Let’s hear another refrain of, ‘Here come the dogs.’

ANOTHER CHRISTMAS HAS COME AND GONE, AND FOR hundreds of pro shops, it was a profitable time. Yet now that the holidays are over, many shops are faced with the reality that some inventory stocked especially for the season just didn’t move off the wall and out the door. What’s a shop to do with the dogs?

Regardless of the season, Cory Gardner of Bowldoc’s Pro Shop in Federal Way, Wash., puts stuff that has not sold in several months on a special rack at the bottom of the ball wall. The customer’s attention is at first focused on the new (and pricey) inventory at eye-level, then drifts downward where a more attractive figure commands that attention. Actually, the price simply reflects a better deal, usually being discounted no more than $40 (for a premium ball).

Bowldoc’s customers have come to expect a good deal, and Gardner actually seeks close-outs on-line and from distributors. “We’re a high-volume shop,” he says, “and we sell at full retail,” which makes the 10-25% price reduction all the more attractive. Plus, it can be even more profitable (percentage- wise) than a full-retail sale, if the ball is purchased smartly (Gardner says he works with Complete Bowling Service to buy its slowselling merchandise at deep discount).

Smart buying is the key to the success of Bowling & Beyond in Dubuque, Iowa, when it comes to bags and shoes. “We don’t keep much in stock,” says Manager Brian Kamm.

The store typically stocks only about a dozen pairs of shoes (five or six for each gender) in the most popular styles. The customer can see and touch the shoe, then Kamm places an order that usually arrives no more than 48 hours later.

Also, B&B’s walls are not cluttered with bags, only enough proven sellers to make the shop look busy. Most bags are custom- ordered. Still, some shoe and bag inventory just doesn’t catch on, and after a few months, it goes into the close-out section, along with the inevitable stale ball. “We always have at least one or two things on close-out,” Kamm says.

Gardner makes a point not to stock merchandise only the most serious of scratch bowlers would demand, such as fourball rollers, knowing such products always can be ordered.

Bowlers Choice Pro Shop in Salt Lake City’s Bonwood Bowl features a close-out table. On it are a few balls and the occasional bag and shoes, plus even an accessory or two that just didn’t catch on. If it doesn’t sell there, owner Steve Harms donates it to charity. Ebay, for the most part, is not an option. “I try to avoid the internet,” he says.

Playing the on-line auction game is a chancy affair, best done by people with experience. For one thing, “dog” products in the shop usually are dogs on Ebay, at least in terms of getting any real money out of it. “There is probably someone out there who wants that particular item, but it may take a long time for that person to find you,” says one operator who asked not to be identified. “If it’s just another bowling ball and not nostalgic in any way, there just won’t be a lot of demand.” He says you have to be prepared to sell for less than you paid, or to lose your listing fee if the item doesn’t sell at all.

Harms has come up with another way to move stale items: put them in a package. “We do have bargain hunters,” he says, “and the recreational player is often looking for a package deal.” The rec player doesn’t know — nor much care — that a mid-priced ball didn’t meet expectations of the scratch crowd, only that it (along with a bag and shoes) can be purchased for less than $150.

IBPSIA Executive Director Bill Supper advises shops to put their close-outs where customers can plainly see them. “Don’t hide it,” he says, adding that the operator should not be afraid to actually sell the customer, if it looks like both can benefit from the sale. Adds Supper: The shop should avoid the words “close-out” or “discontinued.” He says it’s better to call them “hot items” or “featured item of the week.”

As a business owner (not just a balldriller), it’s a good idea to have an understanding of how your stock is moving — called the “turn” in retail management. Supper says there’s no pro shop standard, but in similar situations (specialty shops generating $75-250,000 annually), a good “turn“ is said to be around four per year. In other words, if an item has been in stock more than three months, it’s time to start thinking close-out.

Oddly enough, a turn much shorter than that may be a problem, in that it can indicate a price that’s too low. Or there can be delays in getting the item restocked if it’s flying off the shelves, meaning a missed sale is possible.

The key, of course, is to do your homework. Know your customer base, know what’s likely to work, keep inventory manageable, rotate your inventory to make it look fresh, and look at close-outs as another selling opportunity.