Sporting/Recreational Trends You Need To Know.
The current trends in the sports / recreation rental industry are higher rental budgets and increased demand for convenience from consumers. In the experience economy, customers are looking for top quality services for their get-away. Identifying the trends in the sports and recreation rental industry will help shape and adjust your strategy.
Many sport / recreation equipment rental businesses are thriving by offering high-end rentals rather than the same old commodity items. With an annual increase in spending on rental equipment, businesses delivering unique and high quality rentals are attracting more customers. For example, in the kayak rental space, clear or see-through kayaks have disrupted the market as they now offer the experience of a glass-bottomed boat ride, letting paddlers see what’s underneath them.
The bicycle rental rental market is facing some radical changes as well. With the proliferation of on-demand bicycles scattered through-out major US cities from brands like Lime Bike, Citi Bike, etc, traditional bicycle rental shops find themselves in a precarious position. Offering high-performance bicycles is one way to combat the influx of cheap bike-sharing services.
In both the ski and bicycle rental markets convenience is king. Consumers don’t want to wait in line, fill in forms, and lose valuable recreation time. With rental software tools the pain of paperwork, inventory management, ordering, and payments is greatly reduced. Imagine not having to answer the phone and spend 10 minutes booking each new customer, and instead letting people reserve and pay right on your website while you sleep.
If you want to take the next step in growing your rental business, we recommend a modern, mobile-friendly website integrated with rental management software. This allows customers to pick equipment, schedule, and pay in one place. Giving customers increased convenience will lead to higher satisfaction.
Rental businesses today should think about their entire customer acquisition engine. The journey does not end once you’ve acquired a new customer. A good rental experience often results in social media posts, online reviews, referrals and repeat business. All of these free sources of business are critical to maintaining your margins and staying profitable. Recipi has a team of digital marketing pros who have rental business ownership experience and can help you create a healthy, sustainable business. If you’re ready to take the next step in your rental journey get in touch, we would be thrilled to help.