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Powersports Business • October 2026 • 21 the overlap between football fans and powersports buyers is real. And football season runs right alongside hunting season. The guy in the stands on Friday is scouting deer stands on Saturday. He needs a UTV either way.

A quick word from the rulebook: NFL and college team names, logos and certain championship game names are trademarked. Stick with local colors,“ the big game” and high school partnerships you’ ve gotten permission for, unless you have a licensing deal in place.

THE TWO-MINUTE WARNING Fall doesn’ t have to be a slow season. It can be the season you reconnect with your community before the spring rush hits.

So grab a foam finger, fire up the grill and get your dealership in the game. Your customers are already at the tailgate. The only question is whether you’ ll be there too. Till next time, shiny side up and checkered flags!

Melissa Coffey is a 2x PSB“ Women With Spark” award winner and a longtime powersports and motorsports industry leader with deep expertise in brand building, demand generation, and growth strategy. She now leads CATCH Strategy— her boutique consultancy providing fractional CMO-level marketing leadership, strategic planning, revenue generation and execution support for companies across the powersports, motorsports, marine, bicycle, and EV markets.

MATEL & STANEK

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or price risk more aggressively. That can affect approvals, payment structures and F & I profitability.

DISCRETIONARY SPENDING The Census Bureau reported that July 2026 U. S. retail and food services sales were $ 763.6 billion, down 0.6 % from the prior month but up 5 % from July 2025. Motor vehicle and parts dealers also saw a monthly decline, with outside reporting noting a 1.8 % drop in July after a stronger June 8.

For powersports, the retail sales data suggests a consumer who is still spending, but unevenly. That distinction is important. The issue is not a collapse in demand; it is selectivity. Customers are weighing purchases more carefully and making trade-offs across travel, recreation, vehicles, home improvement and everyday expenses.

This is why we continue to advise dealers to focus on operational discipline. Protect cash. Understand which inventory is turning and which inventory is aging. Watch floorplan costs.

FINAL THOUGHTS Our outlook for powersports dealers is cautiously constructive. Consumers still value the recreation, utility and community that powersports provide. But the strongest dealers will be those who read the economic signals early and translate them into action. Interest rates, confidence, labor conditions, household credit and retail spending are not abstract data points; they are leading indicators for showroom traffic, financing approvals, trade values, service demand and dealership profitability.

As dealer principals plan for the coming year, we encourage a disciplined approach: preserve liquidity, monitor inventory, and maintain flexibility in capital decisions.

PLESSNER

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I’ ve seen“ this candidate is awesome” turn into a huge disappointment more times than I care to share. Slowing down at the front end is always cheaper than mopping up later.

CANDIDATE DUE DILIGENCE But candidates, don’ t think you’ re off the hook here. If you’ re considering a move across town or across the country, into a new department or up the ladder, you owe yourself the same diligence you’ d want an employer to show you.

Do your homework on that dealership or group before you sign anything. Ask to speak with current employees and find former employees on LinkedIn. Talk to industry colleagues who’ ve done business with that team. Talk to vendors and reps who’ ve seen how that dealership treats people when no one’ s watching. Territory reps see things HR never will.

And yes, do the online research, too: reviews, news coverage, social media footprints, the whole trail. A little digging can save you from walking into a culture that looks great in the interview and feels completely different three months in.

FULL CIRCLE Here’ s the thing both halves of this column have in common: they’ re really just two versions of the same lesson.

In an industry this small, you can’ t outrun your reputation or a rushed decision. Powersports just doesn’ t forget.