August Pro Shop: Dive into Digital
By Matt Peace
The pandemic has accelerated digitisation across many aspects of our lives: taking us online for everyday activities such as shopping, working from home and even keeping in touch with family and friends. Despite this, some pro shops remain reluctant to introduce new technologies due to a fear of change or lack of in-house technical skills.
It’s a changing world. The way we work, staff needs, customer expectations and keeping up with new technologies can all feel overwhelming to business owners. Of course, the easiest thing to do is stay put and stick with what you know best. Right? In truth, it’s a short-term tactic and one that could see your business left behind, as others embrace the benefits of digital tools.
Only 10 years ago, online selling was a foreign land. Taking the pro shop online seemed a scary thought but no one could have anticipated how fast the retail landscape would change. These days, customer expectation is that all retail businesses will have an online presence and being left behind is a real prospect for those who don’t keep up. Digital transformation in our industry is here, so why aren’t more golf Professionals taking the plunge, and what does this mean for your business?
I’m on a myth-busting mission to help golf retailers understand what it means to ‘go digital’ and why their EPOS might just have it covered.
Why do I need to change?
Experts now believe that 25% of existing retail space will never be used again following the impact of Covid19. While this may not effect on-course pro shops as it will the high street, there’s little doubt that the landscape is now very different. Things are moving fast in retail, with technology as the driving force behind innovations to improve customer experience and service.
Post-pandemic, we find ourselves at a junction. You can run the business as you have always done, (although remember that coaching alone probably won’t give you the lifestyle you aspire to), or you can see this as an opportunity. Winning in a post-Covid world will require you to look at the way you work and what you can do to add value.
What do I need to change?
‘Going digital’ can mean many things to different people. For golf retailers, this can be anything from indoor studios, online lesson bookings and live views of customer statements, to online accounting services, your own in-app shop where members can reserve items including stock and gift vouchers or full-blown ecommerce.
How do I change?
When it comes to technology, there are 2 ways to split your strategy:
1) Get the most out of your software. Getting the right systems in place will ensure your business doesn’t get left behind. Thankfully, there aren’t many retailers who still use an A4 pad to record sales or monitor stock! And when you do invest in a system, such as XPOS, just make sure to make the most of the benefits.
2) Build long-term competitive advantage. Pro shops using a golf-specific EPOS, such as XPOS, can use it to streamline processes, enhance interaction with members and deliver excellent customer service at the same time.
As your customers’ expectations grow, it’s time to discover how the right EPOS can tick all the boxes when it comes to adding value to the pro shop and setting you apart from other retailers.
Take the Plunge
Golf professionals carry out dozens of processes every day across various aspects of the business. Whether it’s to stock in a new delivery, process a return, book in some golf lessons, complete a stock take or cash up at the end of the day, ensuring efficient, accurate processes is crucial to success.
XPOS is bursting with easy-to-use solutions to streamline your workflows and automate everyday processes: saving you both time and money.
Dive in with XPOS
XCODES for fast, accurate product management
- A ‘live’ centralised industry database comprising 2 million products from 220+ leading brands.
- XCODES saves retailers hours, (or, sometimes, days) of admin time each month in stock taking and product creation.
The XPOS App for convenient stocking in
- Golf retailers can create products and stock in deliveries anywhere, and on any device, without the need for a nearby till.
- Pro teams can also use the App to stock take on a smart phone, or sync it with the new generation Bluetooth scanner.
XPOS Caddie app does the selling while you’re busy on the range
- In-app Reserve & Collect store links to XPOS: displaying real-time stock, including images, quantities and descriptions, in the pro shop’s great-looking online shop. Information is updated automatically, with little, or no, effort from the retailer.
- A great time saver: enabling customers to view account balances; top up balances; purchase gift vouchers; book golf lessons directly with their favourite coach; and communicate directly with the pro shop.
XPOS in the Cloud
- Cloud-based features allow retailers greater flexibility, accessibility and security.
Chris Gill, Head PGA Professional, Newquay Golf Club
When I first took over the role, I was using the Club’s till system. It was just a touch screen to process sales and I soon realised that we needed to use a system that could help us with stock control, as well as give us more insight to the business. XPOS was recommended to me, and we’ve long-realised that it saves us a lot of time and effort across all our processes.
I shopped around and, although other till systems tick some of the boxes, XPOS goes beyond being just a till. Because it’s golf-specific, I’m able to manage members’ accounts including transferring money across accounts, manage two’s competitions, sweep stakes and prize draws.
We use the XPOS App for stock taking and stocking in new deliveries which is fast and simple to use. The whole team has the App on their phones. At this time of year, when we’ve busy, we don’t have time to put deliveries onto shelves every day so the XPOS App makes life a lot easier. It’s a big bonus and saves us a good deal of time.
Having access to the online Hub enables me to manage the shop from any location. I can keep an eye on the Performance Dashboard and message the shop if anything looks out of line. Similarly, it’s great being able to manage customer accounts online as well.
The main features and services are geared around processes and aspects of running the pro shop. Without XPOS, everything took a lot longer.
To find out how XPOS can transform your business, contact Matt Peace matt.peace@crossovertec.co.uk. For more, visit www.crossovertec.co.uk