It is a time of change in the retail market at present. All retail sectors tend to be under pressure to diversify, to compete with the keen pricing and convenience brought by online shopping.
One idea being adopted by bricks-and-mortar outlets is to diversify the retail space to provide an experience rather than just selling stock.
In recent years we have seen more and more big chain and independent garden centres do just that. Many have introduced leisure facilities and events to create a space more fitting for a day out rather than solely to buy things for gardens.
Experience-based shopping with fun and interactive entertainment seems to be a favoured option for adding growth. For garden centres, positioning themselves as a family destination is a great way to increase year-round footfall and keep revenue up outside of the peak seasons.
Garden centres tend to occupy sites that are ripe for introducing leisure into the retail mix. Often covering a large area of land, they may even have the odd disused building that can be adapted.
At Putterfingers, we think that the addition of crazy golf to garden centre leisure facilities is a perfect fit. Here are our reasons why….
- Crazy golf / mini golf is an activity that appeals to all ages – anyone from 3 to 103 – perfect to engage with core customers as well as attract new ones.
- It is a fun-for-all-the-family activity that really doesn’t require a huge amount of skill, meaning anyone can play and enjoy it at the same time.
- Crazy golf is increasing in popularity, old seaside crazy golf courses are currently being regenerated and leisure facilities offering the activity are opening in many UK towns and cities – a great opportunity to tap into the craze early on!
- Suitable for indoor or outdoor spaces and if you are unsure of committing yourself to an area, our portable crazy golf courses could provide the perfect solution.
- Courses can vary in size; they can be as large or as small (within reason!) as your space requires.
Our portable mini golf courses come in a variety of sizes, are easy to set up and are weatherproof – they are a perfect purchase for customers looking to kit out their gardens with a fun garden game.
Bents Garden Centre, Manchester, has already seen success in developing their retail space into a fun day out. Bents introduced a crazy golf course in April 2017. Matthew Bent, managing director at Bents Garden and Home, told Manchester Evening News: “We’re always looking for opportunities to enhance the Bents’ experience and increase our appeal as a complete day out.” The centre now appears in the Manchester Evening News list for “5 Great family days out under a fiver” and attracts over 1 million people annually.
If you would like more information on purchasing a Putterfingers course for your garden or garden centre or would be interested in hiring a course for an event then please get in touch with the team and we would be happy to help.
Contact us:
01284 848330
