Arrow Distributing’s 2024 Show Said to be ‘Upbeat & Positive’ – RVBusiness – Breaking RV Industry News
A nationwide deep freeze couldn’t put a chill on the spirits of dealers attending Arrow Distributing’s 2024 Distributor’s Showcase, held Jan. 16-17 at the Luxor in Las Vegas, Nev.
“Our attendance numbers were on par with last year,” Arrow Vice President Andy Mullin told RVBusiness. “And for that, we were happy, considering most of the country was frozen from top to bottom.”
The “Polar Express” notwithstanding, Mullin described a successful show, an upbeat atmosphere and several new products drawing attention.
One of the new products Mullin praised was the Genesis Revive Kits, a DIY or dealer-installed system to replace and refresh RV wallboards, cabinets, backsplashes and ceilings. “We did a seminar on it, which was very well attended. Lots of good questions and dealer interest, and the Genesis booth was busy the entire show,” Mullin said.
Other hot products, according to Mullin, included the Fogatti tankless, on-demand water heaters; the Brandmotion line of observation cameras, which he described as very price-competitive; and the Blue Ox Camper Levelers, which include non-slip mats and storage “and did very well at the show.”
In past shows, Arrow would feature a guest speaker. This year, they changed it up with a lunch-hour introduction of the Arrow staff and a presentation on store sets.
“Although we haven’t featured store sets at our shows before, we believe the time is right,” said Mullin. “Just in the past two years, we’ve done more than 120, so it’s something of interest. We thought it would be a good topic to present and let dealers know how efficiently — and pain-free — we can do it.”
Dealer accessory stores are very competitive, especially since they go head-to-head with online retailers like Amazon. Updating or completely resetting your store is a way to keep the consumer interested and surprised when they walk in, Mullin said, and, of course, a way to help boost sales per visit.
Overall, Mullins left the show in a positive frame of mind.
“Dealers always seem to be in a good mood at an Arrow Show,” he noted. “Maybe that is just our environment and how we treat them. However, I didn’t hear any negative outlooks on the industry. Regarding expectations, we believe there is plenty of opportunity for us all. We just need to stock the right parts that will be in demand and, no doubt, much of that will likely reflect repair parts.”
Arrow operates 10 warehouses in the U.S., concentrated in the central states and California.
For more information, visit the Arrow website at www.arrowdist.com
