Posted by Chris Larsen on 28th May 2020
Will COVID-19 Affect Fish House Sales?
Will COVID-19 Affect Fish House Sales? The short and obvious answer is yes. But how COVID-19 affects fish house sales remains to be seen. Fishing license sales are through the roof as people look for more ways to recreate while social distancing. We expect to see people doing more hiking, boating, and fishing while avoiding activities that involve large crowds. Fishing license sales this spring have been through the roof. On the other hand, there is no doubt that there is and will continue to be an effect on the economy and income levels.
We talked to Tom McMahon from Yetti Outdoors and Matt England from Northland Auto Center, a Yetti dealer, about their thoughts on how Covid-19 could affect fish house sales in 2020. You can listen to the entire conversation by clicking here.
While some industries are preparing for a big hit, the fishing industry may be uniquely positioned. McMahon agrees. “We are cautiously optimistic about the year still. We started out this spring coming off what some would say is a bad ice year. We were really looking forward to getting to our normal spring routine of launching a new model year and getting our dealer network excited. As soon as we got that step done, here came COVID-19.”
England believes there will be an effect but if things get going again and people go back to work, it won’t take long before they start making recreational purchases. “I think we’re going to see some effect to it. Hopefully, it’s short term and people get their confidence back and know that our economy is good. Obviously, this is a thing that you invest in… It’s something that you can use with the family and invest in that time with them too.”
Production facilities were closed for weeks but McMahon says buyers who want to get a fish house right away to take advantage of summer camping in a wheelhouse, will find plenty of selection in dealer lots. “Due to our dealer network, we do have sufficient inventory on dealer lots. There is a good selection of models available for customers to look at. A lot of our dealers have all the inventory online so you don’t need to be there in person... A Yetti is more of a long term investment… It’s a planned purchase. I think we’re going to see a lot of people have that in their plan and also be able to take advantage of some extremely low interest rates to get a really good deal.”
England says if buyers have a plan to purchase a wheelhouse this year, right now is a great time to purchase. Most people buy in the fall or early winter but some of the best deals can be found in the spring and early summer. Early buyers can also take advantage of their houses during camping and hunting seasons. “We’re willing to sell and willing to deal on a fishhouse. I think they can expect the great service that we’ve always put forth. That’s always been our motto here at Northland is service first. We’ve built a business for 34 years and our first thing is to service our customers. We treat others the way we would want to be treated. We’re willing to do what works to help a customer buy a fishhouse as affordably as possible. We’re willing to work with them and deal on a wheelhouse.”
To hear the entire conversation with Tom McMahon and Matt England, click on the player below or check out our podcast page.