FEATURE
Circling Raven
By Stuart Hall
Editor
In early May, Dave Christenson glanced at the numbers for Circling Raven Golf Club's previous month's rounds played and merchandise sales.
What he found was odd, but pleasantly surprising. The percentage of rounds played for April was down about 1 percent compared to the same month in 2005. Merchandise sales, however, increased 21 percent for the same timeframe.
"That was kind of an eye-opener for me," said Christenson, who serves as the club's director of golf.
Growth appears to be commonplace for the club -- which is owned by the Coeur d'Alene Indian Tribe and located on the southern portion of Lake Coeur d'Alene in Worley, Idaho -- especially when it comes to merchandise sales.
In 2005, merchandise sales were up 35 percent over 2004, and up 20 percent in 2006 over last year. According to Christenson, merchandise sales in 2006 exceeded projections by 17 percent.
In 2004, the club's first full year of operation, Circling Raven was named the PGA's Inland Empire Chapter Merchandiser of the Year. In 2005, the club earned the PGA's Pacific Northwest Section's Resort Merchandiser of the Year honor. This is in addition to the club receiving "best-of" acclaim from Golf, Golf Digest, Golfweek and Zagat Survey.
For Circling Raven, moving product is at a premium, given that the shop mainly operates April through October. That seven-month window is not lost on Christenson, who points to simplistic, almost cliche, keys to success.
"I think details, hard work, a friendly and accommodating staff and a wide mix of products," he said, "and then tying the whole thing together by saying 'What makes us unique from the golf course or resort down the street?' With a new logo and new course, we have some things swayed in our favor, but it's something we have to focus on day-in and day-out."
Another advantage for consumers is that merchandise is tax-free and that Circling Raven offers free shipping.
Circling Raven's pro shop is an inviting 1,184 square feet and is set inside the rustic clubhouse and lodge. Drawing from the local Native American tribes, the shop features such specialty items as tribal jewelry, walking sticks and artwork.
With plenty of window space and six exit points in the shop, Christenson and his staff are continually identifying dead spots, attempting to create a flow not unlike that found in a casino, "making it difficult to find your way out, running in to more merchandise both on the way in and out," he said.
Shelving, for example, is placed underneath the windows to utilize the limited space. Only artwork is hung on the walls, which means displays are either freestanding or moveable on the floor. This year, Christenson added shoe, hat and six-way fixtures -- all from the same company and on rollers -- so there was continuity and easy manageability in arranging the shop.
Circling Raven's merchandiser, Christenson's wife Jennifer, is in the shop two days a week to assess the product placement. On Mondays, Jennifer Christenson straightens the shop post-weekend, and on Fridays, she gets the shop ready for the weekend rush.
"My job is just to order the product," joked Dave Christenson, though he admits to being somewhat of a neat freak and wishes he had more time to devote to the retail end. "When it's your own shop and your own decisions, it's just something I like doing."
While the mix of rounds played is approximately 75 percent men, the percentage of merchandise sales is 40 percent women.
"Women's sales are huge," Dave Christenson said. "They like to shop and they don't like to buy the same thing their friends are, so they are a little more special and we order accordingly, so there are smaller color groups and a different mix of lines coming in.
"We're a seasonal golf business, and in the slower seasons, we're not attracting that many destination golfers, so our price points are reflective of that. When we get into our peak season -- June, July and August -- we have some higher-end price points for our astute or well-traveled traveler."
In the end, it's all about the customer. Merchandise shipments are scheduled closer together, keeping the inventory fresh and well-stocked. Also, a sales person is continually on the floor to assist customers and loyal customers are e-mailed to inform them of new products arriving and, in some instances, letting them know some sizes are being held for them to try on.
"Customers like to feel appreciated," Dave Christenson said.
Now that the peak season is over, Christenson's shop is far from closed. The shop's top 100 customers will be invited to a special open house on Saturday, Dec. 19. As well, the clubhouse is open through Thursday, Nov. 22, Mondays-Fridays. Circling Raven will also hold its third Holiday Sale, Friday, Nov. 24, through Friday, Dec. 29, Wednesdays-Sundays.
For information, go to www.circlingraven.com.
