APOCALYPSE THE PGA TOUR
SUPERSTORE IS OPENING BRICK AND
MORTAR LOCATIONS, NEW WAS
ALSO INVEST IN TECHNOLOGY AND
CREATING GOLFERS DESTINATION
JOINING US NOW IS DICK SULLIVAN
PRESIDENT CEO AT THE G 8 TO A
SUPERSTORE TAKE IT'S GREAT TO
HAVE YOU WITH
US WHAT'S THE STRATEGY HERE.
>>IT'S GREAT TO BE HERE.
THANK YOU. WELL AS YOU KNOW
ARTHUR BLANK OWNS OUR FOUNDER
HOME
DEPOT WE WERE TOGETHER HOME
DEPOT AND WE STARTED WITH 10
STORES BACK IN 2010 AND WE'VE
QUADRUPLED OUR STORE COUNT.
WE JUST OPEN NUMBER 41 LAST
WEEK
AND SARASOTA FLORIDA AND WE'RE
THE LARGEST SPECIALTY GULF
RETAILING UNITED STATES NOW AND
CONTINUE TO GROW. HOW DO YOU
GET MORE PEOPLE LIKE A PEOPLE
IN THEIR 20'S 30'S.
IT'S A REALLY GOOD QUESTION.
I MEAN THE THE MOST IMPORTANT
THING WE DO COLLECTIVELY
WHETHER A GOLF
COURSE OPERATOR OR STORIES TO
GROW THE GAME AND WE BRING MORE
BEGINNERS INTO THE GAME EVERY
SINGLE YEAR. WE
DO CLINICS INSIDE OF OUR
STORES. WE GAVE 60,000 GOLF
LESSONS LAST YEAR, SO IT'S NOT
JUST SELLING A PRODUCT. SO IT'S
IMPORTANT FOR US TO CREATE AN
EXPERIENCE INSIDE OF OUR STORES
AND USED TO BE SORT OF
INTIMIDATING TO GO TO HOME
DEPOT AND FIX YOUR TOILET OR
FIX SOMETHING AS A DUI D I Y
CUSTOMER AND SO FOR US, IT'S
SORT OF THE SAME PHILOSOPHY.
WE BRING BEGINNERS IN WE MAY DO
THINGS INSTEAD OF PUTTING
CONTEST. THEY MAY ACTUALLY
COLOR GULF BALLS'S AS LITTLE
KIDS BUT I THINK IS AS WE TRY
TO REACH MORE MORE MILLENNIALS
IT'S IMPORTANT THAT IF WE FIT
YOU WITH THE RIGHT PRODUCT.
IF WE GET YOU SO YOU CAN PLAY
THE GAME BETTER AND EASIER.
IT'S MORE FUN. THEN
IT'S IT'S YOU OR DESIRE TO WANT
TO PLAY THE GAME DO YOU
ACTUALLY SELL IT SIMULATORS
WITHIN THE STORE.
>>WE DO AND IF YOU'D LIKE TO
BUY WANT TO KNOW YOU CAN GET
WELL I'M CHRIS AND IT DOESN'T
IN MY APARTMENT BUILDING THAT
I'VE NEVER SEEN AS WELL AS
SHOPPING FOR NEW APARTMENT IN
NEW YORK CITY LIKE THE GOLF
SIMULATOR IS THE NEW THING OUT
APARTMENT BUILDING.
>>IT'S IT'S INDOOR GAMING.
>>I MEAN YOU CAN PLAY GOLF
COURSES WHETHER BE PEBBLE BEACH
OR OTHER BIG GOLF COURSES AND
IT'S REALLY FUN IN IT AND
ACTUALLY HELP YOUR GAME
AND HAVE TO HAVE ONE IN MY
BASEMENT, SO IT'S REALLY REALLY
FUN BECAUSE YOU GET TO SEE THE
SHOT FLY TO GET TO WORK ON YOUR
GAME AND I WILL SAY AND THE
LAST YEAR SINCE I'VE HAD WITH
MY GAME IS ACTUALLY BETTER AND
I'M NOT THAT GOOD. SO IS THERE
MORE DEMAND COMING FROM THE
MILLENNIALS THAT WE DON'T NEED
TO GET INTO HOW THAT MY
GAME IS THAT IN ANOTHER
CONVERSATION.
>>BUT AS THE DEMAND COMING FROM
MILLENNIALS OR IS IT COMING
FROM OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN
TIED TO
THE GAME OF GOLF FOR A LONG
TIME AND NOW WANT TO GET OUT
THERE ON THE COURSE MORE OR
HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE
ADVANTAGE OF ONE OF THE
SIMULATORS IT'S A GREAT
QUESTION. WE HAVE A COMBINATION
OF TO POLLS.
>>WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT ARE
RETIRING AND THEY WANT TO TAKE
UP THE HOBBY OF GOLF.
BUT WE'VE HAD WE'VE HAD MORE
GROWTH IN GOLF AND THE JUNIOR
SECTOR THAN ANY OTHER SPORT
MORE THAN BASKETBALL MORNING
CALL FOR THE BASEBALL FOOTBALL.
AND THE PERCENTAGE OF
MILLENNIALS AND IN FACT MORE SO
WOMEN COMING INTO THE GAME.
IT'S AT THE HIGHEST POINT WE'VE
EVER HAD SO THAT'S TO ONE OF
THE MOST CRITICAL FACTORS WE
NEED TO BRING FOR JUNIORS WE
NEED TO BRING MORE DIVERSITY
WOMEN INTO THE GAME AND SO
THAT'S WHAT WE SELL IN OUR
STORES. WE SELL DURING A
PRODUCT. WE SELL WOMEN'S
PRODUCTS. WE HAVE MORE WOMEN'S
CLINICS IN THEIR STORES AND I
SAID MORE JUNIOR CLINICS AND
THAT'S WHAT MAKES US DIFFERENT
AS A AS A RETAIL COMPANY, IT'S
NOT THAT WE JUST SAW PRODUCT
WE HAVE EXPERIENCE ASIDE OF OUR
STORES HAVE TO GET WHAT THE
MARKETING STRATEGY HERE AND
THAT'S FROM OF COURSE COMES
AGAINST THE BACKDROP OF A YEAR
LONG CAREER IN MARKETING YOUR
CMO.
>>HOME DEPOT YOUR EXECUTIVE
VICE PRESIDENT. THE ATLANTA
FALCONS WERE YOU AND A
MARKETING FOR THAT
ORGANIZATION, WHAT'S THE KEY TO
MARKETING HERE. WELL WE'RE MILE
HELPS.
AS IT DOES. 100% OF THE
POPULATION IS EVER GOING TO
COME TO OUR STORE JUST LIKE IF
YOU DON'T SKI,
YOU KNOW GO TO A SHOP.
>>SO IT'S IT'S CONTINUING TO
EXPAND OFF OF THE PGA TOUR
BRAND THE PGA TOUR BRAND IS AT
THE TOP OF THE PERMIT.
>>IT'S THE BEST OF THE BEST,
AND IT SPEAKS HIGHLY OF QUALITY
AND WE HAVE TO EXECUTE ON THAT
PROMISE. SO AS WE CONTINUE TO
GROW AND WHERE THE
E-COMMERCE PLATFORM WE'RE LIVE
FROM THE PGA TOUR. SO WHEN YOU
GO TO THE PGA TOUR. YOU GO THE
WEB SITE YOU GET SHOT, WE
FULFILL ALL THOSE ORDERS JUST
LIKE IT TO THE
NFL SUPER STORM WITH THE NFL
DOT COM. SO THE MORE THAT WE
CONNECT TO THE PGA TOUR.
THE MORE THAT WE DO AND
REACHING GOLFERS AND CERTAINLY
THERE'S THERE'S PROPERTIES LIKE
THE GOLF CHANNEL AND OTHER YOU
KNOW GULF, I JUST MAGAZINES ARE
ENDEMIC, ESPECIALLY FOR YOU
KNOW THE GOLFER
WE HAVE TO BROADEN OUR BASE
WITH 7 AND A HALF MILLION
CUSTOMERS COMING INTO OUR
STORES LAST YEAR. SO
THAT WORD OF MOUTH CONTINUE AS
WE CONTINUE TO
IMPROVE OUR PRODUCT GETS
BETTER.
>>TIGER WOODS IS REDEMPTION
STORY WINNING THE MASTERS AT
THIS YEAR AFTER MORE THAN A
DECADE. BASICALLY OF A DRY
SPELL DOES THAT HAVE HELP YOUR
BUSINESS.
ENORMOUSLY.
>>WELL THAT SOMEONE ASKED ME
THE QUESTION OF THE DAY IS THAT
THIS TIGER MOVE THE NEEDLE.
I SAID NO TIGER IS THE NEEDLE.
I
I CAN'T REMEMBER THE NUMBER
WE'VE GOT A 100,000 OF THOSE
MARK T SHIRTS ARE YOU KNOW WELL
SURE IT'S THAT THAT WAS SOLD
JUST IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS.
THE E-COMMERCE BUSINESSES UP
LIKE 50% JUST IN A COUPLE DAYS
AFTER THE MASTERS, SO WHATEVER
HE DOES WHENEVER HE WINS PEOPLE
WANT TO DRESS LIKE TIGER BE
LIKE TIGER, SO IT IN EFFECT,
YOU KNOW WE'VE HAD SOME BAD
WEATHER THIS YEAR WAIT MAY WAS
THE WETTEST MONTH ON RECORD IN
THE UNITED STATES. BUT APRIL AS
SOON AS HE WON THE SALES SPIKED
SO HE REALLY MOVED THE NEEDLE A
VERY BRIEFLY, HOW DO YOU MAKE
SURE TO PROVIDE VALUE TO THE
BRANDS THAT SELL THEIR PRODUCTS
IN YOUR STORES IN THE AGE OF
THE DIRECT ANSWER WE SEE YOU
KNOW WITH A WITH A LOT OF
COMPANIES BUT THEY'RE GOING
DIRECTLY TO THAT BY PASSING A
3RD PARTY THAT RETAILER.
>>THE BUILDING THAT
RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM SO JUST
WHAT IT CAN TO PRESENT
THEMSELVES. HOW DO YOU PROVIDE
VALUE WHEN HE SAID WE GET ASKED
THAT QUESTION ALL THE TIME,
YOU KNOW HOW TO BUILD A MOAT
AGAINST AMAZON. NO ONE CAN EVER
BUILD THE YOU KNOW PURE MODE
AGAINST AMAZON. BUT
AS I SAID EARLIER THAT AND OUR
E-COMMERCE BUSINESS IS GOING TO
BE 8 TO 10% OF OUR BUSINESS
THIS YEAR, IT'S GROWING AT
ABOUT 30% THIS YEAR. SO PEOPLE
WANT TO CONTINUE SHOP ONLINE
AND WE'VE WORKED WE'RE NOT THAT
WE DON'T CARE HOW YOU SHOP WHAT
YOU COME INTO OUR STORE AND IF
YOU YOU BUY A SHIRT
BALL FALLS WHATEVER YOU WANT TO
HAVE THAT THE LIBERTY HOUSE I
THINK YOU SHOULD DO THAT MAKES
IT MUCH EASIER AS A CONSUMER,
ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE IN ATLANTA
WITH THE TRAFFIC THERE IN NEW
YORK FOR THE TRAFFIC IN NEW
YORK. BUT I THINK THE
DIFFERENCE IN THE WAY I ALWAYS
VIEW IT IS IF WE DO SO MUCH
BUSINESS ONLINE
AND WE JUST BECOME A COMMODITY
AND THE END OF THE DAY WE HAVE
TO PROVIDE THE EXPERIENCE
INSIDE OF OUR STORES. AND IF
YOU DON'T GET
THAT EXPERIENCE AND WE'RE NOT
DOING OUR JOB RIGHT AND I HAD
TO GO TO THIS DUDE RANCH ART IS
DUDE RANCH A COUPLE WEEKS AGO
AND I HAD TO GO HIKING SHOES.
AND I'M A BIG FAN OF R E I I
DON'T SHOP THERE VERY MUCH BUT
THEY TOLD ME THESE ARE NOT THE
HIKING BOOTS, YOU WANT THESE
ARE THE HIKING WHAT YOU WANT IF
YOU BUILD TRUST INSIDE OF AN
ORGANIZATION BUILT TRUST INSIDE
OF THAT RELATIONSHIP CUSTOMER
EMPLOYER RELATIONSHIP. SO
THAT'S WHAT WE WORK STRIVE FOR