In July of 2023, after four years of trying, Northwood Country Club in Meridian, Mississippi, landed an account with lululemon. Kyle Carpenter, Northwood’s PGA of America Head Golf Professional and golf shop owner, had experienced no success selling women’s apparel in the golf shop before then, but within a short period of time, he knew it was going to be a completely different experience with lululemon.
“I had tried to do some women’s clothing from other brands, but they still asked for lululemon,” Carpenter says. “Now, it’s been my biggest success, especially since I’m the only retailer who has the brand within 88 miles.”
Northwood’s lululemon display takes up the entire back wall of the golf shop, as well as a table that sits out in front of the wall. Depending on the season, Carpenter carries five to six pairs of leggings or pants, seven to eight pairs of shorts or skirts, one to two dresses, five to six shirts and up to eight jackets, bras and pairs of socks. He can also special order anything his members find on the lululemon website for the same price they would pay online and have it to them within three days. If they want it logoed, he’ll have it in four.
“We see women wearing our products all over the club, especially at tennis and in the fitness center,” Carpenter says. “Most of our women walk the course in the late evenings and are wearing it as well.”
Overall, the account with lululemon has taken Northwood’s women’s apparel sales from virtually zero to about $75,000 last year. Not only that, the shop has seen an increase in its men’s business as well.
“Women control household purchasing, and we use that to our advantage when they come into the shop,” Carpenter says. “This year, I am trying to do youth and baby clothes as well to try and capture those sales.”
The Northwood golf shop also offers lululemon bottoms for men, though male customers prefer johnnie-O and FootJoy for shirts, Carpenter says. He does quite a few special orders because of the speed of delivery, with only about five percent of the lululemon women’s orders getting a logo put on them.
In addition, the success of the lululemon business has served to strengthen members’ loyalty to the golf shop, according to Carpenter. “They know I own the golf shop at the club, and they choose to support local businesses,” he says. “The feeling of instant gratification also plays a huge role. We expect to get our purchases extremely fast, and I can now offer that to the membership. They also like knowing that I am charging the same price as if they bought it straight from the company.”
Lisa Goulian Twiste is a Senior Apparel Writer at PGA Magazine.
