Will non-golfers get into luxury golf apparel? PXG thinks so

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — On Friday, PXG — a Scottsdale, Ariz.-based golf equipment manufacturer — unveiled the company's first: a boutique, in a newly renovated wing of Scottsdale's Fashion Square mall.

While PXG operates more than a dozen brick-and-mortar locations around the world, the Scottsdale pop-up is the first to feature only clothing — no equipment. Storefront placement is intentional: Scottsdale Fashion Square is a premier shopping destination in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The mall has been renovated in recent years, investing in a new restaurant and renovating existing corridors. For PXG, which is among neighbors like Prada, Dolce & Gabbana and Versace, the hope is to attract a high-end customer who may not even play golf, said PXG Apparel president and chief creative officer Renee Parsons, who recently took over. new role as PXG's CMO, and will lead the brand's global marketing.

“We wanted to differentiate and identify the apparel side of the business to our consumers, and also raise awareness that we have apparel as a brand,” Parsons said before the pop-up's grand opening. “And in doing so, we were like, okay, this place is very visible. You are in front of many buyers, different types of people, some of whom do not play golf. Some of them won't even know what PXG is, others will know what PXG is but they won't know we have clothing. So this is our opportunity to put this PXG product offering front and center and have a stand-alone restaurant with just these products in it.”

PXG Apparel's design philosophy focuses on creating luxury pieces that are not only appropriate for golf, but also transferable to other environments, such as restaurants and cafes – an aesthetic that Parsons expects to resonate with Fashion Square customers.

The pop-up is brightly lit and luxuriously appointed, and feels more like a permanent fixture than a temporary storefront. Depending on how things go in the coming months, the pop-up could, in theory, extend its lease. But Parsons said the placement of the pop-up is intended as a marketing opportunity for more brand awareness, coinciding with Arizona's peak golf season and tourist season and related events, such as the upcoming WM Phoenix Open.

“We think this is the right time to do this and expose our brand to a new and different audience,” Parsons said. “Customers want that which is done in person, they want to interact with the products, they want to touch and feel the products. And for our product it is very important, because our products are high, especially in the golf area, and it is difficult to express that on the website. “

Parsons is a golfer, too, and is not only involved in the design process of each new collection, but also wears the items on and off the course. The functional aspect of each piece in a given collection is the most important thing.

“I'm a golfer. So we talk about that when we design collections,” he said. “Each piece should be able to work and perform on the course.”

To help promote the opening of the pop up, PXG has a number of special events and giveaways planned over the next few months – including a grand prize giveaway of an electric Moke – valued at over $25,000 – to one lucky shopper. Moke is currently displayed in the pop-up window.

For information on PXG Apparel and the pop-up store, click here, and take a look inside the Scottsdale pop-up by scrolling through the images below.