this weekend the bowling alley where the pro shop i work at is hosting a TKO youth tournament for the first time which is notorious for spoiled kids parents buying several balls sometimes in hopes of bowling better. My problem we're a small pro shop thats owned by the bowling center and doesn't normally stock to many products do to the less jobs and money in the area, i was talking with my boss tonight and he was talking bout getting a few extra pieces for it but is worried about getting stuck with several balls that we wont be able to sale on other occasions whats your opinion on this

well for one thing we have tried to stock and they don't sale as far as brunswick they don't sale at all the surrounding towns as well as out devastated by factories jumping the boarder has turned people around here away from brunswick since they did the same thing we still have strike zones on clearance so its not that we wont stock its that we cant make a damn dime in my area

thanks i may call and get a couple of them and maybe the complete

It's not about how much money you have in inventory it's about how many turns you make and clear the dollars.  If a ball sits longer than a month it cost the pro shop money in many cases. All our ball inventory is paid for every month and cleared every month some time 2 or 3 times depending on the season. Balls also have a peak shelf life inwhich they are no longer popular and harder to sell.  We keep our most popular balls as 1 to show and 1 or 2 to go.  The inventory selection is very flexible and constantly changes.  I can get just about anything next day or 2 days at the most.  The trick is to be one step ahead of the customer.  I would order a few extra balls that you think would sell fairly well and not get you hurt if they don't.  A couple of high end balls of major brands hammers, ebonite what ever sells normally ok.  Also make the price really nice so that they have a better chance of moving.  If you make a little less on the ball so what make the money back by services or accessories, sell add ons but do not gouge the customer.  We keep our prices Internet competitive all the time.

Smash49
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Smash49

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I would talk to your distributor and see if he will ship some balls to you on consignment.

I doubt the consignment idea would fly with any distributor. When they sell a ball, it's gone, thus making warehouse space to bring in more of the next new thing. They don't want them coming back just because the pro shop didn't have the foresight to order the right amount in the first place, or didn't try hard enough to sell them, or whatever...

Occasionally, our distributors will make us great deals on inventory they need to move to free up space. We usually try to take advantage of these because we can sell a $200+ ball between $125-$145 and have the same profit margin.

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Lane Carter, Strike Zone Pro Shops - Salt Lake City, Utah
Brunswick Amateur Staff

Edited on 3/11/2008 9:13 AM

I would talk to your dist. about possibly buying the balls you think will sell and returning any that don't.  You'd have to put up the money, but at least you could get credit if they don't sell.  

We don't have a lot of sales through the youth.  Most get hand me down balls, because their folks don't want to invest in an activity they may not stick with or may grow out of.  But if as you say, this type of tournament generates sales, then I'd carry the Hammer Doom line; Anger, Toxic and Doom.  Great balls at a good price point, in 14 and 15lbs.  If you think its little kids then I'd stock a couple vibes at 12 and 14lbs. Skip 13lbs all together.

Stocking balls is difficult because they are very expensive, go "out of style" so fast and there's so many weights.  Its just not possible, for us, to carry in stock every ball in every weight.  

Erin