GCSAA announces the next step for Internet commerce project

The Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) will redevelop and expand the “storefront” component of its Internet commerce project. The decision to pursue the online mall came in response to feedback gathered during the 60-day pilot phase of GCSAA’s initial commerce site. This site, the Golf Super-Market, featured both storefront and neutral exchange components.

GCSAA plans to continue working with suppliers and superintendents to improve the mall’s initial functions and storefront features with a full-scale grand opening tentatively planned for the end of the year. The online mall will operate similarly to a trade show, where suppliers purchase space to display their products. GCSAA will lease the storefront space, but all transactions will be between the superintendent and the supplier.

The online mall will serve as a one-stop location to research and buy products 24 hours a day for superintendents. For suppliers, it is an opportunity to set up shop in a well-trafficked Web site for less than the cost of setting up an e-commerce site of their own.

Online mall features include a mall-wide search engine and an online spray log that can be updated using information from previous purchases. For sellers, services such as online rebate processing, credit applications for end-users and mall-wide “top deals” are being examined.