Vortex outboards to sell direct online

VORTEX Marine announced its range of two and four stroke engines will be available to buy online at www.vortexmarine.com.au direct to the public.

The move to retail Vortex online is a first for the Australian marine industry and comes after the brand was successfully launched in 2011.

Telwater said it first launched Vortex Marine in July 2011 with the mission of making boating more affordable.

The company said retailing online will make the Vortex range even more accessible to the boating public, previously Vortex engines were available only as part of boat, motor, trailer packages through the Telwater dealer network.

“Customers have accepted the brand and are capitalising on the savings, due to this success we see an opportunity to take business online and sell direct to the public,” said Vortex project manager Michael Walker.

“Our overall mission is to provide the customer with an affordable and easily accessible engine alternative, and retailing online in the next step to achieving that goal.”

In an interview with Marine Business Telwater MD Paul Phelan said the company’s success over the next year comes down to the way it markets and sells its products. Phelan predicted that more businesses would start selling online and wanted to stay ahead of the trend.

“We will be seeing a lot more of this happening and we don't want to be the last company doing it,” he said.

Following Telwater announcing its online strategy for Vortex, Marine Business asked  BRP GM Gregoire Dupont where BRP stood on the topic.

“The majority of our customers are online, so we are embracing digital marketing strategies. However, the approach customers take when buying a small portable verse a high horsepower, new generation outboard differs greatly,” said Dupont.

“With over sixty Evinrude E-TEC models available most of our customers want personal advice on model selection and how the unique technology under the hood of an Evinrude E-TEC will benefit them.

“Whilst customer’s needs are ever changing, at present we are confident a bricks and mortar dealer network best services their need.”

Haines Suzuki's Greg Haines told Marine Business that Suzuki has no plans of going down the online sales track at this time.

“Our customers like to touch and feel and sometimes even have a run in the product before they make their purchase decision,” said Haines.

John Temple Mercury Marine general manager (ANZP) said Mercury works together with its dealers and sees them as a key strength and valuable partner in the retail process, not as a weakness.

"We embrace digital marketing but only to drive consumers into our dealers," said Temple.

"The manufacturer who sells direct, cuts across the traditional and proven method. With this experiment the dealer will be handicapped in their ability to conduct business with trade-ins, and the many other skills and revenue generating processes they have. Under this scenario my first impression would be that the dealers would be left with the crumbs (and all the hassles) especially now the Australian Consumer Law has been introduced and consumers have such powerful rights," he said.

"Having said that, Telwater are skilled marketers and one would assume that a great deal of research has been conducted and dealers consulted beforehand."