PGA Tour Superstore has become an "outlier of sorts in the brick-and-mortar retail industry," as the golf equipment and apparel chain in recent years has "expanded and taken over buildings that were deserted by bankrupt chains Sports Authority and Golfsmith," according to a front-page piece by Brent Schrotenboer of USA TODAY. The experience delivered by the store -- "trying and fitting the equipment before buying it -- is particularly important to golfers." It is "one of the big differences between this retail chain and other brick-and-mortar outlets that have struggled to stay afloat." The retail sports graveyard has "gotten particularly crowded with sporting goods chains." But since '11, PGA Tour Superstore has "more than tripled in locations, from nine to 32." It plans to "open five more this year and hopes to increase to 50 locations" by the end of '20. PGA Tour Superstore is among Falcons Owner Arthur Blank's business interests. The store "borrows successful strategies" from Blank's original business -- Home Depot. The stores feature a "big assortment of products, expert customer service" and an "interactive element that can't be replicated when buying golf products online." The PGA Tour is a "minority owner of the chain." PGA Tour Superstore CEO Dick Sullivan said that "about 7.5 million customers visited the Superstore in the past year" (USA TODAY, 3/19).
