DG_1234
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Especially for brands such as Bridgestone or Mizuno, two companies who design and produce fine metal woods but have never gained much USA market sales traction for metal woods, do you think a business model of selling components separately might work ?
Traditionally, for the driver and other metal woods, brands introduce a new head and sell it with a stock shaft . For example, Mizuno or Ping will have a suggested retail of $499 for a brand new driver model. If a consumer wants to have that new head fitted with an aftermarket shaft he must pay $499 for the driver-with-shaft-he-does not want, then pay $350 for an aftermarket shaft. So, he has spent $700 to $800 for a driver and now has a stock shaft he can try to sell for $50. Or, he can order through the brand's custom department, and if they offer the shaft he wants he can pay a $250 up charge for that shaft. In this case he is has paid about $700 or so for the driver, and it has the shaft he most wants.
The above business model seems to be working o.k. for Callaway, Ping, Titleist etc..., but for brands not known for the metal woods (such as Bridgestone or Mizuno), I am wondering if they might have some success just selling only the heads ? For example, if Bridgestone or Mizuno charged $200 for a head that would allow the consumer to buy any aftermarket shaft he wanted
and likely save $200 to $250 (when compared to eating a stock shaft or paying the brand's custom department for an upgrade). At the very least I think this strategy might give Bridgestone , Mizuno, or other brands not known for their metal woods something distinctly different from Ping, Callaway, Titleist.
Traditionally, for the driver and other metal woods, brands introduce a new head and sell it with a stock shaft . For example, Mizuno or Ping will have a suggested retail of $499 for a brand new driver model. If a consumer wants to have that new head fitted with an aftermarket shaft he must pay $499 for the driver-with-shaft-he-does not want, then pay $350 for an aftermarket shaft. So, he has spent $700 to $800 for a driver and now has a stock shaft he can try to sell for $50. Or, he can order through the brand's custom department, and if they offer the shaft he wants he can pay a $250 up charge for that shaft. In this case he is has paid about $700 or so for the driver, and it has the shaft he most wants.
The above business model seems to be working o.k. for Callaway, Ping, Titleist etc..., but for brands not known for the metal woods (such as Bridgestone or Mizuno), I am wondering if they might have some success just selling only the heads ? For example, if Bridgestone or Mizuno charged $200 for a head that would allow the consumer to buy any aftermarket shaft he wanted
and likely save $200 to $250 (when compared to eating a stock shaft or paying the brand's custom department for an upgrade). At the very least I think this strategy might give Bridgestone , Mizuno, or other brands not known for their metal woods something distinctly different from Ping, Callaway, Titleist.