Many of us know the familiar feeling of walking into a store expecting it to be a routine trip, only to walk out with something you didn’t think you needed.
If you’re anything like most U.S. consumers, this probably happens somewhat often.
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In fact, lots of retailers rely on this phenomenon to make a profit.
Maybe it’s happened to you recently at the grocery store.
When you went in for your weekly trip, your eyes might have snagged on a colorful display of in-season fruit or a beverage purporting to improve your skin, hair, or digestion.
Maybe it happened at a big-box store.
Lots of these retailers are in the midst of a mid-summer sales battle.
Some, like Target, are already hosting back-to-school promotions. End cap displays and online media advertise essentials like backpacks, pens, and other supplies necessary to get back to school on the right foot.
Or perhaps you were beckoned by a display of colorful water bottles, exercise equipment, or other outdoor essentials many athletic retailers have put front and center for the warmer months, when many of us spend more time outside.
And like so many of us devoted consumers, you’ve probably snagged an item or two if they weren’t too expensive.
Costco is selling improved golf balls.
Image source: Shutterstock
Costco reigns supreme in retail
This tactic is known in retail as the “upsell.” And it’s highly effective.
Even if you go into your local big-box store for just one or two items, bright displays, deep discounts, and eye-catching end caps at the end of aisles are really good at getting customers to give them a second look.
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And, often, we end up leaving with more than we intended to purchase.
But perhaps nobody has mastered the art of the upsell better than Costco (COST) .
The membership warehouse, which is beloved by millions for its bulk inventory, sells way more than just groceries and toilet paper.
There are few places in the U.S. where you can also buy best-selling books, kayaks, denim, diamonds, and award-winning liquor under one roof.
Costco quietly tweaks an item
And if you talk to any avid golfer, many would tell you they like to hit Costco for reasonably priced items and accessories.
Many folks get their first set of clubs from Costco, which famously sells a 10-piece Callaway Edge set for under $600.
For a while, golfers also raved about Costco’s Kirkland Signature golf balls, which debuted in 2016 and were given near perfect marks by golf outlets like MyGolfSpy.
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Understandably, they began to sell out everywhere.
Soon, however, golfers started to sour on the discount balls. What had once been hailed as nearly superior to Titleist’s far pricer Pro‑V1 balls were suddenly dismissed as declining in quality.
This summer, however, Costco has quietly changed its golf balls, replacing the old ones with updated balls labeled “v3.5.”
In a blind test, MyGolfSpy says the Costco balls seem to have been fixed — and are now better than ever.
“In short, Costco’s new Performance+ ball corrects many of the shortcomings of its previous version,” the outlet writes. “The newest Kirkland Performance+ golf ball appears to be the best ball Kirkland has released since the 2016 original.”
The new Kirkland Performance+ golf balls sell at Costco for just under $35 for two dozen — compared to Titleist’s Pro V1, which sells at roughly $5 per ball.
They are expected to sell quickly both in stores and online — and may sell out during warmer months when golf season is at its peak.