Positive Signs in January Equipment Sales
There are signs of a positive start for equipment sales as we publish the US market data for January golf retail this week.
US January 2024 Total Equipment Sales (On-Off Course)
On-Off Course January ’24 vs ’23: Dollars -0.6%
On-Off Course January ’24 vs ’19: Dollars +50.5%
Summary
In January’s retail sales data, there’s good and bad to report – thankfully with a balanced outcome and good signs for the category.
While January sales for equipment were down almost 1% vs the prior year, they remain 50% higher than 2019.
- Five out of nine categories were lower in January
- Clubs compared positive vs January of 2023, with Woods up +8.9%, Irons up +3.9% and Putters improving by +2.1%.
- Golf Balls, which had been on a tear for most of 2023, finally cooled off and were down -8.2% for the month
On the latest data, Golf Datatech co-founder John Krzynowek said, “January is the smallest month of the year for equipment sales, and is not a prediction for how the entire year will play out. Given the difficult weather in much of the country, along with significantly reduced, On-Course traffic, having sales about level with prior year would be considered a win for equipment”.