The Golfalot.com Price Index grew steadily in April with a small rise of 0.3% consolidating the positive start to 2013 as the recent flurry of new releases strengthened the retail equipment offerings for the season ahead.
The Golf Clubs Sector finished the month at a new record high as growth of 0.4% increased the average cost of Golf Clubs to £938.54, a gain of 3.4% in the last 12 months. Golf Drivers again performed strongly, +0.9%, as prices consolidated following a succession of new entrants since the turn of the year. April saw the Index debut of the Speedline Super LS driver from Adams Golf, the first since the company was acquired by TaylorMade-adidas Golf, and Adams products also entered the index in Fairway Woods (Speedline Super LS) and Irons (Idea Super S).
The strongest performing category in April was Fairway Woods with growth of 1.9% as prices on a number of popular brands bounced back from recent price competition on key products. Utility Clubs (+0.2%), Wedges (+0.1%) and Putters (+0.1) all recorded positive growth, with Putters notably welcoming the impressive Odyssey White Hot Pro Series from Callaway, whilst the Irons category recorded a small fall of 0.1%.
The Golf Accessories sector also consolidated its position in April with growth of 0.1% with small gains in Golf Bags and Golf Trolleys offsetting small losses in the Golf Ball and Golf Shoe categories where retailers competed over the prices of some of the newer releases. Golf Bags was up 0.1% with new bags from Ping and Titleist both entering the Index and Golf Trolleys displayed a similar level of growth (0.1%) with prices remaining strong across all of the major brands in the market. Golf Balls (-0.3%) and Golf Shoes (-0.1%) witnessed competition across a series of manufacturers and brands and both of these highly competitive categories can expect to benefit with new releases in the pipeline and renewed exposure as The Major season gets underway.
With the golfing season in full swing and with hope for an overdue upturn in the weather the solid performance of the Golfalot.com Price Index in April reflects an encouraging platform for the industry to capitalise on the exciting calendar of tournaments and industry events planned over the coming months.
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