When it comes to merchandising our golf shop, it’s a huge team effort. With our operation being so large, we try to get every staff member involved in some capacity of merchandising, with each in charge of their own category. For example, one assistant is in charge of golf balls – everything from inventory levels, to trends in golf balls, to what people are asking for. Giving each staff member one category keeps them engaged, as they have ownership of something in the retail space. All the assistants are also involved in the process of creating the display, which gets them committed to the product even more and makes them proud when those displays are recognized. They also appreciate me asking them what they think would make a cool display coming up, which shows I value their input and creativity.
I would say the biggest advantage to giving staff members ownership of an area of the shop is they are on top of what’s selling and when to reorder. This way, when someone comes in and wants a white Peter Millar polo, we have it available and don’t miss out on that sale. Giving them ownership also makes them proud to showcase the shop and be recognized as experts in their categories. We also make sure they know what’s going on in other categories – like if we’re short on a product or we’re pushing a certain product, every staff member knows about it and is on the same page. It’s really cool to see them inspired and taking ownership, which encourages a positive environment in the shop and gets them committed to the retail operation even more – which, in turn, increases sales.