Go RVing released its February Real Trends Report. This month’s report focused on changing shopping habits within a variety of generations.
The report found members of the millennial generation are more likely to buy a car online, projecting 62% of such consumers will, in comparison to only 36% of Baby Boomers, according to June 2021 data published by the New York Times. Additionally, almost half (47%) of 25–34-year-olds use social media for product discovery, another difference between the generations — only 32% of the general population do the same, according to data provided by Chain Store Age in February 2021.
Many millennials (63%) are likely to check reviews while shopping in store, compared with 39% of baby boomers.
Go RVing cited the findings as a way to attract a broader consumer base for dealers.
“Millennials seek an online-enhance RV shopping experience,” the report stated, “while older consumers prefer in-person.”
The group stated 65% of RV dealers report they currently do not have an online catalog.
Another characteristic on the rise among RV consumers is going green — 57% of outdoor enthusiasts are willing to reduce their use of plastic, limit energy use and eat more sustainably while traveling, according to GWI Zeitgeist December 2021. Another 48% of travelers said they would opt for sustainable travel if it was not an financial inconvenience, according to the 2021 Vacationer Sustainable Travel Survey.
Over half of travelers (56%) said they would be willing to spend only about $50 to lower their vacation carbon footprint.
Go RVing noted that from these statistics, RV industry members can gather that consumers are apprehensive of additional travel costs for greener travels.
“RV dealers can encourage customers by promoting sustainable travel behaviors,” Go RVing said in its report. “They can also highlight products made by aftermarket members to make RVing more sustainable like composting toilets, solar panels and water purification systems.”
The last statistic noted in the February report concerned virtual reality technology. TechCrunch reported in January there has been a 153% year-over-year increase of Meta’s oculus app during December 2021. Facebook’s recent rebranding brought VR to the forefront with consumers and incorporating virtual shopping experiences could help customers imagine the perfect RV vacation without leaving the dealership.
