Costco Kirkland 4層球出糗了:Costco issues refund for Kirkland 4pc ball

Costco Kirkland 4層球出糗了！剖析&觀點/Costco issues refund for Kirkland 4pc ball ！

最近在美國高爾夫有件事挺火的，就是Costco昨天發出通知，他們的Kirkland 4層球的品質問題，所有購買的人都可以到Costco進行退款。而球並不需要退回！其實這個狀況在上週就在網路有人提出來過。只是這個問題似乎很大，所有有不少球友都把自己狀況發到網路上。所以Costco這週立即反應處理。

Costco的危機處理真的沒話說！零售業裡最寬鬆的退貨機制就是Costco。這樣的狀況可以快速滅火，也是它能站穩零售市場的大腕。再說到這次的問題主角，Kirkland高爾夫球。 2016年Costco推出Kirkland 多層urethane球款後，就火速獲得很多球友的青睞。 當時也被Titleist控告有侵犯其專利。Costco那時回嗆Titleist來吿啊！這官司在2018年雙方和解收場。

Kirkland賣的好是因為它是唯一一款urethan表皮多層設計的球款。這類的產品就算是小品牌或台灣代工的類似產品，也要賣30多美金一打。而Costco的Kirkland賣15.50/1打（它們是兩打一起賣，只在美國Costco賣）。夠殺吧！更別說Titleist Pro V1/V1x要價超過50美金。所以Kirkland算是便宜的urethane球。不是價格友善，而是便宜到脫褲的價格。

而這次什麼問題導致Costco要跳出來危機處理？因為Kirkland 4層urethane球款的表皮不耐打，球皮很容易打破和刮破等狀況。這在做球的我來說是極大的瑕疵。在高爾夫製球有一個大原則和底限；就是球絕對不能破！當然如果打了是千次破，那是正常。不過對於新球就不能如此。

當然如果是小比例的破損（不良率），還是可以理解。但似乎破損的狀況在一個高比例，所以Costco才介入處理。但Costco在乎是品牌形象。因為這些損失都是Kirkland的製造商韓國公司要負責。這些狀況和問題都在製造合約裡有明確載明！這也是代工廠的悲哀。利潤客人賺走，苦工我來做，風險我來抗，出事也要我來買單！

本文未完，中集請待續。

This week Costco has released the notice for refunding the customers who purchase the Kirkland 4 piece urethane ball. The issue is the ball cover got cracked easily. I heard similar news since last week on the web, and this week, Costco issues the refund statement. It's nice troubleshooting from Costco. But it's not the core I am going to address on my article.

Since 2016, Costco released Kirkland multi layer urethane golf balls, this has become hot in golf. Since its low price with high end feature and design of the ball, really drove golfers attention. This year Kirkland issues the new product but the production problem becomes bigger and wider.

The issue of urethane cover is not durable and get cracked easily. It is not just the Korean maker who produces Kirkland balls, other golf ball manufacturers in Taiwan have similar production difficulty and problem. The only difference is Costco is ordering 1 million dozens per year and other makers production capacity may only produce 1/3 of this quantity in comparison.

For the refund and all the costs caused from the golf ball, it will be responsible by the manufacturer. It's typical OEM manufacturing agreement indicated. Costco still has its good public image for maintaining and protecting its customers. But no one knows that the manufacturer is the one who suffers all the costs and damage.

I assume later Taiwan golf ball makers will be busy for Costco's inquiry of multi layer urethane balls. However, the golf ball crosslinking issue is not just Kirkland ball, other Taiwanese makers' balls have similar issue as well. I think they will evaluate its production capacity and solution of golf ball layers' crosslinking first.

I would not consider to take OEM orders, since the quantity is big, profit is low and the agreement is very risky. I would rather to take small and mid size orders with my terms and good profits. I like to make the golf balls like crafts. To maintain the quality, it needs to have enough profits in order to spend the time and focus on the whole production and materials. That's the condition and thing I can ensure for all the balls I sell.

to be continued.....

Costco Kirkland 4層球出糗了！剖析&觀點/Costco issues refund for Kirkland 4pc ball ！～上集
http://www.peargolf.com/article/costco-kirkland-4cengqiuchuqiuliao%EF%BC%81pouxiguandiancostco-issues-refund-kirkland-4pc-ball-%EF%BC%81%EF%BD%9Esha

中集開始。

皮的破損就如同球被打破的狀況一樣。這是製造的問題和瑕疵。如果數量超過個位數字就很扯。我估計是因為Costco需要的數量很大，同時產線負載有可能超過，導致品質瑕疵超過極限。不過也可以瞭解Kirkland的技術水平到哪個地方。其實有這樣問題是說明他們技術在urethane這塊還有很大不足。

這個問題其實台灣的製球工廠也有一樣的狀況和問題。只是Costco一年要下100萬打數量，其他工廠做這類urethane的球數量可能不到1/3，所以出問題的機會和比例都不高。更重要台灣這些代工的製造商他們的客人都不是像Costco那樣要求如此的高。

大家應該不知道，接這種客人的單最麻煩。雖然有量但卻沒有利潤。他們裡頭的人把成本算得一清二楚，工廠幾乎沒有太大利潤。而且還有承擔問題和所有出錯成本。是血汗錢！所以我一律不接大的OEM訂單。只要一出事，前面賺的就都不夠賠！

大家看Costco好像很不錯，危機處理得當，但這都不是他們的成本，當然做的到位和氣派。我有其他朋友也接Costco的訂單，也說他們需要你的時候，嘴臉是不一樣。因為這些產品開發人員有責任和quota。好賣的會和製造商追加訂單，同時價格也往下壓。接也不是，不接也不是。但有實力的工廠多半不會做。因為條款太嚴苛，利潤差。

去年也聽朋友說；Costco來找高爾夫球代工廠做urethane的球。但能做的多半拒絕。因為數量大，價格不好。要接它的訂單還要照它的要求，也要擴大產能，這些投資都是要先做。如果哪天它不推高爾夫球，你擴大的儀器設備都沒了。投資就打水漂了！

本文未完，下集請待續！

Cover cracked is the same as ball broken that is unacceptable in golf ball manufacture. It's serious issue in golf ball manufacturing that tells you the manufacturing technology, quality control, recipe and so on with problems. I think it's due to over capacity demand from Costco and it really over loads the production quality control. Of course, the urethane cover has the difficulty to deal with big quantity loading.

Through this issue that I can know the level of Kirkland ball manufacturing skills and capability, the crosslinking between the cover and mid layer has the issue in production. The urethane cover recipe needs to adjust to make the cover more durable and stronger. Actually, these problems are also happened in Taiwanese golf ball makers in urethane cover. Since most of Asian golf ball makers are barely to produce over 10 millions of urethane balls per year and it's hard to know the issues of over loading and crosslinking damages.

Most of Asian manufacturers know to take the orders like Costco and big chain stores is very risky and low profits. Since they will calculate the cost and profits very details and make the serious manufacturing agreement with makers in Asia, the factories need to build and reinvest the capacity to produce mass productions for the demands. If the customer cancels the order, these investment is gone without compensation. No mention on the later high risky on manufacturing with the mistakes or problems that will be responsible by the makers.

My friend was one of the suppliers for Costco and if your products sell well, Costco will increase the quantity and try to decrease the prices. Couple times later, my friend rejects the order from Costco since there is no profit to make and lots of responsibility to carry. It's not good deal to take. That's similar with my strategy that is avoided to take OEM big orders. If you screw up one case, it will eat out all your profits for previous cases.

Last year I heard peers in golf ball industry that Costco was looking for the golf ball makers to work with urethane golf ball cases. As a result, no one would like to take it since most of the factories were unable to meet the capacity of the demand and the investment of new productions is high without good profits for return on investment.

to be continued....

Costco Kirkland 4層球出糗了！剖析&觀點/Costco issues refund for Kirkland 4pc ball！～中集
http://www.peargolf.com/article/costco-kirkland-4cengqiuchuqiuliao%EF%BC%81pouxiguandiancostco-issues-refund-kirkland-4pc-ball%EF%BC%81%EF%BD%9Ezhon

下集開始。

當初Nike退出高爾夫市場，和Nike麻吉的代工廠，機器、廠房、人員都好了，而它老爺說撤就撤。後來這家代工大腕，認賠賣機器收場。目前檯面上的工廠都有買這家的機器。所以說；別認為接大單很爽！風險和買股票差不多。

台灣工廠也別笑韓國，因為這個問題所有台灣高爾夫球工廠都有，也沒有好的解決方法。因為多數球友根本打不出來球的問題。韓國敢接這種訂單，一年1200萬顆球，以5%的不良率也有60萬顆球。這60萬球投到台灣來，可能就超過台灣新球的一半數量了。

其實前一陣子Callaway高階球款也出紕漏。網路媒體mygolfspy就做一個球的專題，把市面上高階球款剖開檢查，結果callaway的球偏心的離譜。受到大家撻伐。後來Callaway高層出面說投資10 millions美元對機器設備升級改善，邀請工坊技師和媒體到他們工廠參觀。說穿根本就是嘴炮耍一下，沒讓Callaway像這次Costco賠一毛出來。

關鍵在Callaway懂得從源頭下手把對他們不好的意見給根除。而且我個人覺得Callaway的問題不比Kirkland差，因為Callaway高檔球一打賣多少錢？它的利潤是多少？而Callaway的問題，聰明的被轉移焦點，而誰知道它真的改善製程和提升機器設備？這也是我說做球最不可以破，因為只有賠錢的份！

美國目前所有高階urethane球都在美國本土工廠生產。完全沒有投OEM單到亞洲。因為在4、5年前，TM， Bridgestone、Callaway就陸續在美國本土直接設生產基地。那時確實他們也有評估台灣代工廠，但後來沒有下單。所以說白的，台灣和亞洲高爾夫代工廠只能做低階低價的球。而高階urethane球款還是有充足利潤讓大廠可以在美國生產。

他們沒有投單到台灣也說明他們不打算把技術轉到這邊來。這也是台灣這些代工廠一直突破不了的原因。不過也是在那個時候，幾個代工廠才開始做urethane球皮的產品。也算是讓台灣幾個代工廠投入到高階球的領域來。

一個事件的發生我習慣用不同角度去分析、觀察。我知道業內不少事情，這當中的精采程度不比八點檔要差！只是我絕不會去說好壞，我會提供其他角度和面向的資訊讓大家瞭解。這當中不見得是你看到的真相。看來過一陣子台灣工廠又有得忙了。

Nike withdrew golf equipment in the past and it made related Taiwan factories suffer a lot of loss on investment of golf ball facilities. This factory was good relationship with Nike and OEM Nike's footwear, This factory was investing all the golf ball facility and equipment for manufacturing. My friend also consulted them for productions and recipes, but Nike suddenly called off the project and made this factory sell all the things for loss millions of dollars in the end.

That's the risk for OEM big orders from big name. They will ask for OEM makers to be ready for all the things but the risk is high because there is no guarantee for the orders during the preparation stage. The risk is equal to buying stocks.

If the defeat rate is 5% for Kirkland balls, let's say 100 millions per dozen per year, it's 600,000 balls for defeat balls. That's not a small number and will become big issue for small market's annual ball consumption.

Not far ago, mygolfspy is testing a lot of high end golf balls and cut off the balls to see the inside, Callaway's ball has serious off center issue. Callaway said they will invest the equipment and facilities to make the quality better then invite many clubfitter/clubmaker and online media to visit their golf ball facilities. As a result, there is no penalty for off center issue with Callaway golf balls.

Callaway's high end ball sells over $40 per dozen and compared with Kirkland but the quality is not as good as golfers' expectation. About 5 years ago, most of golf ball brands built the golf ball base and facilities in the USA, since the high end golf ball price and profit are good and no need to outsource to Taiwan and other Asian golf ball makers.

Although during that time, major brands were evaluating the Asian golf ball makers and that made some of Taiwan golf ball makers joined the high end ball market with investing the equipment and facilities. However, the important technology is still in the US without transferring to Asia. That's why current Asian makers have suffered cover and mid layer's crosslinking issue or other technical problems in high end ball production.

I used to analyze one issue or topic with various angles for my readers and you will know something different. It may not be your initial view point but certainly to give you the impact for getting the truth. I can expect sooner of later, it will be busy for Taiwan golf ball makers, since Costco may send the request for them to seek for the golf ball partnership.

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Costco Kirkland 4層球出糗了！剖析&觀點/Costco issues refund for Kirkland 4pc ball！～下集
http://www.peargolf.com/article/costco-kirkland-4cengqiuchuqiuliao%EF%BC%81pouxiguandiancostco-issues-refund-kirkland-4pc-ball%EF%BC%81%EF%BD%9Exiaj