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International Karting Industry Buyer's Guide

GO KARTING!
A Guide To The World's Most Popular Motorsport.

Kart Expo International

Even with the U.S. economy is a state of flux, gasoline prices sky high and other factors, all indications point to another banner year for karting, with fun karts again leading the way. The fun kart industry whose biggest selling period is the Holiday season has finally recovered from another prosperous year, and is now moving into the spring 2001 selling mode.

Fun karts, in the past few years, have been re-designed with safety features to make them safer but therefore, more expensive. Yet, the extra cost has not seemed to have slowed sales to any great extent. 

On the retail front, more and more hardware stores, automotive centers, lawn and garden shops, as well as established kart and cycle shops, are realizing that selling fun karts can be a huge profit-maker as well as a nearly “no-brainer” product to sell. It doesn’t take a lot of salesmanship to convince an interested customer to buy a fun kart. Just ask them which color do they want and who’s (really) going to drive it, right? Well maybe not that easy.

What does take intelligence is selling the kart correctly, pointing out the safety features as well as the hazards and making sure the customer knows what he or she is really buying. Another way to show customers that you care about safety is to suggest and sell a quality helmet. Remember, don’t put the sale ahead of safety. It really should be your (the dealer) #1 concern.

Displaying fun karts near the front of your store is a great way to get the attention of adults and children as they pass by or walk in. However, in many stores floor space is at a premium. Some kart manufacturers offer display racks which will show two or three karts in the space of one.

Another proven method is to display a kart or two outside in front of your store. Ever notice how many cycle shops and lawn mower dealers have product outside so the public can see them? Think of how many automobiles would be sold if they were hidden from view. This is a very inexpensive marketing technique which will work like a magnet to get prospective customers interested and into the store.

Then, there is the merchandising of other related items along with the fun karts. Nearby the kart display, exhibit items such as oils, gasoline stabilizers, fuel cans, spark plugs, safety flags, helmets, chain, masterlinks, tires and tubes. There are about 10 or 15 maintenance and safety items, which can be suggested along with marketing the kart, itself. This is called point-of-purchase merchandising and can be very effective in increased sales. As they say, out of sight, out of mind.

Last but not least, is signage. Does your kart supplier have signs available promoting their karts? If not, contact a local sign shop and have a simple sign made that shouts “FUN KARTS SOLD HERE”, or something similar. Then place it where as many people as possible can see it. Make sure the sign is large enough to be seen, since passersby have only a couple of seconds to view it. Simple, low cost, yet very effective.

As a kart retailer, you’ll want to use every trick in the book to increase your bottom line. Have a great year!
 

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