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How to Run a Pro Shop

4 Ways to Boost Pro Shop Revenue

July 1, 2018 by Sports Facility Expert

How to Run a Pro Shop

You know that the families who come to your academy for sports training also need to buy sports equipment semi-regularly.

Why shouldn’t they buy it from you, conveniently while they’re at your facility?

Harford Sports Academy in Baltimore asked the same question. They specialized in training for baseball, softball, soccer and lacrosse and decided to start selling equipment in their stores. Today, they use my company’s software, eSoft Planner, to manage both scheduling (lessons, camps, rentals and more) and its pro shop sales — and their pro-shop sales make up an impressive 50% of their revenue.

If your pro shop isn’t making as much money as you’d like — or even if you’re considering adding more retail sales options in your sports complex — here a few tips on how to run a pro shop that’s profitable by optimizing your sales.

1. Use Your Marketing Plan

Incorporate plans to market your retail products into your 12-month sports academy marketing plan.

On that 12-month plan, note when athletes and coaches from each sport will need to buy new equipment or apparel. Then, use that timeline to plan ahead for promotions.

Some promotions will be different for your retail products and your services, but it’s better if you can combine them; for example, you could create a limited-time membership that includes a bat with any hitting membership purchase.

2. Sell Online

If you’ve already done the work of opening a physical store, you might as well make your products for sale online, as well.

You never know who may stumble across your store in web search results, which can result in plenty of bonus sales from customers across the country (if you’re OK with handling the additional  shipping and customer service tasks).

An online store also means that you can link to products directly in your promotional emails, and that your customers might just end up buying products online from home while they’re thinking about it.

Best of all, adding an online store means that the sales can keep rolling in even without the help of a front desk or store employee.

To create an online store, you’ll need a software that works for both your physical and online store so you can accurately track inventory across both. (eSoft Planner is one of the programs that can do this for you.)

3. Do Better Product Research

Selling more products is easy when your store carries products that your clients really want.

Don’t carry any product that you haven’t researched thoroughly and asked your customers about. Keep in touch with your network of coaches and industry leaders to stay in the loop on new products that could be a hit with your customers.

If you can, start by stocking just a small quantity of any new product and see how well it sells. It’s better to sell out of fewer products than to sell a bit more but be left with tons of unsold inventory.

4. Sell Products With Higher Profit Margins

It usually makes sense to carry low-risk, non-perishable concessions like water, sports drinks or energy bars as a convenience for your customers, but the real profits comes with sports-specific products and equipment.

To boost your pro shop profits, look into carrying and promoting higher end, specialized products that offer more revenue and profits per sale. Again, do your research before you stock up, and start small if possible.

An original version of this post appeared on the blog in 2011.

 

Filed Under: Indoor Sports Facilities Best Practices

Top Posts of 2017 - Sports Facility Expert

Top Posts of 2017

December 22, 2017 by Sports Facility Expert

As the year comes to a close, I always like to look back and reflect on the things we covered throughout the year on the blog. I look in Google Analytics to see which posts got the most visits, then list them again for anyone who may not have had a chance to read them… [Read More]

Filed Under: Indoor Sports Facilities Best Practices, Sports Facility Management, Sports Facility Marketing, Sports Facility Operations, Sports Facility Start Up

sports facilities in retail spaces

A New Real Estate Option for Your Sports Facility

December 8, 2017 by Sports Facility Expert

There are plenty of factors that can make running a sports facility difficult. However, finding and paying for the right space is at the top of the list. The need for lots of room for our athletes to run, jump and play is essential to our businesses, but those big, open indoor spaces (like turf… [Read More]

Filed Under: Indoor Sports Facilities Best Practices

Have a plan for when bad weather hits your sports facility.

Your Sports Facility’s Plan for Inclement Winter Weather

November 21, 2017 by Sports Facility Expert

Have you ever driven through the cold and snow for an appointment, only to get there and realize that the appointment had been cancelled? It’s infuriating, right? Unfortunately, it tends to happen a few times every winter at sports facilities located in the snowier parts of the country. This type of miscommunication costs much more… [Read More]

Filed Under: Indoor Sports Facilities Best Practices

Your Sports Facility's Sales Funnel

Understanding Your Sports Facility’s Sales Funnel

November 9, 2017 by Sports Facility Expert

The most valuable services at your sports facility usually require a big investment from your clients. And big investments aren’t made on a whim. People might sign up for a one-off camp or even a birthday party without much deliberation, but that’s not the case for long-term memberships and training packages. These bigger products are… [Read More]

Filed Under: Indoor Sports Facilities Best Practices, Sports Facility Marketing

Tips for Taking Photos at Your Sports Facility

Tips for Photography at Your Sports Facility

October 26, 2017 by Sports Facility Expert

Images are a huge part of your sports facility’s marketing. They draw the reader in and project the energy of your brand in a way that words alone cannot. In the case of my facility, where families weren’t really sure what speed and agility training were, photos of athletes flipping tires and running through their… [Read More]

Filed Under: Indoor Sports Facilities Best Practices, Sports Facility Marketing

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About Me

Hi, I'm Mike. I successfully sold my indoor sports facility in 2015 to focus on running a software company that produces eSoft Planner, a scheduling system for sports facilities. Click here to contact me directly.

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