A Look Back at 2020 and a Look Forward to 2021 in Power Sport and Outdoor Equipment

 

Many people call 2020 a dumpster fire of a year, but if one sifts through the ashes, they may find plenty of salvageable items.

Bob McCue, Channel Marketing Director at Walbro, likes to look at the positives. There was plenty to speak of in terms of Walbro’s results and its surrounding industries –marine, power sport and outdoor power equipment.

“With people staying at home, we saw this shift in the outdoor power equipment industry,” McCue said.
2020 statistics showed record growth, and units increased by five million. And, while sales were up for most of this segment, sales decreased for commercial lawn equipment by 5%. There was a definitive cause and effect relationship in outdoor home maintenance due to the pandemic.

Walbro did experience many of the same challenges other businesses faced in the wake of COVID-19 shutdowns. There’s been supplier bottlenecks to deal with and other related pandemic issues to keeping employees safe.

Adaptation is the word here, and Walbro is organizing into business streams to work effectively during the pandemic. And one of the innovative marketing techniques they’re using is internet influencers spreading the word about their products. Once one of these influencers does a video, McCue said Walbro immediately sees a bump in sales.

Looking ahead, McCue said the news is a similar growth trend in the industry. One big difference is the commercial lawnmower market, which shows trending up 5% from the previous year.

“So, in essence, that would get back to what they were pre-pandemic,” McCue said. “But the consumer lawnmower, the handheld market, the power sports market; all those are forecasting sales increases for 2021.”

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Twitter – @MarketScale
Facebook – facebook.com/marketscale
LinkedIn – linkedin.com/company/marketscale

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Image

Latest

engineering community
The Future of the Engineering Community: Equity, AI, and Real Connection
July 15, 2025

The Engineer Who Builds Communities, Not Just Systems! Angelie Vincent has spent more than two decades in aerospace engineering, but her real legacy might be the communities she’s built along the way. Now an AI Integration Engineer at Boeing, Angelie joins Professional Quotient host Jason Winningham for a wide-ranging conversation on neurodivergent leadership, workplace…

Read More
hvacr
Women in HVACR Are Driving Change Across the Skilled Trades
July 15, 2025

Trade school enrollment climbed 4.9% between fall 2020 and fall 2023, signaling a national shift toward skills-based careers as alternatives to four-year degrees. This modest but meaningful rebound underscores growing interest in trades like HVACR, where demand is high, but representation remains lopsided. For decades, women in the field have been overlooked despite playing…

Read More
personal assistant
The People Business: How To Make AI Your Personal Assistant and More
July 14, 2025

In today’s fast-paced world, AI has moved from being a corporate buzzword to a hands-on tool for everyday life. With tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude now widely accessible, the conversation is shifting from what AI is to how it can actually help individuals. From boosting productivity to transforming education, AI is poised to become…

Read More
cardiac care
Just Thinking… About the Role of Critical Thinking in Cardiac Care With Dr. Minh Tran
July 14, 2025

As cardiovascular disease continues to rank as the leading cause of death globally, the importance of expert cardiac care has never been more evident. The American Heart Association reports that over 800,000 Americans experience a heart attack each year, and many rely on the fast, critical thinking of cardiac specialists to survive. In an…

Read More