If you owned a disc golf store...

[rshrevo]

if some of the courses near you have water hazards then i would suggest possibly stocking a few Golden retrievers to help people try and retrieve their lost disc. also if you can make a few t shirts with you store name and logo. hooded sweatshirts with your store name for the colder times. ball caps and maybe winter caps optional. local leagues you could offer them a disc each week for their Closest to the pin hole each week.

 

[gianetics]

i just reopened my dads fishing and boating supply store and what did i add to the inventory? discs of course. you have to be smart with your ordering i know that innova and discraft are the standard companies buy be wary if you spread your money out too much you wont get enough colors, weights, and molds of each company. i brought in innova, discraft, dga, and discmania. the totall cost was over 3000 dollars. unless your area is saturated with stores selling disc my advice would be bring in the companies that everyone is familiar with then expand to others.

 

[Hampstead]

It's been my experience that a majority of customers are the casual/first time player. It's a good idea to diversify your brands, but keep in mind that some brands just don't sell that well. Space is precious so order your inventory accordingly. It's good in theory to want a wide range of colors/weights but space and sales will probably dictate how that ultimately plays out.

Also, get involved with your local scene. You'd be surprised how many people play and might not even know your store exists.

Maybe sponsor a team, that way you are getting the word out cheaper than a radio/tv commercial.

Also, consider the size of your space. If the store is small, you probably don't want people just hanging out. Sometimes a comfortable space can be detrimental to sales.

 

[Cinque]

Hang up a nice sized TV and play disc golf videos. I like to feel comfortable when I'm in a shop and not like I'm being hurried to pick something and go. I want to look around/hangout a bit, because it's not often that I get to visit a shop. Good luck!

 

[Sadjo]

I'm curious to what size town folks have stores in and how much rent those that have stores are paying.

I found a retail site that set it rent at $450 a month about a mile from the nearest course. It is right on a corner and a majority of traffic to that course would have to drive by it going to and from.

I wonder how many discs I would need to sell to pay the rent, keep the lights on and be able to bring some home every month.

 

[MrGlass01]

Wow at 450 I'd take a stab at it for sure! If all else fails sleep in the back!

 

[jtreadwell]

I would try something a bit different (from anything I know of, anyway) and sell discs with dyes almost exclusively. It would only work either mostly online or next to a major disc golf hub, but imagine walking into a shop where discs were organized by artist in addition to mold and model. I would run it on consignment where artists would send in or send pics and specs of discs that they had done and the price they would like to ask, then take a commission on the sales. I would want to have great artists available at least a few hours a week to do workshops and consultations with clients looking for something specific. I really can't imagine getting the support needed to make something like this a reality (much less a viable business considering independent competition), but wouldn't it be a cool place to go?

 

[jtreadwell]

I was just wondering if you guys own/could own a DG store, what would you have in your store and what would the store look like inside and outside. I have been thinking recently of opening one in my town and looking for ideas and just basically want to know what creativeness you guys could come up with. Unique things but lets not get too crazy. I already know I will provide the discs no one around here carries, just same 'ol Innova and Discraft around here with occasional Discmania and ABC discs. Also was thinking of having a driving range beside the store so you could try any disc before you by limiting special discs, limited editions, etc. Also thought about having a small area for ball golf things like whole sets of clubs and apparel etc. Just to bring the two golfs together and hopefully get some people turned to the awesome sport of DG. Any thoughts help guys. Thanks in advance!

Sorry - I read the title of the thread but not the actual question before posting and didn't really provide useful advice there. I would definitely vote for a more comfortable place if you have the space. We discgolfers don't really have too many non-course locations to mingle, and I've found the longer I hang out at the proshop, the more discs I end up convincing myself I need to have.

 

[bjreagh]

I would love for you to open in store where I live. I would spend way too much money, but who cares, discs are important--- right? The internet stores get all my money right now.

There are no real disc golf stores anywhere near the area (Cloud 9 is hard to get to for most people). The game is growing, but I would still worry about not being able to stay in business for long only selling discs. It would be an interesting experiment at least. Most disc stores I know of have several other things for sale. I guess the biggest factor is if you need this to be your major source of income or not.

I would never be able to do it, but I often dream of opening a disc store in Mid TN. Location is the biggest thing. It probably needs to be near a course, but the local courses are not really in an area with a large amount of consumer traffic. (on 231 by Barfield just off 1-24 is maybe the best?) Although, I will visit any disc golf store in any town if I am in the area, so any decent location might work.

Definitely Discraft. PIAS has a decent selection of Innova. The best Discraft selection in town is at Hastings book store.

 

[ZAMson]

slow and steady..
stay manageable. think high-percentage shots, not the miracle anhyzer.

there are hundreds of former disc shops that went for the miracle anhyzer. sponsorships, events, in-store handies, branded merch, every brand of bell and only the finest imported whistles.

meanwhile the biggest operations out there today started in a garage and grew steadily.

 

[Moify]

I don't want to see any wall space at all. Discs floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall. All manufacturers, all molds. Of course, this would get tremendously expensive. OK, I wouldn't carry Grooves.

 

[DirtyWhiteBoy]

slow and steady..
stay manageable. think high-percentage shots, not the miracle anhyzer.

there are hundreds of former disc shops that went for the miracle anhyzer. sponsorships, events, in-store handies, branded merch, every brand of bell and only the finest imported whistles.

meanwhile the biggest operations out there today started in a garage and grew steadily.

This is great advice. ^^

I also really like the idea of a place where disc golfers can hang out & talk & not feel overly pressured to purchase. I'm more likely to spend more money in person to support a local I like than spend less money online, but maybe thats just me.

 

[JeCroisQue]

This is great advice. ^^

I also really like the idea of a place where disc golfers can hang out & talk & not feel overly pressured to purchase. I'm more likely to spend more money in person to support a local I like than spend less money online, but maybe thats just me.

Ever walk into a cigar shop, There's a huge array of cigars, a bunch of old dudes who know a lot about cigars, talking about cigars, smoking cigars, and hanging out. The place wreaks of cigars.

I want my disc golf shop to be filled with a wide range of discs, disc golfers who know the sport, who talk about the sport, who have thrown the discs, and a hang out spot. Of course I also want it to wreak of fresh plastic. Fresh fresh plastic... AAHHHH.

 

[deBebbler]

If I owned a disc golf store....

...I would lose a lot of money.

 

[BrotherDave]

Give me a job. I'll do the rest.

I'd sell random game related stuff, like pool tables and cornhole boards. An online store would help sell discs gathering dust in the store.

 

[LookIhitAtREE]

Disc golf store / head shop. Perfect for hippy golf.

 

[Edgar Allan Bro]

The raffle idea is awesome I just dont know how you would make money off it really to keep doing it every month.

Maybe not do one every month to start out, but depending on your markups on other products you could do like a $175 basket or something for $10 - $20 a ticket. And everyone who buys a ticket gets a voucher automatically for 10% off a pre-owned disc.

Then you only have to sell $12 tickets at $15 each to pay for the basket. Then depending on the markup of your merch (say it's 15% on somethings) you'd still be making 5% on what they buy with the voucher. With enough people doing the raffle the basket will pay for itself and you'll make a little something extra, if people aren't playing, scrap the idea!

I think raffles for smaller things would be cool too, though. Custom Dye Jobs (Get some stuff off of DD or get people to give you the image you want and tell them you'll get the disc to them in a week or w/e it takes) You don't have to inform them where you get it or obviously they might just go do it themselves. But $3 a ticket for a raffle for a custom dye job on any disc the person wants... I believe that DD is $25 (ish)? You start making a profit once 9 people enter the raffle.

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As cool as a driving range sounds.. it's a lot of space, so you are theoretically buying a ton of land to leave open. Maybe make a mini course/putter course or trick shot course? People can get a feel for drivers based on the numbers (at least in my opinion). Midranges and Putters are where I keep finding my inconsistencies.

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As cool as the trade board is, it doesn't hel you profit. It might bring people back, but not back to spend money. Do what gamestop/play it again have been doing forever. Buy used cheap, sell used for Cost x 1.5-3.

Example: guy brings in 5 discs
1. Buy: 3 Sell: 6
2. Buy: 1 Sell: 3
3. Buy: 7 Sell: 10.5
4. Buy: 4 Sell: 9
5. Buy: 9 Sell: 13.5

How does this works with the voucher? You make the voucher 10% off the next used disc. In the example above,
#3 has the lowest markup%
you buy for $7
sell for $10.5 - 10%)
$10.5 - $1.05 = $9.45
$9.45 - $7 = $2.45 profit on your lowest markup.

 

[Edgar Allan Bro]

Sorry for double post, I missed the 5 minute edit by like 30 seconds...

Also, most businesses don't turn profit in the first 5 years. So be prepared for a rough road. Start out slow and make sound decisions. Don't give things away/super cheap to get liked. Be friendly, but you are a business and especially just starting out, you have to make prices that YOU can live with.

Maybe raise some of the capital instead of taking a loan or paying out of pocket (assuming you have that kind of money). Maybe you have a friend or two who want to go into it with you or are interested in investing. Maybe local players are interested in investing? You can offer them options, like dividends paid in small amounts of whatever extra you have, like once a year, or set up like a bond where you pay back initial investment + interest after x amount of time. As with all investments people need to be aware that not everything works out and they do have potential of losing money, but you don't have to be getting a lot from each of these people. If you get enough people putting in little amounts of money it will be easier on everyone as far as stress goes.

 

[TNDiscGolfer]

The best Discraft selection in town is at Hastings book store.

Really? I never knew they even had discs there but I usually only go there for music and magazines. I appreciate the heads up though, I would've never known until I just accidentally walk upon them there. And I am definitely working hard to get this disc store going. Ill be posting updates as the process goes along and all my fellow Middle Tennesseans on here will be first to know. Right now jsut trying to find out what I want in it and then on to finding a location and so forth. Also going to go see the Cloud 9 guys in Nashville sometime this week and sit down and ask some questions on how I need to go about doing this and hopefully they will lead me in right direction.

 

[TNDiscGolfer]

Maybe not do one every month to start out, but depending on your markups on other products you could do like a $175 basket or something for $10 - $20 a ticket. And everyone who buys a ticket gets a voucher automatically for 10% off a pre-owned disc.

Then you only have to sell $12 tickets at $15 each to pay for the basket. Then depending on the markup of your merch (say it's 15% on somethings) you'd still be making 5% on what they buy with the voucher. With enough people doing the raffle the basket will pay for itself and you'll make a little something extra, if people aren't playing, scrap the idea!

I think raffles for smaller things would be cool too, though. Custom Dye Jobs (Get some stuff off of DD or get people to give you the image you want and tell them you'll get the disc to them in a week or w/e it takes) You don't have to inform them where you get it or obviously they might just go do it themselves. But $3 a ticket for a raffle for a custom dye job on any disc the person wants... I believe that DD is $25 (ish)? You start making a profit once 9 people enter the raffle.

---------------------------------------

As cool as a driving range sounds.. it's a lot of space, so you are theoretically buying a ton of land to leave open. Maybe make a mini course/putter course or trick shot course? People can get a feel for drivers based on the numbers (at least in my opinion). Midranges and Putters are where I keep finding my inconsistencies.

----------------------------------------

As cool as the trade board is, it doesn't hel you profit. It might bring people back, but not back to spend money. Do what gamestop/play it again have been doing forever. Buy used cheap, sell used for Cost x 1.5-3.

Example: guy brings in 5 discs
1. Buy: 3 Sell: 6
2. Buy: 1 Sell: 3
3. Buy: 7 Sell: 10.5
4. Buy: 4 Sell: 9
5. Buy: 9 Sell: 13.5

How does this works with the voucher? You make the voucher 10% off the next used disc. In the example above,
#3 has the lowest markup%
you buy for $7
sell for $10.5 - 10%)
$10.5 - $1.05 = $9.45
$9.45 - $7 = $2.45 profit on your lowest markup.

Where were you in economics and math class??? I could've totally copied off you and made pretty good grades lol. Love the way you broke it down though. Very informative. :hfive: