“Active Merchandising’ is going to be the future of real-world retail.”     Ethics or Duty? I asked the question: “If you work in on-course retail, do you have a responsibility for increasing the number of your golfers who replace their driver in the next year?" I asked that question because I had some feedback on last week’s thoughts with my suggestion that your role – in retail – is to inspire golfers to want to upgrade their equipment. The comments I received from American PGA Professionals all centered around their role and the importance of “service” and “delivering to the member what they want”.   There was a senior PGA of America executive who used to say that the golf clubs in America “killed the entrepreneurial spirit when the clubs took ownership of the Pro Shops”. Certainly, our customers in the UK, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand, where the vast majority own their shops, didn’t raise any concerns with the thought that they should be trying to increase the number of drivers sold. But is the challenge a lack of entrepreneurship, or is it an ethics question? Does “influencing” a golfer to upgrade their driver challenge an ethical boundary? Can I spin it another way around? Is not selling a perfectly-configured, latest-technology driver to a golfer, who would have more enjoyment and a better golf game as a result, a failure of our duty to the golfer?     Subscribe       Legally Privileged Disclaimer Internet communications are not secure and therefore RetailTribe does not accept legal responsibility for the contents of this message. The information in this email and any attachment to it is confidential and is intended for the addressee only. Any unauthorised disclosure, use or dissemination of the contents in part or whole is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient please return it to the sender and delete it. Any views or opinions presented are solely those of the author, and do not necessarily represent those of RetailTribe unless otherwise specifically stated. This email and attachments have been screened and are believed to be free from any virus. However, it is the responsibility of all recipients to ensure that they are virus free. This email was sent to you by RetailTribe. RetailTribe will not accept any liability for any damage caused by a virus. If you no longer want to receive this email, please unsubscribe here.