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TOGETHERNESS IS DRIVING RV SALES |
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| The Recreational Vehicle industry has pulled out of an economic slide in what many are calling a surprising comeback. A downturn, starting in late 2000, carried into last season and in the aftermath of the events of last September many analysts feared it would only worsen. Instead, sales have surged and predictions of continued growth are strong. As of mid-January, Winnebago (the largest producers of Motorhomes) had a sales-order backlog on Class A and C models that stood at 2,365 units. That's a 70% jump over January 2000. Likewise Thor Industries, the largest manufacturer of travel trailers and tow-along RVs, saw sales rise 36% for the six months ending in January, This sudden recovery surprised some industry watchers, possibly because itās the opposite of what happened to many industries in the post-Sept.11 economy. A recent Forbes.com news story on the strength of the US RV industry sought to explain this dramatic turn-around: Improved consumer confidence, depleted dealer inventories, fear of flying after Sept. 11 and a decline in both interest rates and gasoline prices are now helping the RV industry regain some traction. Market analyst John W. DeWolf of DeWolf Associates says all these indicators point to a big recovery in 2002. On closer examination there is probably another reason for this growth, less tangible but just as compelling. Consumers are shifting their priorities closer to home and the big winner seems to be the family. Family time ö a strong desire for adventure with the spouse and kids; parents, brothers and sisters – this is the kind of holiday many people talked about prior to Sept.11, but often didnāt seem to get around to. But now, sales figures show that more consumers are doing it. Driving a boom that seems to be about the desire to reconnect and spend time together. The Recreational Vehicle is currently the choice of over 1.5 million Canadian families for adventure and family time. These people use RVs to carry and house them, and be their home away from home, and literally thatās all an RV is ö a conveyance and shelter. Yet, the RV continues to attract families to a lifestyle that at its heart is really all about exploring and bonding. Perhaps these Canadians are seeing the value of the adage; itās not about the destination, itās about the journey. These RV consumers are voting with their purchase dollars, but investors are also keen on the future of the RV Lifestyle, as indicated by an analysis done by Forbes.com. Looking at the stock prices of six RV companies over the last 12 months they found, on average, that they had appreciated 80%. Many RVers will agree that something magical and heart warming happens when family and friends spend time on the road together: a sense of adventure, sharing new experiences, seeing new places, anticipation of events yet to unfold. Though this evidence is largely anecdotal, itās strongly suggested that these emotions are a key factor in driving the current boom. For a free brochure please call 1-888-Go RVing (467-8464) or visit www.GoRVing.ca |
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Go RVing Canada, 2175 Sheppard Ave. East, Suite 310, Toronto, ON M2J 1W8 |
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