Thornblade Club’s compelling and timely window displays keep members engaged
By Lisa Goulian Twiste
When Ashley Hayes took over as Golf and Tennis Merchandise Manager at Thornblade Club in Greer, South Carolina, her goal was to bring a fresh perspective to the merchandising operation. What she soon realized was that she could start making a positive impression on members before they even entered the golf shop.
Now in her third year at Thornblade, Hayes has become known for her well-thought-out and compelling window displays that are timely, appealing to the senses and are changed often enough to keep members engaged and coming back for more.
“I aim to consistently refresh the window displays each month, aligning them with holidays and events while showcasing new products,” says Hayes, who has been an AGM member since 2021. “Over time, this approach has become something our members look forward to and enjoy.
“I strive to outdo myself with each new display, ensuring that creativity always takes center stage. You’ll never see the same display twice!”
In her own words, here is a look at some of Hayes’ best window displays celebrating different seasons and holidays:
Valentine’s Window Display 1
In this window, we were showcasing the latest shoe drops from FootJoy and G/FORE, as well as shades of pink apparel for women and men. This display was created to remind our membership of the upcoming Valentine’s Day holiday, with special focus on helping spark gift ideas, while also adding some color to the shop to brighten up the dark and gloomy winter months. Additionally, it highlighted our new arrivals.
Any time we roll out a new window display, we accompany it with an Instagram post, which always helps bring people into the shop. A lot of the time, members will reach out by phone or message us on Instagram, once they see what we have, to reserve a size.
Valentine’s Day Window Display 2
In this Valentine’s window, which we called “Love is All You Need,” we showcased men’s and women’s G/FORE, red-logoed cups by YETI and Therabody cubes. We wanted to offer more than just apparel for Valentine’s Day. February is a slower month for us, so taking the opportunity to increase revenue is key. We did very well in the gift/accessory category.
Early Spring Window Display
This display was our “April Showers Bring May Flowers” setup. All members of the golf shop staff assist with the window displays, and we truly enjoy creating something our members will love. This is a spring drop that featured brands like FootJoy for women, G/FORE polos and footwear, plus headwear from Imperial.
I’m always looking for ways to engage our female membership, and with the majority of our shop merchandise catering to our men, when we get something new in for women, I want it to be featured front and center. I like to bring in smaller drops – and bring them in more frequently – especially with headwear. When an item is featured, it creates a sense of urgency.
Summer Window Display
Called “Dive into Summer,” this display introduced lifestyle pieces, such as Peter Millar swim trunks, to see how they would do in our golf shop. To really drive the theme home, we added beach balls and vibrant colors. This drop did extremely well. We were pulling swim trunks off the “clothing line” to sell to members as they walked past the golf shop. We also placed several special orders when we ran out of a specific size.
Holiday Window Display
Christmas is, by far, my favorite window to design! We spent hours hand-painting egg cartons to use as the flower garland weeks before the installation and wrapped empty boxes in gold to balance out the window. You can create fun displays without breaking the bank.
Featuring brands like Therabody, Goodr sunglasses and Yeti cups, this window's focus was stocking stuffers and health and wellness items, perfect for last-minute shoppers.
This page is an ongoing feature in PGA Magazine that highlights best practices from the Arizona-based Association of Golf Merchandisers. The AGM has approximately 850 members – including PGA of America Professionals, buyers and merchandisers.