2005 Snowmobile Market Preview
Total North American snowmobile sales for the 2004 sled season, which concluded March 31, were approximately 157,000 units, down 4.5% from the previous year. This decline marks the seventh consecutive annual decline since a peak of nearly 240,000 snowmobile sales in 1997.
Greg Boeder, a senior partner for Power Products Marketing, a research firm following the snowmobile market for Powersports Business, says U.S. sales during 2004 declined about 5% compared to the 2003 season while Canadian retail sales fell by approximately 4%. The previous year, U.S. sales had declined nearly 15% from 2002 season totals while Canadian retail sales were essentially flat.
The good news to be found in those numbers is that the decline in sled sales has slowed during the past season. The market further benefited when OEMs tamed inventory by dropping build numbers an estimated 15%.
In this Focus section, we talk with snowmobile industry representatives, take a look at figures compiled by the International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association (ISMA), and inspect a selection of parts and accessories new to the market for the 2005 season.
