RVIA’s and RV Dealers Association’s marketing and consumer outreach team, Go RVing, released its January Real Trends Report with information on the ever-changing RV consumer market.
The team found over 68% of Americans are planning to go on a big trip in 2022, citing data from PR Newswire. Additionally, the team found over three-quarters of respondents to PR Newswire want to focus on making memories in 2022, rather than buying material goods. With fewer consumers seeking to save money in 2022 (39% fewer, according to GWI Zeitgeist), the Go RVing team said it is looking to intersect those trends and push individuals to create experiences through RV travel.
Shifting focus, the team found the 2021 In-Store Shopping: Hiccups and Hangups report found 70% of millennials like seeing online features in-store, such as recommendations based on past purchases, reviews and product comparison.
“Young consumers are expecting the in-store and online experiences to be seamlessly integrated,” Go RVing said in its January report.
According to the Power Review Report, nearly 80% of consumers sought websites with product reviews in 2021, rising from 63% of consumers in 2018. Go RVing additionally found TD Bank’s 2021 Retail Experience Index reported that three in five shoppers researched financing options for major purchases in-store.
Go RVing said this data points toward expectations from younger shoppers that prior online searches will inform their in-store interactions.
“RV dealers and manufacturers should be ready to adapt to the needs of online-first customers who seek personalized recommendations during the buying process,” the January Real Trends Report stated.
