www. PowersportsBusiness. com

Powersports Business • August 2026 • 19

BY JENNIFER ROBISON

• CONTRIBUTING WRITER

It’ s been several years since I contributed to Powersports Business in my specialty of retail strategy and visual merchandising. Some of you remember my work with Tucker Rocky Distributing for 14 years and more than 1,000 store visits, two dozen conferences, and more seminars and articles on powersports retail than I can count.

Since I was away, a wave of new people has entered powersports retail. New dealers, new managers, new staff, and, with them, a whole new audience that hasn’ t yet heard what I believe is one of the most underleveraged conversations in this industry.

So here we are. Let’ s talk about your showroom.

merchandising is behavioral design, not decoration. A well-executed floor guides the eye, simplifies choices, reinforces seasonal relevance, and moves customers toward purchase before a word is spoken. When the first impression is strong, the sales process accelerates, margins hold, and repeat business follows. When the impression is weak, no sales pitch in the world can undo what the floor already communicated.

Great displays sell faster and require fewer discounts. That’ s not a theory. That’ s retail.

THE STORE SPEAKS FIRST When a customer steps into your space, that space speaks first. The question is: do you know what it’ s saying?

Customers decide whether a store is worth their time in under eight seconds. In that window, they’ ve already determined whether they want to explore, whether they’ ll engage with your staff, and whether they’ ll ever come back. The National Retail Federation puts it plainly: 65 % of shoppers say store layout and product presentation directly influence their purchasing decisions.

Eight seconds. That’ s not enough time for a sales conversation. That’ s an environment doing its job or failing to. The eye does not lie. Stores lack good presentations; you are leaving money on the table, and it’ s so easy to fix.

Here’ s what the best retailers understand that most powersports operators haven’ t fully absorbed yet: visual

T he National Retail Federation puts it plainly: 65 % of shoppers say store layout and product presentation directly influence their purchasing decisions.