Sales of footwear in on- and off-course specialty golf shops in September fell 6.8% versus September 2000 to $16.5 million, according to Golf Datatech. Unit sales were down 2.7% to 195,940 pairs for the month. In the sporting-goods channel, sales of footwear declined 3.2% to $4.2 million for the month, while unit sales decreased 3.6% to 74,320 pairs sold. Footwear sales for the third quarter of $56.9 million were off 4.5% from a year ago but unit sales rose 1.4% versus last year to 686,580 pairs.
Sales of golf bags in on- and off-course shops declined 5.8% from last year to $11.6 million in September, while unit sales fell 3.7% to 93,590. Third-quarter bag sales were down 3.1% to $44.2 million and unit sales dropped 1.9% from a year ago to 356,280.
In gloves, sales for the month were down 1% to $15.1 million compared with last year, with unit sales showing a decline of 2.3% to 99,330. Glove sales in the third quarter were up 1.6% to $56.6 million, on a unit-sales increase of 0.3% to 370,360.
Golf ball sales, which rose in September in on- and off-course specialty golf shops, were down 3.3% in the sporting-goods channel to $7.6 million for the month compared with last year. Unit sales fell 6% from a year ago to 477,750 dozen.
Dollar and unit sales of woods and irons at on- and off-course shops decreased in September, versus the same period in 2000. Dollar sales of irons fell 10.1% to $32.2 million and unit sales dropped 8% to 498,680. Sales of woods declined 4% to $46.4 million and unit sales fell 6% to 218,790 compared with September 2000.
NSGA www.nsga.org