Global Value Commerce (GVC) – owner and operator of the world’s largest e-commerce platform for new and pre-owned golf gear – has launched U-try, the golf industry’s first exclusively online club trial program at Globalgolf.com.
Golfers across America are testing new drivers and fairway woods from Callaway, Cleveland, Cobra, TaylorMade and Titleist. They simply select up to two clubs on www.globalgolf.com/u-try / and GlobalGolf.com ships the clubs for a $25 trial fee per item. Within 14 days, customers either keep the club(s) and pay the current list price – less the trial fee – or return them with a prepaid shipping label. Hybrids, iron sets and additional brands will be offered by late spring.
A complimentary Arccos Driver unit will be sent with each U-try driver beginning in early March. The small sensor attaches to the grip-end of the club, pairs with a free app for iOS or Android smartphones and automatically records distance, accuracy and more for each drive. Arccos Driver is an easy and unbiased way to compare performance of different clubs.
“Buying golf equipment is a significant investment and our goal at GVC has always been to provide players of all skill levels a helpful avenue to find the clubs that best suit their games,” says Ed Byman, CEO of GVC. “With U-try we’ve created a risk-free opportunity for our customers to spend time with new clubs and determine what is right for them.”
U-try promotes men’s and women’s clubs with various shaft flex and clubhead loft options. A deep inventory of new and legacy driver and fairway wood models from top equipment manufacturers are warehoused by GVC for immediate delivery.
Taking a page from major online and brick-and-mortar retailers with try-and-buy programs in apparel, jewelry, art, home décor and other categories, GVC has again innovated in golf. It was the first to introduce an exclusive online marketplace in golf for pre-owned golf clubs in 2001, adding new gear to its menu soon thereafter.
Bringing structure and stability to how golf equipment is bought, sold and traded online at fair market value, GVC boasts 16 consecutive years of double-digit growth. The company recorded nearly $60 million in sales in 2017 on flagship Globalgolf.com and Globalgolf.ca as well as 3balls.com, GolfShoesOnly.com, TaylorMadeGolfPreOwned.com and FairwayStyles.com. Further, GVC was recently named to the National Golf Foundation’s (NGF) inaugural list of the “Top 100 Businesses in Golf,” an honor recognizing the companies, organizations and associations of fundamental importance to both consumers and facilities involved in golf.
A catalog with vast product information, GVC’s PGA Value Guide sets industry standards on pricing and is used by millions of golfers to calculate credit or cash for their trade-ins. Its companion trade-in network boasts more than 7,000 PGA Professionals who monetize golf club inventory, notably exchanges, demos and un-hit overstock.
With its global headquarters in Raleigh, NC, GVC’s 130-person staff includes PGA members and other golf-equipment experts who develop extensive content about product attributes and advise customers about how different types of equipment make them better players. Distribution centers in North Carolina, Utah and a new facility in Mississauga, Ontario total 100,000 square feet and house more than 400,000 units at any given time.