Positive Direction for August Golf Apparel

US August 2024 Total Apparel Retail (On-Off Course)

On-Off Course August ’24 vs ’23: Dollars +4.5%
On-Off Course August ’24 vs ’19: Dollars +61.1%

On-Off Course YTD ’24 vs ’23: Dollars -7.3%
On-Off Course YTD ’24 vs ’19: Dollars +45.2%

The most significant declines were in men’s and women’s bottoms, which were down almost 12% and 6% respectively.

Commentary

After seven months of significant decline, golf apparel flipped the script and grew by +4.5% in August, led by men’s and women’s tops, outerwear, and headwear, all of which were up double digits for the month. Typically, these are product types that improve during poor weather spells. However, August was a relatively benign weather month compared to many recently. 

After a long dry spell, golf apparel finally had a month with an uptick in sales.  While inventories remain elevated, higher than most retailers would like, as the 2024 golf season winds down, apparel may have turned the corner and be headed into the right direction.