Snowblowers blow past recession
This isn't a huge surprise to those of us who lived through the past month of winter around here, but the Wall Street Journal is reporting that snowblower sales are resisting the recession.
Across the country, manufacturers and retailers report robust sales -- and in some cases shortages -- of the do-it-yourself machines, many of which aren't inexpensive, running from a few hundred dollars to upward of $2,000. At Home Depot Inc., sales of the machines are up "high double digits" over last year, particularly among the heavier-duty big-ticket models. December storms were widespread and powerful enough that Lowe's Cos. for the first time shipped truckloads of snowblowers to the state of Washington the same day it sent them to Michigan and Maine.
Snowblower sales in Spokane and North Idaho -- along with those for snow shovels, ice melt, car chains, etc. -- boomed during the storm, when it was difficult to find any of those products.
It's a case study in supply and demand -- the need for a snowblower comes urgently, and feels unquestionable. But how does the investment of hundreds or thousands of dollars pencil out over a longer time? How do you decide whether it's worth it to buy the big snowthrower versus spending some quality time with the shovel?
Like all these decisions, it depends. Value and economy are not decided simply the number on the price tag -- or no one would who wasn't rich or profligate would ever buy a snowblower. For a lot of years, someone living around here during a typical winter with a typical amount of sidewalk/driveway to clear might not use a snowblower all that much. But every time they use it, it's one more installment paid on the machine's value.
The resilience of the humble snowblower underscores some fundamental realities about where consumer dollars go in tight times. For starters, with the unemployment rate at a 16-year high, it's a survival tool helping people get to work on time. More and more, homeowners are doing the math and figuring a machine can pay for itself after a few bad winters using a professional plower at $35 plus a pop. What's more, at a time when stock portfolios and jobs are riddled with uncertainty, just having a snowblower in the garage gives consumers a modicum of control over their daily destinies.
What about you: shovel or snowblower? Did you run out to buy a blower during this year's storm, or have you had one for years? If you've got one, do you consider it a good value?
