Golf Equipment, Is Online Always Cheaper?..."You Can't 'Save 10,000 Won' Online"

"Posting Online at Too Low a Price Leads to Complaint Calls"
"Sometimes Sold Cheaper Offline During Price Negotiation"

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Taewon] With the surge in golf popularity amid the COVID-19 pandemic, interest in cost-effective ways to purchase golf equipment has increased. In particular, the debate over whether buying golf equipment offline or online is cheaper is one of the biggest concerns for beginner golfers.

The golf industry is considered one of the biggest beneficiaries of the prolonged COVID-19 situation. According to the "Leisure White Paper 2022" published by the Korea Leisure Industry Research Institute, the domestic golf population, which was 4.7 million in 2019, surged by 20% over two years to approximately 5.64 million last year.

The scale of golf equipment imports has also significantly increased. According to the Korea Customs Service, the import value of golf equipment from January to October last year was $610 million (approximately 802.936 billion KRW), a 29.3% increase compared to the same period the previous year. A Customs Service official explained, "The popularity has risen as golf has been recognized as a safe outdoor sport after COVID-19."

However, the general rule that "online is cheaper than offline" does not seem to apply to golf equipment.

For example, the T iron set from Company B, popular among beginner golfers, was priced at a minimum of 1.45 million KRW online as of the 19th. On the same day, the reporter visited an offline store in Mapo-gu, Seoul, where the product was sold for 1.4 million KRW. A store representative explained, "We sell the same product online, but we cannot offer it at the offline store price. If we list items online at too low a price, manufacturers or competitors keep contacting us with complaints, so we cannot lower the price below a certain level."

The P iron set from Company T also had an online lowest price of 1.61 million KRW, but an offline store in Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi Province said, "We can offer it about 30,000 to 50,000 KRW cheaper than the lowest internet price." A store employee hinted, "Golf clubs and such are usually sold with about a 10,000 KRW markup over wholesale prices, a so-called 'manwon-ttigi' (10,000 KRW markup), which is not possible online. While not all products are like this, there are quite a few items cheaper offline."

Experts recommend that beginner golfers purchase equipment at offline stores because factors beyond price need to be considered.

A professional active in the KPGA 2nd Tour advised, "The suitable equipment varies for each person depending on their swing, body type, and head speed. Beginners often do not know which equipment fits them well, so they should try out the clubs and get advice from experts before purchasing."