The Golfalot.com Price Index in December remained almost unchanged, despite a number of categories falling as retailers battled for the all important Christmas sales.
The Drivers category was the largest faller, down -2.3% despite more retailers starting to stock new drivers from Nike and Cleveland. Despite the entry of the new Cleveland CG15 series of wedges into the Index, wedges fell -1.5%. Fairways and Utility Clubs both fell by -0.5% in a month that saw small price drops across a number of brands
On the positive side, Irons made up most of the gains with a rise of 1.6% as older models fell out of the Index. The remaining two categories in the Clubs sector, bags and putters, held steady with only small reductions. Overall the Clubs sector rose 0.12% and, following the impressive increases in November, this continues to indicate the strength of the golf club market.
A similar picture can be seen in the Golf Accessories category with the Index only falling by 0.4% as a result of retailers cutting prices to offer golfers value in the competitive Christmas market. The largest fall of -1% was experienced in the Golf Balls sector as these popular stocking fillers saw small price cuts right across the board, with the market leading Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1x being reduced by as much as 6% as retailers prepare for a new ball ranges in 2010. Golf Trolleys fell by -0.5%, Golf Shoes dropped by -0.3% and Golf Bags saw very little movement, down by only -0.1%.
As 2009 comes to a close the Golfalot.com Price Index shows that the golf retail market is entering the Christmas market in good shape. Despite the general economic uncertainty the Index has risen over the last 12 months by 0.3% and with the promise of new equipment in 2010 from all the major manufacturers the golf industry can enter the New Year with significant optimism.
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