Online caravan shows on the rise

Outdoor caravan shows are the lifeblood of the RV retail industry, with hundreds of thousands of punters attending as many as 50 RV-related shows around Australia each year in search of a bargain, and thousands of deals inked at shows.

However, with the coronavirus crisis putting a stop to public shows for the time being, RV dealers and manufacturers are coming up with new ways to entice buyers with 'show specials' while still maintaining 'social distancing'.

Quick out of the blocks after the cancellation of the Perth Caravan and Camping Show this month was Perth Jayco dealer Caravanland, which launched a 'Greatest Show in Perth' promotion at its dealership that ran for around a week.

While buyers were still encouraged to turn up to the dealership to secure a bargain, a number of 'social distancing' measures were put in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19, including limiting the number of people in the dealership at one time and supplying hand sanitiser.

The organisers of the Perth show went a step further by moving it 'online' and setting up a Perth Caravan and Camping 'Virtual' show page on its website, where punters could still locate and access 'show specials' by clicking on links to various exhibitors.

However, leading the way in stay-at-home shows is Brisbane-based Apollo, which has been running a major 'online caravan show' where buyers can access savings "of up to $16,000" on dealer stock of "big name brands" including Coromal, Windsor, Winnebago and Adria.

"The idea was to compare an online event to a caravan show, by tracking the results (in buyers leads) on a cost-per-sale basis; in this case at the end of a six week period rather than a six day show," explained Apollo's National Marketing Manager - Retail, Simon Kerr.

Run through Apollo dealerships including Queensland's Kratzmann, Sydney RV Group and George Day Caravans in Perth, along with the four Apollo RV Sales outlets along the east cost, Kerr said results of the online show had been "phenomenal" in the first few days with a number of deals done before the Coronavirus crisis hit hard.

"We're still getting (buyer) leads (in recent days) but it's predominately new vans (rather than run-out or show specials)," he said. "Under normal circumstances with no virus in the world we would be talking about a 20 per cent closing ratio on leads."

Kerr said Apollo is planning to run another 'online caravan show' later this year "when hopefully the world will be back to normal and we'll get a better read on the results".

"I think it's a fantastic idea, I know they've done it before with cars and motorcycles," he said.

"We're basically doing pricing that's similar to the deals we'd offer at shows. It also means we can potentially save on all the costs involved in exhibiting at a traditional show."

Meanwhile, some dealers are adapting to this 'no-show' period by offering other 'stay at home' technology options for browsers and buyers.

Perth's Caravanland says they are "happy to arrange one on one appointments, Facetime viewings and the option to buy from the comfort of your home", while Adelaide mega-dealer Camperagent is offering "new ways to browse" including live chat with "real consultants' and video tours on any RV in stock incorporating video conference calls.

Along with online configurators, there could also be more demand for 'virtual reality showrooms using VR goggles, similar to what Queensland's Zone RV was offering recently.

"There are buyers still out there, and those that walk into dealerships are usually ready to buy," Kerr said. "There are certainly fewer window shoppers out there at the moment."

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