American Golf, which claims to be the largest golf retailer in Europe, has reported an exceptional 55 percent increase in revenues for the fourth quarter of 2021 as compared to the same period of 2019, indicating that the Covid pandemic has given a strong impulse to the game of golf.
The turnover reached a level of £40 million (€48m-$53.9m) during the 12-week period, with online sales representing 31.7 percent of the total. Sales of entry-level equipment were 35 percent higher than in the comparable 2019 period, indicating that many new players embraced the game of golf. More mature players seized opportunities to improve the game, as shown by an increase of more than 300 percent in sales of premium equipment.
In the run-up to the last Christmas holidays, about two-thirds of the revenues were generated at the company’s own stores and at its own golf ranges, where it is trying to offer new experiences for golfers at all levels of performance.
American Golf ended the past year with 95 physical stores in the U.K. and Ireland. It continued to sell online in other European countries. The company took advantage of lockdowns to refurbish some of its flagship stores. It also acquired some golf complexes with the objective of encouraging whole families to play together.
In 2018, when it was rescued from bankruptcy by a private equity investor, Endless, American Golf closed about 20 of its 132 stores. At the beginning of 2020, Endless bought also Golfino, the German golfwear brand, but it did not take over any of its stores.
