Last season was the first one like it in over a decade. The weather was exactly what snowmobilers love (and everyone in the city seems to hate).
Long, cold expanses of time where the snow never melted and the thermometer stayed low, left snowmobilers with awesome trails and lots of places to ride. Miles-ridden tallies were never better!
Used sleds sold like hotcakes and the dealers got rid of inventories that had been sitting around for as long as three years.
The manufacturers are thrilled because right from the outset of this year they haven’t had to worry about setting up sales incentives to get rid of old stock at huge discounts and now they can totally concentrate on filling new-sled orders.
Here’s the rub: What if the rebound effect from last year’s great sales and weather means early-season demand eats up all those new-sled inventories?
It could mean if you wait until you see snow, you’ll have a hard time finding the sled you’re looking for and may have to settle for something else.
We’re not trying to instill panic here but you may want to ask your local dealer how many sleds he’s expecting to have in stock this winter and how early-season sales are going for him.
It may not be a bad idea to ask a few dealers of your favorite brand the same thing, just for back-up. The best thing you can do is put a deposit down and hold that sled until you think you can get the rest of the money to complete the sale or until your current sled is sold.
We think there’s a very good chance demand will exceed supply – especially if we have another long cold winter ahead!
