Page 8 - OPE Sep-Oct 2021

MARKETPLACE
Trimmers & Brushcutters
Bracing
for a second
rebound
With Covid confining us to our properties in the lead-up to Spring, could a renewed focus on maintenance see a surge in trimmer and cutter sales? Andy Kerr finds out.
A LESSON LEARNED from last year’s lockdown is that the size of the dip in spending and activity
matters less than the size of the rebound. And what a rebound we’ve enjoyed over
the past year, with the economy running very hot up until August.
Outdoor power has seen robust sales continue this year and, after a bit of a winter lull and a lengthy lockdown, the arrival of spring is well timed.
The key players have certainly improved their systems to cope with changing trading rules, but can they secure a steady supply of stock if demand surges through summer?
Fear & uncertainty in lockdown
“The mood of the country has been quite different with this second lockdown,” says Stace Hall, Marketing Manager at STIHL.
“There was lots of fear and uncertainty last year, whereas this time I think people can anticipate what will happen on the other side of lockdown.”
He says June’s sales remained strong to the point where the STIHL team wondered whether they would have a winter dip, and indeed it turned out to be “a modest one”.
“Now our stores are gearing up to trade fully and we expect a good rebound once we’re all allowed out of our homes again.
“The weather is coming right, stock issues have declined, and the dealers can’t wait
to get back into their businesses,” says a positive Stace Hall.
At Steelfort, GM Gavin Lowndes considers the latest lockdown to be more of an inconvenience than a major event.
“Last year we were already struggling a bit with a poor market, and I’ll admit to being very concerned when Covid arrived.
“But this time we’re pretty comfortable and taking things in our stride. We’ve got huge product demand and staff are taking lots of calls requesting stock.”
But a big challenge remains, says Gavin – shipping costs and delays, “particularly for products coming out of Asia where container costs have risen dramatically.
“In February last year we were paying about $3,000 to land a 40ft container and we’ve recently been quoted up to six times that, which is just crazy.”
Husqvarna Sales Manager Steve Middleton also reports stock as being “in prettygoodshapeatthispoint”,but,moving through the spring, he’s conscious of issues around sourcing raw materials, which are impacting the industry across the board.
“For instance, there’s a shortage of rubber for tyres and belts, engine manufacturers are struggling to supply the volume, and transmissions are another one.
“So there are going to be both production and shipping challenges going forward.”
Adapting to the times
During lockdown, Stace Hall says STIHL SHOPs outside of Auckland quickly switched to click & collect sales of essential
08 NZOUTDOORPOWEREQUIPMENT SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER2021
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