By Emma Dodd
The increased demand for caravans and motorhomes across the UK is here to stay, the boss of Mercedes-Benz Vans believes.
Steve Bridge, managing director of the manufacturer, spoke about the way in which the public has been becoming more enamoured with leisure vehicles in recent years, when he was interviewed for Car Dealer Live.
He was asked by interviewer James Batchelor if Mercedes would be allocating a larger number of its Marco Polo motorhomes to the UK market as a result of fewer people being able to travel abroad for their summer holidays.
Mr Bridge said: “It’s a black art ensuring you’ve got the volume to suit any market. So the answer is yes, as people are on staycation now, of course. Some of it might be novelty, some of it might be something they’d well researched.”
He went on to say that while travel restrictions could be partly responsible for the current demand, it’s not the only reason that people are buying motorhomes.
Mr Bridge added: “If you look over the last ten years, the leisure market has been on the increase irrespective. So yes, you’ll get the odd blip – like around 9/11 when people didn’t want to fly – but there are many people that like to stay in the UK, and certainly travel to Europe as well.”
Addressing the difference between purchasing a car and a motorhome, the Mercedes boss said caravan buyers are more likely to spend three or four hours looking at the details inside.
He said they’ll be interested in everything from the colour of the taps to whether it has a microwave, as leisure vehicles perform a wider role than cars.
Mercedes is currently ensuring it has a network of salespeople who understand the complex nature of motorhomes to be able to answer all the questions posed by prospective buyers.
Mr Bridge also said that the company understands the importance of establishing good aftersales facilities for Marco Polo owners.
