The Golfalot.com Price Index was relatively quiet in August as small falls across the majority of categories resulted in a fall of -0.14% as the strong performance of the year to date have been largely maintained.
The Golf Club Sector fell by -0.4% to its lowest level since April 2012 as prices fell in all of the club categories bringing the average cost of a set to £916.13, still a healthy increase of +2.0 from August 2011 as the underlying strength of the Sector continues to shine through. Drivers fell by -0.5% as a result of small price falls across a number of manufacturers and brands as retailers began to gear up for the anticipated new releases in the coming month following the news of the new Anser driver fromPingand the Titleist 913 range being keenly anticipated. Fairway Woods were the biggest fallers in August (-1.2%) with some significant discounting across a number of models with clubs from Cobra and Nike a particular focus with retailers competing for business of these very popular products. Utility Clubs (-0.5%), Putters (-0.2%) and Irons (-0.1%) showed small losses whilst significant discounting on many Wedges led to a loss of -0.8% despite the entrance to the Index for the first time of the Anser DG Spinner from Ping.
Golf Accessories bucked the downward trend of August with a total gain of +0.3% as three of the Sectors four categories reported positive growth. The Golf Bags category was the month’s biggest mover up +0.9% as the index welcomed the new 2012 Staff Bag from Cobra Puma Golf designed to fit in with their distinctive bright orange look. Golf Shoes and Golf Trolleys both recorded small falls of -0.2% with Golf Balls losing most ground in August as retailers competed keenly in this key category.
With the country on a sporting high following the Olympics we are hoping for the end of summer to bring excellent golfing weather which coupled with the upcoming Ryder Cup should see the golf industry move forward confidently as manufacturers prepare to unveil the equipment that will drive the market over the next 6 months.
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