Direct Golf UK, Europe’s leading multi-channel golf retailer, has announced a record start to the year with revenues up for the first half of the financial year ending March 2012.
Despite the challenging economic conditions, the British-based retailer continues to buck the trend of retail businesses across the UK and remains on-course to post their third-consecutive record year – with revenues up 23% for the first half of 2012.
Commenting on the half-year results, Chairman John Andrew, said: “2011 was a record year for our business, with both revenues and profits up, yet the start of 2012 indicates we’re on-course for another milestone in our 21st year of business.”
“In 2010, we set out our aggressive growth plans for the business and since then have gone from strength to strength, adding nine new retail sites taking us from 12 to 21 stores and posted consecutive record financial years” added Andrew.
Established in 1991 by British PGA Professional John Andrew, Direct Golf UK remains 100% privately owned by its founder. Now Chairman, Andrew has taken the business from one store in Huddersfield to 21 stores across theUK, over 250 staff, a 75,000 sq ft warehouse and the largest, most responsiveness, database of golfers to become the leading multi-channel golf retailer inEurope.
With the opening of four new stores so far in 2011-2012, Direct Golf UK has further increased their retail portfolio from 17 to 21 sites across the UK and driven like-for-like retail revenues to their highest levels in the company’s 21-year history. The four new store locations include: Teesside, Edinburgh, Dundee and Elmwood (Cupar, Scotland), providing Direct Golf UK with even greater high street geographical coverage.
In addition, the launch of a new and improved online shopping experience at www.direct-golf.co.uk as well as an online TV platform, Direct Golf TV, which consists of over 300 product videos and reviews to allow customers to buy with confidence, has all helped to increase online sales by 15% year-on-year as Direct Golf UK look to add the number online retailer crown to their ever-growing list of accolades.
A proud British business with people at its core – good old fashioned hard work and commitment remain the key to Direct Golf UK’s success. With a hugely experienced and dedicated team of employees headed by Managing Director and PGA Professional Neil Bell, Direct Golf UK’s key values remain as true today as they did in 1991 – even as the largest employer of PGA Professionals in the UK.
Neil Bell, Managing Director, said: “We have invested significantly in expanding our retail coverage and improving all aspects of our business and as a result have taken market share from our competitors, in a very tough market. We continue to not only buck the trend of retailers, but also post record results, in a time where there is little, if any, growth on the high street.”
“We have aggressive expansion plans for the business and these results yet-again demonstrate that golfers appreciate our mix of World Class customer service, huge stocks, super fast delivery allied with the best prices in the UK.” added Bell.
Direct Golf UK’s new Spring/Summer 2012 catalogue, full of the latest deals on all golf equipment, is available now from all channels.
For more information visit www.direct-golf.co.uk