A Florida golf store chain has taken its first swing in Maryland, opening two new retail businesses in Silver Spring and Columbia this month.
Edwin Watts Golf Shops opened the new outlets at the Mall in Columbia, at 10300 Little Patuxent Pkwy., and the White Oak Shopping Center at 11255 New Hampshire Ave.
Roughly 3,000 square feet, the two stores are the first two Edwin Watts Golf Shops to open in the mid-Atlantic region. Located within a Sears, they are two of a dozen new shops opening within the department store. The other stores will open in Texas, Utah, New York, Virginia, New Jersey and Florida.
The Fort Walton Beach, Fla., chain struck the partnership with Sears hoping to get foot traffic from a major department store chain that it wouldn't otherwise get, says Robert Anthony, Edwin Watts' vice president of marketing. The golf shop will be close to Sears items that attract the male shopper, including tools, electronics and automotive supplies.
If the partnership goes well, the company hopes to open in more Sears locations throughout the country, Anthony says. With 90 locations, Edwin Watts' biggest presence is in the Southeast. But the company's future plans could include more stores in the Northeast, including Maryland, where it gets a lot of business from catalog and online sales, Anthony says. The company is eyeing Washington, D.C., Virginia and Maryland for possible new sites.
The company chose the Maryland spots because the state is home to many golf enthusiasts, Anthony says. He describes the Mall of Columbia as a great "upscale" mall property that is close to several golf courses, including Fairway Hills Golf Club and Hobbit's Glen Golf Club.
Anthony declined to say how much the company is spending to open the new stores. Edwin Watts employs 700.
Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Robert Anthony, Edwin Watts