jimcross
Active Member
Northern Rivers ( NSW ) Soon to be the Bowling Capital of Australia ??
Why is inflation hitting bowling so hard?
- Thread starter Potter
- Start date
Northern Rivers ( NSW ) Soon to be the Bowling Capital of Australia ??
Graeme Rose
New Member
All the centres willing to offer cheap practice rates have realized the truth in this statement.... "The most expensive piece of equipment in any bowling centre is an empty lane."
steve jones
Active Member
Bowling's initial explosion came about of course from 1960 through to the end of that decade - well close enough - there was the usual decline of interest in the game in the late 60's [much the same as happened world wide after the initial excitement of bowling's entry to any market]...and some pick up of interest again from around 1973.
Bowling's major growth spurt both in memberships, players, leagues and centres took place across a twenty year period from 1973 to around 1993 - during that same period inflation ran around 7% to as high as a staggering 17% then moved up and down between 10% to 5% across the next 15 or so years - a low point was reached in 84/85 of about 3% - in 93 it stared to decline from a peak off around 9%. Keep in mind that inflation now - well from 2009 until mid year 2012 has been as low as about 1.5% to a high of around 3.5 %. Inflation, for what it's worth, is a general rise in prices when measured or compared against real earnings or if you like, purchasing power
Keep in mind also that during this same period interest rates were in part as much as 17% - rates now of course have run between 3.25% and 4.75% across the past 3 or more years.
So during the the most significant growth period of the sport/game/business of bowling the fiscal state of play was at times far worse [alarmingly so at some junctures in fact] than we see now. This would suggest that there are issues far more complex to the current decline than simply pointing the finger at the old .....price VS income issue! To suggest it's all as simple as that is to ignore other more alarming realities.
Bowling's major growth spurt both in memberships, players, leagues and centres took place across a twenty year period from 1973 to around 1993 - during that same period inflation ran around 7% to as high as a staggering 17% then moved up and down between 10% to 5% across the next 15 or so years - a low point was reached in 84/85 of about 3% - in 93 it stared to decline from a peak off around 9%. Keep in mind that inflation now - well from 2009 until mid year 2012 has been as low as about 1.5% to a high of around 3.5 %. Inflation, for what it's worth, is a general rise in prices when measured or compared against real earnings or if you like, purchasing power
Keep in mind also that during this same period interest rates were in part as much as 17% - rates now of course have run between 3.25% and 4.75% across the past 3 or more years.
So during the the most significant growth period of the sport/game/business of bowling the fiscal state of play was at times far worse [alarmingly so at some junctures in fact] than we see now. This would suggest that there are issues far more complex to the current decline than simply pointing the finger at the old .....price VS income issue! To suggest it's all as simple as that is to ignore other more alarming realities.
lordofthepins
Member
I discovered golf 6 months ago, I can play up to 6 days a week at a local public course for $900 pear year (we have 3 public courses within a 20 min drive from my home). There are also some private courses that are around $2500, again,u can play as often as u like.. Tossing up where to spend my money these days..
Now bowling only twice a week is already going to cost u roughly $40-$45 per week, thats over $2000... Re golf, there is a sense of pride in your membership and your club that u have joined, the pro shops always look very exciting, practise range and putting greens and several qualified instructors on standby for a lesson at a moments notice..
If only bowling could get that kind of vibe happening in their centres (I'm sure there may be some who are already doing it) .. Kinda wish the bowling might one day adopt some kind of membership, even for practise only, like a gold membership for $1000 allowing u to bowl 20 games a week, silver $500 membership for 10 games and a bronze $250 for 6 games each week..Just a dream I guess..I'd be more than happy to pay for those kind of memberships..
It's hard to improve at bowling, but even harder when u know that your pockets aren't lined with an endless supply of dough.. It becomes very frustrating..
It makes me think how bad my game of golf is, yet have the real option of putting in as much time as I need, and over time definately make big improvements in my game is really quite exciting. And people saying that golf is a rich man's sport!! They must never have bowled!!
Now bowling only twice a week is already going to cost u roughly $40-$45 per week, thats over $2000... Re golf, there is a sense of pride in your membership and your club that u have joined, the pro shops always look very exciting, practise range and putting greens and several qualified instructors on standby for a lesson at a moments notice..
If only bowling could get that kind of vibe happening in their centres (I'm sure there may be some who are already doing it) .. Kinda wish the bowling might one day adopt some kind of membership, even for practise only, like a gold membership for $1000 allowing u to bowl 20 games a week, silver $500 membership for 10 games and a bronze $250 for 6 games each week..Just a dream I guess..I'd be more than happy to pay for those kind of memberships..
It's hard to improve at bowling, but even harder when u know that your pockets aren't lined with an endless supply of dough.. It becomes very frustrating..
It makes me think how bad my game of golf is, yet have the real option of putting in as much time as I need, and over time definately make big improvements in my game is really quite exciting. And people saying that golf is a rich man's sport!! They must never have bowled!!
Toon
OWN IT!
Can anyone suggest a reason behind why Bowling Alleys have never implemented the Membership system?
I know a few centres have. I re-call Strike Illawarra offering it to youth bowlers if my memory serves me right. They had something like 9 game limit of practice per day and could only bowl when the lanes were not booked. It was around the $500 mark I think.
But even at $1000 for a membership to an alley, you are looking at only $20 per week for unlimited practice. Surely there would be interest.
I know a few centres have. I re-call Strike Illawarra offering it to youth bowlers if my memory serves me right. They had something like 9 game limit of practice per day and could only bowl when the lanes were not booked. It was around the $500 mark I think.
But even at $1000 for a membership to an alley, you are looking at only $20 per week for unlimited practice. Surely there would be interest.
wchester
Bowling Tragic
The reason centres don't offer 'memberships' with unlimited practice is because in order to be profitable, the membership would have to be made up of mostly bowlers who would ordinarily never spend that much money in a year on bowling. What the centres would get instead is a bunch of members who spend more than that anyways, thus they'd now be giving the bowl LESS money and bowling many more games..Not exactly a WIN - WIN situation for the bowl.
Now the idea of a 'membership fee' with a discounted bowling rate might have some merit,should the details be worked out properly.
Now the idea of a 'membership fee' with a discounted bowling rate might have some merit,should the details be worked out properly.
lordofthepins
Member
There are many options that we can try in regards to memberships, but certainly if u look at an average centre, lets just say they have 500 league bowlers paying $20 a week over a year ($10,000 * 45 weeks = $450,000 per annum), now only a small percentage play more than once a week, so introduce some kind of membership and u may have 100 bowlers paying $500 for 10 games each week, thats $5000 extra for centre less their running expenses, plus whatever they may spend at bar/food counters.
Add value to bowling and set up centres yes for the fun glow in the dark bowling, yes for the family fun social thing, but have a real focus on leagues and memberships.. It cannot hurt bowling, only help it.. Create an atmosphere/"vibe"/culture of improvement and a real sense of ownership within your centre....I am not an accountant, nor had a job at a centre, but can't think of a more simple way of introducing a win win scenario for centres and existing bowlers.
In terms of setting something up, it really isn't difficult, AMF even had something like a $60 deal for 2 games a day for a month over the summer period a few years ago, what happened to that??.
I know at my centre I was one of only about 10 bowlers who took that offer up?!? Sad really, it really had the potential to develop and possibly expand into something that I have mentioned..
Not sure if it's JUST about the money with todays hectic society. I think people are working harder, longer and have less recreational time on their hands, and simply have so many other options to do after work/family commitments.
I think unlimited practise is a big,big reach here, but limited membership plans have the potential to work without either the bowler or the centre losing. I wonder whether the big chain bowling groups would be open to suggestions for something like this? Send them an email?? Any thoughts on this?
Add value to bowling and set up centres yes for the fun glow in the dark bowling, yes for the family fun social thing, but have a real focus on leagues and memberships.. It cannot hurt bowling, only help it.. Create an atmosphere/"vibe"/culture of improvement and a real sense of ownership within your centre....I am not an accountant, nor had a job at a centre, but can't think of a more simple way of introducing a win win scenario for centres and existing bowlers.
In terms of setting something up, it really isn't difficult, AMF even had something like a $60 deal for 2 games a day for a month over the summer period a few years ago, what happened to that??.
I know at my centre I was one of only about 10 bowlers who took that offer up?!? Sad really, it really had the potential to develop and possibly expand into something that I have mentioned..
Not sure if it's JUST about the money with todays hectic society. I think people are working harder, longer and have less recreational time on their hands, and simply have so many other options to do after work/family commitments.
I think unlimited practise is a big,big reach here, but limited membership plans have the potential to work without either the bowler or the centre losing. I wonder whether the big chain bowling groups would be open to suggestions for something like this? Send them an email?? Any thoughts on this?
wchester
Bowling Tragic
I think we all know that you're not an accountant because 100 bowlers paying $500 is only $50,000.....not $500,000!
Toon
OWN IT!
I don't see $500,000 being mentioned once in the post Mr Chester. I think he meant it was $50,000 extra not $5,000. But kudos on your 1st class trolling.
A lot of people are looking at the negative side of this too much. Memberships are not losing money for centres.
If you charge $5.50 for a practice or whatever they charge in your local centre, the only people that are going to make you lots of money are very serious bowlers working on their game.
If you offer a membership, you will attract people who normally don't want to spend $50 each time they practice. I know personally, when I was serious about being a better bowler. I was spending at a minimum $200 a week. In my centre, I was the only one spending that kind of money of practice. If you had an affordable rate for the average joe, then that 1 person can be changed to 30-50 people.
It would also promote Ten Pin a lot better and would cause an increase in the number of league and tournament bowlers. It would also raise the level of skill level in a lot of bowlers nation wide.
If the cost to a centre is such a big issue, then implement Off-Peak Bowling Memberships where you are attracting league bowlers to pay a set amount per week for times when the alley is normally empty. Then they are getting guaranteed money coming in when the lanes are usually deserted, add on to that food and drinks when would buy.
Look at it this way...I know it's been done to death. But anyways... How many golf courses would be thriving if they didn't offer memberships?
A lot of people are looking at the negative side of this too much. Memberships are not losing money for centres.
If you charge $5.50 for a practice or whatever they charge in your local centre, the only people that are going to make you lots of money are very serious bowlers working on their game.
If you offer a membership, you will attract people who normally don't want to spend $50 each time they practice. I know personally, when I was serious about being a better bowler. I was spending at a minimum $200 a week. In my centre, I was the only one spending that kind of money of practice. If you had an affordable rate for the average joe, then that 1 person can be changed to 30-50 people.
It would also promote Ten Pin a lot better and would cause an increase in the number of league and tournament bowlers. It would also raise the level of skill level in a lot of bowlers nation wide.
If the cost to a centre is such a big issue, then implement Off-Peak Bowling Memberships where you are attracting league bowlers to pay a set amount per week for times when the alley is normally empty. Then they are getting guaranteed money coming in when the lanes are usually deserted, add on to that food and drinks when would buy.
Look at it this way...I know it's been done to death. But anyways... How many golf courses would be thriving if they didn't offer memberships?
jimcross
Active Member
I think that in theory a ' membership' plan is a good one. Psychologically it is a good idea, in that it produces a nice 'warm glow' inner feeling of 'belonging.' It's archille's heel is that it means people have to commit to a lump sum advance payment. Doesn't much matter, in my view, whether that's $100 or $500, it's an inhibition which would stop many people who would happily turn up regularly if the league member practice rates were , say, $10 for 3 games, and going down, say, $2 for each additional league. Might just work both ways - --- more practice (lineage ) at quiet times and more league numbers as well.
The workability of this type of theory would no doubt differ in detail from centre to centre, but with a bit of thought generally could benifit centres and bowlers.
Just looking at Toon's post above, you could tie these ideas into specific " off-peak" periods.
The workability of this type of theory would no doubt differ in detail from centre to centre, but with a bit of thought generally could benifit centres and bowlers.
Just looking at Toon's post above, you could tie these ideas into specific " off-peak" periods.
lordofthepins
Member
Yes $50,000, thanks Toon!! Wchester, obviously you're not an accountant either 
..
Toon and Jim, good replies.. At present we have the AMF mid dec-Jan $10 for 3 games deal , good value but it is for such a short period of time.. We have 4 games for $18 AMF special currently, reasonable I guess, but again I can't afford to bowl league and practise more than once a week, adds up to $49 per week..Approx $2500 per annum, for only 7 games !! Seriously that is not good really.. I will think this through and will make the effort in putting something down in writing. The sense of "belonging" to a centre does have that sense of ownership and the warm fuzzies about it.. It certainly can't hurt.
..Toon and Jim, good replies.. At present we have the AMF mid dec-Jan $10 for 3 games deal , good value but it is for such a short period of time.. We have 4 games for $18 AMF special currently, reasonable I guess, but again I can't afford to bowl league and practise more than once a week, adds up to $49 per week..Approx $2500 per annum, for only 7 games !! Seriously that is not good really.. I will think this through and will make the effort in putting something down in writing. The sense of "belonging" to a centre does have that sense of ownership and the warm fuzzies about it.. It certainly can't hurt.
