good news everyone! No, the Dacia Sandero is not coming to the United States. Rather, snowmobile sales have plateaued after a few years of decline. That’s the title of the 58th International Snowmobile Congress, held last month, which is cause for celebration. Like.
According to Congress, both North American and Canadian sales remained flat last season, with some gains here and there, following the pandemic spending spree a few years ago. We’re almost back to normal, because people are putting everything back in place. However, Europe saw a slight decline, although small gains seen elsewhere helped level up the industry overall.
However, there is a bigger problem that Congress has identified, and it’s one that countless other sectors are grappling with as well. The main buyers of these machines? Yes, they are ancient, and growing more so every day. However, this is merely a symptom of the overall economy, and if you can’t solve for economic prosperity, younger demographics won’t be able to enjoy the same “fun” vehicles that our parents and grandparents did.
Look, none of us can afford these machines.
According to the International Snowmobile Congress rider reportThe average age of a snowmobiler is…53 years old. And he has been riding for over 31 years. So not only are they nearing the end of their potential riding careers, but average Snowmobilers have been doing this for a very long time. This means new rider acquisition is not happening. They are male to female 86/14, which tells me there is not only a generational difference, but a gender difference as well.
But all this is just a symptom of the bigger problem facing almost everyone in the world right now, which is that no one has any money.
If we look at the past, not only were machines cheaper, but people’s spending power was also higher. Inflation has reached its peak, causing prices of basic necessities to skyrocket. Housing used to be something a family could afford on the same income, like two kids and a dog, a set of nice cars, and money left over for all those fun toys we all still want. But in that interim, wages have remained stable, if not declining, compared to previous generations.
Recently, I felt like I needed some masochism in my life, and I looked at what my dad was making in his prime years, adjusted for inflation. Then I compared it to what I’m making now, and also adjusted it to his prime years
I immediately went and cried in the shower.
But this is the reality of most people today, which has led to the age of not only the snowmobiling industry, but all hobbies and passions. Motorcycles are more expensive. ATVs and UTVs are more expensive. Hunting and fishing are more expensive. What’s more, only those generations that have benefited from a good economy can participate these days. That means, unless you’ve loaded yourself with so much debt, if even one thing goes wrong you’ll never be able to recover. Basically, the economy has left most people behind, while Boomers and Gen-X have benefited, and continue to reap the rewards.
However, all this is falling into place, and the industry is rapidly reaching a turning point. You see this most notably at Harley-Davidson, which has not yet been able to solve its demographic crisis. The average age of a Harley rider is now around 60 years old, because who can afford a $40,000 bagger to sit on most days of the week? Who is anyone born after 1985? This is why the company has invested in an entry-level motorcycle.
Still, I’m not sure what the powersports industry can do. Sure cheap machines will help stop the bleeding, but when people are struggling just to make ends meet, they will eliminate the non-needs first. And quote-unquote expensive extravagances, such as on sporting goods like snowmobiles, will probably be done first. Systemic compensation and wage reform is needed, but it’s not something the industry can magically perform with the sound of a turbo 2-stroke.
