Skull & Bogeys Golf Co.

How are you adapting to the shift toward online shopping? We are purely digital right now, so that’s the only space we play in. We have done and are planning small in-person pop-ups, but our brand will largely exist in the online environment.

What strategies are you using to enhance the in-store experience? First and foremost, we prioritize trust over sales. As a largely online retailer without an in-store experience, trust can be very hard to build, so our messaging focuses on transparency and vulnerability. Our marketing features our very real, very personal stories and we believe that will help us build trust within our communities.

How do you handle changing consumer demands? Customer feedback is critical for us – know what they want before they want it is our ultimate goal, and we can only do that by engaging regularly and often.

What role does data play in your retail strategy? Financial data of course plays a keystone role – we are a business after all, and knowing exactly what our P&L looks like is paramount. Beyond that, we’re small enough right now where we are just getting our feet wet with marketing and industry data, but we are learning as fast as we can.

How do you manage supply chain challenges in retail? This has been a huge challenge for us and one that we’re mitigating risks via a Jacksonville-based supply partner. As a small apparel firm, we don’t have the purchasing power to leverage suppliers internationally to lower their minimum order quantities or offer pricing that makes it feasible for us. We just can’t compete with those numbers, but we have been fortunate to find a local supplier that supports our mission and will help us build.

What makes your brand stand out in a crowded market? Mission. We believe that consumers, deep down, are trying to reconnect with their sense of purpose and pride. They want to be reminded that they’re more than their past, their scars, or their mistakes. More so, they want to be reminded that their past, scars, and mistakes are an indelible part of their history, but not that future – that’s for them to write.

What trends do you see shaping the future of retail? Admittedly, our vision is very present-focused. I am a recovering alcoholic and that battle, which is constantly being fought, is entirely in the here and now. Looking ahead makes me lose focus and can present risks for me. So for our brand, we’re just trying to think in the short-term. Perhaps there’s a future where we have our heads high enough in the clouds to see the future, but that’s not us right now.