Why stock analysis is key to retail success

24/07/2025

Simon Keeling, TGI’s Retail Consultant for South England & Wales in 2017, explains how to give your business an edge during the coming off season

As we head towards the end of the season, footfall will begin to slow – we certainly hope it doesn’t, but inevitably it will at some point.

It is in these quieter periods of the golf retail calendar, where smart stock management becomes even more critical.

As footfall slows, your ability to free up cash flow, clear old stock, and prepare for the upcoming season can make or break your bottom line. And that starts with one key task – stock analysis.

Why Stock Analysis Matters More Than You Think

For golf professionals and retailers, your stock isn't just inventory – it's your most important investment. Every item on your shelves is tied to your cash flow, tax liabilities, and long-term profitability. Without a clear understanding of what’s selling, what’s not, and what’s missing, you’re flying blind.

Across our industry time is often at a premium, so it’s easy to take your eye off the ball with regards to what you have in stock. That lack of insight impacts everything from accountant reports and tax payments to customer satisfaction and future buying decisions.

Use Your Data: It’s Your Friend

Whether you're using XPOS or any other EPOS system, the data you collect is a goldmine. Dive into your sales reports and assess sell-through rates across suppliers and product categories:

Are you maximising each category?

Are there products you should stock more (or less) of?

Are you missing items that your competitors are selling?

If you are a TGI Golf Partner you can utilise your regional Retail Consultant to benchmark your data against wider group trends, giving you insight into whether you’re over- or underperforming compared to similar businesses.

Understanding Your Stock Turn

Understanding your stock turnover rate is essential. Are you down to your last dozen of a popular golf ball? Is a particular item of clothing flying off the shelves? High stock turn indicates an efficient inventory use, whereas low stock turn my show a slight overstocking and slow sales – this kind of intelligence helps you respond to demand in real time – and platforms like B2B supplier portals have made reordering easier than ever.

However, you can’t act on what you don’t know. If you’re not analysing your stock regularly, you're not just missing opportunities, you might be overpaying in tax or sitting on thousands of pounds in dead stock.

If you’re not analysing your stock regularly, you're not just missing opportunities, you might be overpaying in tax or sitting on thousands of pounds in dead stock

- Simon Keeling

Shrinkage: The Silent Profit Killer

Something that we don’t often think about – or don’t want to think about – is shrinkage. Data analysis helps highlight stock discrepancies – missing or unaccounted-for items that point to shrinkage or theft. Identifying these early lets you adjust stock levels for valuation, insurance, and tax purposes.

Prepare Smarter, Not Harder

The golf business is seasonal, and your stock levels should reflect that. Analysing your data shows which months are quieter, allowing you to plan pre-books more effectively and avoid tying up cash in unsold product.

Ask yourself:

What products worked?

What didn’t?

Have any products had a birthday – items that have been on shelves for over a year?

These slow-moving items can be turned into promotions or clearance sales to inject quick cash into your business during lean periods.

Final Thought

Retail giants like Harrods and John Lewis don’t operate without meticulous stock control. Why should golf retailers be any different?

In a time when margins are tight and competition is fierce, stock analysis isn’t a chore – it’s a competitive advantage. Done well, it ensures you're buying smarter, selling faster, and staying financially healthy, even in quieter periods.

Best Practices for Smarter Stock Management

Create a Category Checklist: Assign responsibility to staff members for weekly category checks. With product scanners or even a mobile phone, this is no longer a painful task, so don’t be afraid of it and put it off.

Audit Monthly or Quarterly: Analyse stock at the end of a busy period, or at minimum, once a quarter...don’t just make it an annual thing. Look at what’s sold, what’s running low, and what needs replenishing.

Track Future Deliveries: Review any upcoming deliveries – do you still need what you ordered? Does anything need to be delayed or brought forward?

Pre-Books: Take data insights with you to supplier meetings so you and your ASM can make better buying decisions together.

About Simon Keeling

Simon is a PGA Professional who has been immersed in the golf industry for 30 years, from shop floors to Tour Trucks.

He worked in pro shops as soon as he left school and began his PGA Training while working at Purley Downs as an assistant to Simon Iliffe. He qualified in 2008 and continued working with Simon when he moved to Bramley and then Haywards Heath.

Keeling joined Mizuno in 2010 as a Fitting Technician, hosting demo days before moving onto the Tour Truck three years later where he worked closely with the likes of Luke Donald, Chris Wood and Sir Nick Faldo.

He spent four years travelling the world on tour before joining TGI Golf as Retail Consultant for South England & Wales in 2017.