Marketing

(503) 475-7970

Eric.stanton@longitudesgroup.com

2015 Sporting Goods Channel Golf Market Report

Longitudes Group today announced the release of its 2015 Sporting Goods Channel Golf Market Report.  Longitudes Group estimates 17% of golf equipment/apparel revenues, in the range of $850,000,000 in retail volume, are sold in traditional Sporting Goods retailers.  Golfers and manufacturers alike have experienced the power and influence of this channel in recent years. Tides are now changing as Golf departments inside large format sporting goods stores are getting pinched as they struggle to keep up with faster growing categories across the aisle. 

2015 Off-Course Retail Report Shows a Mixed Bag of Growth & Contraction

Longitudes Group today announced the release of its bi-annual 2015 Market Trend Report on USA Off-Course Golf retail.  The channel continues to be cut-throat all while consolidating as the effects of Worldwide Golf acquisition of Edwin Watts played out in 2014.  The merger forced more than 40 Edwin Watts locations to close, significantly impacting the entire US Off-course channel.  Longitudes Group tracked a net loss of stores in the channel at (-82) locations, a drop of 8.6%.  In addition to the Watts closings, fifty plus closures of independent retailers shows the relinquishing of control to the well-funded few.  

2014 Off-course Retail Channel Report

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Who’s minding the store anyway? Longitudes Group Profiles and Ranks the Top 17 Golf Retail Chains for 2014

Portland, OR – Longitudes Group announced today it has recently completed a new report for 2014 documenting the market profiles of the 17 largest off-course golf retail brands. It includes an in-depth look at the new acquisition made by Worldwide Golf last month of 49 locations of the 91 Edwin Watts stores in bankruptcy proceedings.

2013 Sporting Goods Channel Golf Market Report

Longitudes Group today announced the release of its 2013 Sporting Goods Channel Golf Market Report.  With over 17% of all golf industry sales being sold through this channel, golfers and manufacturers alike are experiencing the growing influence of this channel.  Previously a proprietary report for clients, the report is being released as a syndicated report to the broader golf and sporting goods marketplace.

Public Opinion on the Belly Putter Regulation

Longitudes Group, a sports market research firm based in Portland, OR, asked their avid golfer survey panel about their opinion on the Belly Putter regulation. The polarizing results are in and the panel slightly sides with ‘yes’ the belly putter gives an unfair competitive advantage with a 39% response rate over the 34% response rate stating ‘no’ it does not give an unfair advantage.  On May 21st, 2013, the USGA and R&A ruled that the use of the belly putter would be banned from regulation play as of January 1st, 2016.

2013 Off-Course Retail Report Measures A Calming In The Marketplace

Longitudes Group today announced the release of its 2013 Market Trend Report on USA Off-Course Golf retail. For the first time in five years, the golf market experienced an increase in both doors and retail square footage.  2007 marked the peak before the economic downturn that brought many retail sectors devastating losses. Relative stability settled into the market in 2012, perhaps as the independent competitors relinquished control to the moneyed few.   The specialty golf channel is now dominated by the national chains.  71% of all square footage and 30% of the door counts are owned by multi-door retailers with store footprints over 10,000 square feet.

Golf's Grand Design PBS Documentary Premiere - Aug. 3, 2012

Sara Killeen, President of Longitudes Group, was interviewed for the making of PBS's latest documentary, Golf's Grand Design airing on August 3rd on PBS stations nationwide.  Check your local PBS station for the local schedule. See the trailer here:

Sara Killeen speaks on the PBS special " Golfs Grand Design" Clip 1.