We've launched the new forums! Read more here

Edwin Watts Files Bankruptcy

rtparty said:
I've been to a few of them here and only one was decent. The sad part is that the best one is the smallest, always under staffed and always under stocked. The manager is awesome though and the customer service is good.

The biggest one by me is the worst golf store in town. Over staffed and zero customer service. Hanging a good manager is paramount IMO.

#ImWithChad
Click to expand...

Regardless of his performance, hanging the manager is a bit harsh.
 
JB said:
I also like their CEO quite a bit. John is a bright man and in a tough age of retail and growing costs due to things out of their control (ie govt), has stayed the course with growth. However this year hit them (like many) and weather played a huge role in that. Many companies including some of the biggest in the world got killed because of the weather.
Click to expand...
I've read a lot of great things about their management and the family. Companies like these are the ones I want to see succeed vs. the large corporate owned and operated businesses.
 
rollin said:
usual corporate BS and part of what wrong with this country. They some how open new stores just this same very year and yet somehow are in trouble at the same time? How is that even possible and allowed? How can they have the money to expand and open new stores just months ago but now they calim chapter11? They're to the point of trouble so bad that it requires a bankruptcy and just few months back were able to open new stores? Its always about nothing but putting money in the pockets of a select few individuals and what they can swindle and get away with is ridculous. Somebody will take them over and some individuals will get millions for doing the deal and then the swindle cycle continues like everything else.
Click to expand...

I work with retail clients everyday of the week. Decisions to enter new markets and open new stores are made 18 to 24 months out. Economic climates can change drastically in that period of time and leaving a store semi-complete will do harm to brand reputation if the ultimate goal is to grow the brand and take down market share. No one really goes into it with a diabolical plan to bankrupt an organization and make money on that process, maybe in the movie Wall Street but not every 1%'er is a corporate raider.
 
I have a EW locally that has some very good customer service people. The down side to this store though is there are two other golf stores within 1 mile of it. The competetion for business is only going to get worse, as I hear there will be a PGA super store open up just across the highway within a few years.
The EW store is quite small and only has 3 hitting bays (mostly used for lessons) and their putter area is really small. They do have a great selection of clubs and balls, but again there floor space is so small compared to their competetion, they have a hard time displaying the selection of products they do carry.
 
JB said:
Im on the flipside as I like Edwin Watts. I think there stores are stocked better than just about everybody in that they have full lines from just about every major brand out there including Bridgestone and Wilson Staff.

Their staff is quite knowledgeable, but unlike the others do not harass you with wrong info and push you into a sale. They can answer questions however.

I also like their CEO quite a bit. John is a bright man and in a tough age of retail and growing costs due to things out of their control (ie govt), has stayed the course with growth. However this year hit them (like many) and weather played a huge role in that. Many companies including some of the biggest in the world got killed because of the weather.

And to the poster that says "how do you open and then file". Its easy. While grand openings exist and are called opening of stores, those take major time to do. It was all part of a growth structure set out that put this company on the map. It made sense and their growth was in the right areas. They did not expand nationally or try to compete with Dicks/Golf Galaxy machine. The worst decision ever would have been to pump all the money for 14 months into opening a store and then not finish due to funds. Grand openings immediately add an influx of cash (albeit small) and make for an attractive purchaser if that is the way this goes. Not everything is a conspiracy theory.
Click to expand...

+10 well said
 
If EW starts closing stores, Jacksonville will be hurting for a brick and mortar store. Golf Galaxy closed a few years back, the PGA Tour Stop in World Golf Village just closed, leaving Edwin Watts and Dicks.

I'm not surprised with the bankruptcy filing. Def. cheaper online. Wish they could figure out a way to close the gap or offer the same prices as their online store.

Love seeing this on EdwinWatts.com

*Price Promotion(s): Price promotion(s) are valid on Internet and Phone orders only. Due to manufacturer restrictions, offers exclude select new release and other select products.
 
Have to say I have never heard of Edwin Watts, but its sad that a golf company had to commit to bankruptcy. I'm guessing there not in the midwest or they were only in large cities.
 
JB said:
Im on the flipside as I like Edwin Watts. I think there stores are stocked better than just about everybody in that they have full lines from just about every major brand out there including Bridgestone and Wilson Staff.

Their staff is quite knowledgeable, but unlike the others do not harass you with wrong info and push you into a sale. They can answer questions however.

I also like their CEO quite a bit. John is a bright man and in a tough age of retail and growing costs due to things out of their control (ie govt), has stayed the course with growth. However this year hit them (like many) and weather played a huge role in that. Many companies including some of the biggest in the world got killed because of the weather.

And to the poster that says "how do you open and then file". Its easy. While grand openings exist and are called opening of stores, those take major time to do. It was all part of a growth structure set out that put this company on the map. It made sense and their growth was in the right areas. They did not expand nationally or try to compete with Dicks/Golf Galaxy machine. The worst decision ever would have been to pump all the money for 14 months into opening a store and then not finish due to funds. Grand openings immediately add an influx of cash (albeit small) and make for an attractive purchaser if that is the way this goes. Not everything is a conspiracy theory.
Click to expand...

always interesting to hear this side of things. I've been to a few Edwin Watts and was not overly impressed, but it's hard to get impressed at the smaller stores anymore after having monsters like Galaxy and Golf Smith right around the corner. Being left alone was definitely a perk I enjoyed.
 
I mentioned my issues before on here about them. I shop elsewhere. I really like the local golf shop in my area and then I travel 45 minutes south for the nearest GolfSmith.
 
Only visited a store once while I was in Florida last year and I wasn't impressed with their store or service....
 
The only experience I have with them is limited. I have been in the Tampa (Carollwood?) store a few times when I've been visiting there, and was impressed with it. But like someone else mentioned there was a GolfSmith not far down the road, and also a Golf Locker Room as well. The Locker Room wasn't as big on equipment, but had lots of great apparel.

EW tried to enter the DC Metro area via Sears a few years ago. I questioned that at the time, and sure enough it just didn't work out. There is a sears at Columbia Town Center that I go through (as an entrance to the mall) at least twice a week. I would walk past the EW section and 99.9% of the time, there was one sales guy there sitting reading a magazine or on the computer. There club selection was minimal and other than spending five minutes or so putting evey now and then, I never spent any time or money there.
 
That sucks. I love the Knoxville store, always had great CS and an excellent selection of SeeMores.
 
I've only been in one and that was the Jacksonville store. Nice guys, but small shop for a more national retailer. But that said I never like to see a golf chain go belly up or be in a situation like this.
 
I've never been in an EW and we have 2 locations here in KC, the closest is less than 5 minutes away from my place too. I have a feeling that they tried to expand way to quickly in to markets that cannot support them well enough. KC has Dicks, Golfsmith, Golf Galaxy, now 2 Academy Sports and Outdoors...such a saturated market and that's not even included all the golf courses and driving ranges that are selling golf equipment. Retail golf is a tough business to be in, especially if the market has never heard of you before. Not many casual golfers in our area had heard of EW, no trust I presume.
 
They have 2 plans in chapter 11: they are closing a significant number of stores and are selling the remainder of their substantial assets to a buyer. They already have a buyer lined up (subject to another bidder coming in).
 
Callawaygolfpro said:
I've never been in an EW and we have 2 locations here in KC, the closest is less than 5 minutes away from my place too. I have a feeling that they tried to expand way to quickly in to markets that cannot support them well enough. KC has Dicks, Golfsmith, Golf Galaxy, now 2 Academy Sports and Outdoors...such a saturated market and that's not even included all the golf courses and driving ranges that are selling golf equipment. Retail golf is a tough business to be in, especially if the market has never heard of you before. Not many casual golfers in our area had heard of EW, no trust I presume.
Click to expand...

I like going into the EW by me. The guys there are not pushy, always willing to help out, and have a fairly good knowledge of equipment. If that store closes, then I have 2 Dick's near me. One is ok, but club selection is crap. The other one has a medium sized equipment selection, and, until last week, sold Titleist, but is staffed by a bunch of high school kids. If I want to go to a GOLF shop, I will have to drive at least 45 minutes to get to Galaxy or Golfsmith.
 
They sort of fell off my radar for a while now. We don't have one near us here in KC, and the only one I know of that is "near" here is in Austin, TX. Sorry to hear this though, as there place in Austin was nice! They had the Harvey Penick Golf Academy there, and I took some lessons from there back in the day.
Use to get there sales magazines all the time, but haven't see on one if a few years.

So I got a text from Callawaygolfpro telling me we DO have one in KC...I've never been there. And secondly, the Penick Golf Academy in Austin, TX is in the Golfsmith, not EW. This is a FIRST, as I'm usually never wrong. lol
 
Last edited:
Sad really. I never shopped at EW being in the west, but all of the smaller shops are closing in favor of the larger big box stores. Hell, Golf Galaxy couldn't even stay open in AZ. We have Golfsmith and PGA Superstore, with Vans pulling up the rear and they are closing a store this month. Seems like pretty soon all we will have is Dick's.

I stopped buying online and started buying more in store. I know I can save a few bucks, but I found a few sales guys that bend over backwards to help and spend time with you. Sure, I will buy movies and such online but I am trying to spend more locally.
 
I'm hoping the one near me is going to be alright. Guys there have always treated me very well and always top notch in service
 
rtparty said:
I've been to a few of them here and only one was decent. The sad part is that the best one is the smallest, always under staffed and always under stocked. The manager is awesome though and the customer service is good.

The biggest one by me is the worst golf store in town. Over staffed and zero customer service. Hanging a good manager is paramount IMO.

#ImWithChad
Click to expand...

Or maybe hang the BAD managers. Although I', pretty sure there's a law against that.
 
I'm certain the hanging comment was a typo. Probably got hit with autocorrect on "having".
 
I have only been in one while i was on vacation i was not that impressed I guess it is a good thing they are not on the West Coast but i would suck if it was your local store
 
Agent Jay said:
So I got a text from Callawaygolfpro telling me we DO have one in KC...I've never been there. And secondly, the Penick Golf Academy in Austin, TX is in the Golfsmith, not EW. This is a FIRST, as I'm usually never wrong. lol
Click to expand...

Yup 2 EW stores in KC metro. And yes, Penick Academy was in the Austin Golfsmith. As far as never being wrong...:rofl::laughing:
 
I've only shopped there because they are the closest store. But service for the store manager makes me never want to shop there. Very very rude. Only other store is nearly an hour away.
 
sparksjr said:
I'm certain the hanging comment was a typo. Probably got hit with autocorrect on "having".
Click to expand...

I know, but I had fun with it anyway
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top