local Polaris dealer closing

[yanmars]

Our local Polaris dealer in western Ohio is closing. No others close by. Dealer was of retirement age and no one bought the business as I understand.

 

[bmaverick]

Our local Polaris dealer in western Ohio is closing. No others close by. Dealer was of retirement age and no one bought the business as I understand.

This is happening ALL OVER in various businesses. Owners want to retire, but nothing like them for hundreds of miles around. As a nation, we are digressing quickly.

 

[hayden]

This is happening ALL OVER in various businesses. Owners want to retire, but nothing like them for hundreds of miles around. As a nation, we are digressing quickly.

So what's the solution? I think this is a big part of why we see these dealer conglomerates emerging. Even if an owner isn't looking to retire, it can start to be pretty attractive when a check is waved in front of you that will fund your otherwise empty retirement account.

 

[Hay Dude]

Damn right….

 

[ArlyA]

Our BRP/Polaris dealership changed hands on November 1st from one corp to another. Both owned around 5-6 shops but the new owner has the John Deere franchise. One is better?

 

[WM75Guy]

Our local Polaris dealer in western Ohio is closing. No others close by. Dealer was of retirement age and no one bought the business as I understand.

Hopefully another will spring up. For some businesses it is cheaper to start a new dealership from scratch rather than pay for an existing dealership. He probably wanted money based on past sales but there is no guarantee that sales will continue, especially in today's economy, so why pay for it. Also, Polaris has to approve you as a dealer, so just buying the old dealership doesn't mean you get to continue to sell Polaris products.

https://www.polaris.com/en-us/become-a-dealer/

 

[Torvy]

So what's the solution? I think this is a big part of why we see these dealer conglomerates emerging. Even if an owner isn't looking to retire, it can start to be pretty attractive when a check is waved in front of you that will fund your otherwise empty retirement account.

Probably the other way around. Dealer conglomerates make tougher competition for the independent ones. A new buyer has to get the OK for a franchise and the conglomerates will use their weight to encourage the oem to limit the competition.
The existing small dealerships have a tough time, but they already have the franchise and most oems won't just yank it without good cause. Once they sell, all bets are off.

I don't mind small dealer groups (3-5 stores). Big ones eliminate competition and tend to increase prices and decrease service.

 

[Rdrcr]

Our local Polaris dealer in western Ohio is closing. No others close by. Dealer was of retirement age and no one bought the business as I understand.

You also posted that your local Bobcat dealer is closing in your area. Is this one and the same dealer?

Has market conditions changed in your area? Any competition moved in? Economic decline?

Mike

 

[yanmars]

separate dealers and location

 

[Mtsoxfan]

How do dealers make their money? My best guess is on service. How many on here, or people you know, do as much service on their equipment as they can, or look for less expensive alternatives, like an independent repair shop?
Dealerships are in a position where they have to work on warranty items, sometimes for less than the factory reimburses them for, franchise fees, mandatory repair tools, training/travel expenses, marketing tools, wages higher to keep quality personnel, while independents can pick and choose what they work on. Point is, they have higher expenses, resulting in higher prices on repair side, which can cause customers to shop around.
Not like the 70's when anyone could work on any vehicle, and competition kept prices lower.

 

[ArlyA]

BRP pays shop rate to shops for warranty work. I'd guess most shops profit comes for shop service after the warranty, clothing and other various accessoires.

 

[jjeff]

5 yrs ago I could go to a dealership for a snowmobile or atv. Now If I go to same dealership they offer sub impact and compact tractors and even RVs. It's like going to a shopping mall for like minded customers. At least most I've been to seem to on have a decent selection of maintenance parts on hand for what they sell. I could see myself spending a lot of money I saved up at one of these have it all dealerships. Unless snow conditions up north around me drastically improve no new snowmobiles. I swear I cursed myself looking the other day before the warm up here looking at brand new snowmobiles lol.

 

[Mtsoxfan]

5 yrs ago I could go to a dealership for a snowmobile or atv. Now If I go to same dealership they offer sub impact and compact tractors and even RVs. It's like going to a shopping mall for like minded customers. At least most I've been to seem to on have a decent selection of maintenance parts on hand for what they sell. I could see myself spending a lot of money I saved up at one of these have it all dealerships. Unless snow conditions up north around me drastically improve no new snowmobiles. I swear I cursed myself looking the other day before the warm up here looking at brand new snowmobiles lol.

I feel the same in upper VT. The snowfall hasn't been the greatest the last 6 plus years. I would usually only go snowmobiling mid week, just after trails groomed, as weekends are a madhouse with weekend warriors, tearing up the trails, and limited snowfall to repair. It just was hard to justify early bird price of $135 for V.A.S.T, plus registration and insurance for maybe a dozen rides. Many people around here are chasing snow in upper NH and Maine.

We bought our UTV at MOMS of Jericho, which sells UTV, side by side, snowmobiles, street and dirt bikes, ATV's and gear. Impressive set up for sales and service.

 

[jmc]

Only Yamaha dealer in town closed up for good after many decades here. Yamaha dealer in nearby town didn't bother to reopen after I-69 expansion bought the real estate. Now, Indianapolis has the closest dealers, 1 to 1.5 hrs away. Seems sparse for a major brand in a crowded region.

 

[jjeff]

Only Yamaha dealer in town closed up for good after many decades here. Yamaha dealer in nearby town didn't bother to reopen after I-69 expansion bought the real estate. Now, Indianapolis has the closest dealers, 1 to 1.5 hrs away. Seems sparse for a major brand in a crowded region.

Yamaha makes really good sxs and ATVs and outboards imo. Unfortunately they got out of snowmobile manufacturing a few yrs ago.

 

[jmc]

Yamaha makes really good sxs and ATVs and outboards imo. Unfortunately they got out of snowmobile manufacturing a few yrs ago.

I assumed OP was talking about Powersports in general.

 

[jjeff]

I assumed OP was talking about Powersports in general.

So I've seen quite a few Yama dealers closing or taking on different manufacturers as a result.

 

[ArlyA]

Many sport machine dealerships have diversified there sales to help moderate low sales times. Our new BRP dealership has JD's as well.

 

[WilliamBos]

Our local Polaris dealer in western Ohio is closing. No others close by. Dealer was of retirement age and no one bought the business as I understand.

Did you check for dealers on the polaris website? Its quite common for AG tractor dealers to sell atv's too.

 

[Aquabird]

i used to go to the polaris dealer in Toledo, but they sell so many brands as well as motorcycles, that getting service in a reasonable time is not possible. I bought a new one about 40 miles further south at that dealer, for a decent price. When I neede service on it, Got it in and out fairly quick but had some problems with them at that point. They raked me over the coals on price and what they wanted to do to fix a certain issue. I calked polaris to help resolve how they were going to fix a missing brake reservoir cap, but the cost was outrageous. I paid them and told them goodbye forever and my salesman heard me. The owner called and said they overcharged me by $250. He said they would gove me $100 credit on next service....bye.