By The Storage Group | The start of the COVID-19 pandemic transformed the world as we knew it overnight. Since then, a lot of change has been happening in a short amount of time. People were isolated inside their homes for months on end, navigating the New World as a shared experience with almost every other human being on the planet. There is no way of knowing what exactly the impact of this event in history will leave in echoes throughout time, but there are a few things that you can take advantage of as an RV storage facility owner.
The Rise of the RV
All over the news and social media, people have been talking about the rise in gas prices. And there have been a lot of discussions about how the rise in cost affects people’s lives across the country. Many industries have been impacted, some have seen record profits, while others are being devastated by the current, unstable economic climate. The recreational vehicle industry, however, has been booming, and the trend has been ever-increasing into 2022.
The rise in RV sales might have something to do with The Great Resignation which has been happening for the better part of a year. Resignations have gone up since they hit their peak in November of 2021. A lot of older Americans saw an opportunity and just took advantage of the move to retire. That leaves a lot of people with a lot of pensions in their golden years ready to explore.
Over the pandemic, fuel prices were lower than they had ever been. There were a lot of orders to stay inside, and so the demand for gas plummeted, causing prices to drop. Now that things have been returning to some semblance of normal, gas prices have begun to rise, making travel more costly. That is bound to have consequences for those who have been bitten by the travel bug. Two major factors are now working against each other: the need to travel after being cooped up for so long and the need to save money in tight economic times.
Fuel and Facilities
The rise in gas prices, however, has left the recreational vehicle industry uncertain about the future. What happens when gas is too expensive for people to afford? Will they get rid of their RVs and instead invest their time in cheaper travel options? A surprising effect has taken place.
This upward trend in gas prices is good news for recreational vehicle storage operators. And it makes sense: mandatory lockdowns created a fervor across the country. After having been stuck in their homes for a lengthy period, the urge to get out and see the world struck a lot of people. And the boom of purchases of recreational vehicles took off. It’s a great time to take advantage of this trend, but some storage facility owners are worried about the impact the recent rise in fuel prices will have on their business.
Since people have the urge to travel without breaking the bank, more and more Americans are deciding to take those camping trips closer to home. Weekend Warriors and summer vacationers alike are deciding to continue with the exploration. This sparing use will only benefit vehicle storage facility owners. With the influx of Americans needing to unload their recreational vehicles when not in use, this is where your facility steps in. The increase in RV sales combined with the need to save money in lots of little ways makes the perfect combination for your business.
Now is the best time to prepare for this upcoming storage season: after the summer months, there is no way to predict what fuel prices will be. So the idea that people will want to store their RVs over the winter months becomes more than likely.
It’s undeniable that the pandemic has been good for business; at least, it has been good for self-storage business. And as an industry that is set to grow in the future according to current projections, this is because this industry is willing to change with the times. As long as your facility is willing to keep up with the demand and trends and work with its customers to better integrate technology into their experience, the future of self-storage can only go up from here.