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First-time 'RV curious' travellers driving up domestic demand for recreational vehicles – CBC.ca

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Ramsey Sayah isn’t the camping type.

“I’m usually the kind of guy who books a flight and goes to vacation down south or to the U.S. or Europe,” said the 46-year-old owner of Texture Hair Salon in Ottawa. “I like hotels. I like fine dining.”

But this weekend, Sayah will pick up a 32-foot Sunseeker recreational vehicle (RV) he’s rented and head to the Laurentians in Quebec to fish, cycle and “throw a ball around” with three friends.

His choice of an RV getaway is inspired not just by necessity because of the current limitations on international travel. Sayah said the coronavirus pandemic has also reconnected him to his childhood love of nature and “less complicated” pleasures.

A picture from Ramsey Sayah’s Instagram account taken during his 2018 holiday in Los Angeles. Sayah had no interest in camping or RVing prior to the pandemic. (@ramseyfit/Instagram)

“It opened my eyes to where I wanted to go back to enjoying the simple things, looking at the lake, watching a fire, having a barbecue, drinking a beer,” he said.

Sayah is one of a growing number of Canadians who have decided that the best option for a holiday this summer is to explore Canada with an RV.

RVing a physically distanced way to travel

Newcomers to RVing are eager to holiday safely and are less than enthusiastic about staying in hotels or motels.

It’s like having your own isolation unit.– John Krohnert of Platinum RV

“It’s like having your own isolation unit,” said John Krohnert of Platinum RV, a dealership in Erin, Ont. “Our rental division is going crazy. It’s very, very busy.”

Krohnert sells RVs and also rents them from $450 to $1,000 a week, depending on the size and features of the vehicle.

“I think what we’re seeing is people are starting to say, ‘We’ve got so many beautiful places in Canada. We don’t need to cross the border or rent hotels,'” he said.

John Krohnert of Platinum RV at his dealership in Erin, Ont. ‘Our rental division is going crazy. It’s very, very busy,’ he said. (Submitted by John Krohnert)

Fear of flying

Ottawa-based RVezy is an Airbnb type of business that allows travellers to rent recreational vehicles from people who are looking to make some money by lending out their RVs.

Founded by former Ottawa policeman Mike McNaught, along with partner Will Thompson in 2016, RVezy recently commissioned a survey of 2,000 Canadians to learn about their attitudes toward travel this summer. It found that 81 per cent of participants believe flying to be “somewhat” or “too” risky.

RVs are perfectly suited for vacation travel this summer. In an RV, you are in full control of your environment. You have full access to cooking facilities, washrooms, showers and air conditioning.”​​​​​​– Mike McNaught, co-founder of RVezy

“RVs are perfectly suited for vacation travel this summer,” McNaught said. “In an RV, you are in full control of your environment. You have full access to cooking facilities, washrooms, showers and air conditioning.”

He said the company has provided all RV owners with disinfecting recommendations from Health Canada and that both the owner and renter need to sign off on a cleanliness checklist.

As well, one in three of the survey’s participants said they “never before thought RVing was right for them but are now open to it.” The survey labels them as “RV curious.”

One of the more unusual campervans on the RVezy website. Ottawa-based RVezy is an Airbnb type of business that allows travellers to rent recreational vehicles from people who are looking to make some money by lending out their RVs. (RVezy)

McNaught said demand for the 7,000 vehicles on RVezy’s website is close to exceeding what the company saw in mid-summer of 2019 when 3,000 of its vehicles were rented. “Normally, we don’t see the demand this strong at this time of year.”

The platform takes a 15 per cent cut of what the RV owner charges and also charges the renter an additional 10 per cent of the overall rental cost. But McNaught said it’s a way to support the local economy.

“Millions of Canadian have been impacted by this pandemic,” he said. “When you’re renting an RV from us, you’re renting from someone local in the neighbourhood, and the money goes right back to people who may have lost their jobs.”

WATCH | Are you safer from COVID-19 indoors or outdoors?

Andrew Chang asks an infectious disease doctor whether it’s safer to be indoors or outdoors during the coronavirus pandemic. 1:02

International visitors not renting RVs

According to the Recreational Vehicle Dealers Association of Canada, the RV industry generated an estimated 66,000 jobs and $4.7 billion in 2017 — the most recent figures available.

But it’s not sunshine and rainbows for everyone in the business.

Calgary-based CanaDream rents RVs primarily to international travellers, with seven locations across Canada. Company vice-president of sales and marketing Kathryn Munro is based in Glasgow.

“We were heading for an absolute whopper of a year,” Munro said. “We definitely would have been looking at 13,000 rentals for the year ahead. And we’re now looking at perhaps 20 per cent of that this year.”

CanaDream had been adding to its fleet year by year, but its orders for 2020 are stuck with U.S. manufacturers because of the border closure. Even so, given the lack of demand from its usual clientele, the inventory on hand is more than sufficient, she said.

In fact, the company intends to sell some of its RVs; typically, about a third of the fleet is sold every two years in order to rent only relatively new vehicles.

“We will be offering a lot more RVs for sale,” Munro said. “Our fleet will be much smaller this coming year.” 

A promotional photo from CanaDream showing European visitors in Cape Breton, N.S. Calgary-based CanaDream rents RVs primarily to international travellers, but it appears its Canadian segment may grow this year. (CanaDream)

Domestic Canadian travellers make up just 10 per cent of CanaDream’s business, but it appears that niche may grow this year.

“We’re getting so many new guests. Our call centre operators are spending a lot of time explaining how RVing works,” Munro said. “I’ve had to write a document for them to use so that they can explain efficiently about the appeal.”

I think this is a great way to see Canada without having to hop on a plane.– Ramsey Sayah, newcomer to RVing 

Sayah said he’s looking forward to cooking some great meals in the large, high-end RV that he’s rented.

“We’re bringing good food, not just whatever,” he said, “because we have this beautiful kitchen in there.”

He also said that despite his previous penchant for being served in fancy restaurants, he’s actually looking forward to learning a new way to make a fire or tie a rope.

“I don’t have a cottage, and I think this is a great way to see Canada without having to hop on a plane.”

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Roots sees room for expansion in activewear, reports $5.2M Q2 loss and sales drop

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TORONTO – Roots Corp. may have built its brand on all things comfy and cosy, but its CEO says activewear is now “really becoming a core part” of the brand.

The category, which at Roots spans leggings, tracksuits, sports bras and bike shorts, has seen such sustained double-digit growth that Meghan Roach plans to make it a key part of the business’ future.

“It’s an area … you will see us continue to expand upon,” she told analysts on a Friday call.

The Toronto-based retailer’s push into activewear has taken shape over many years and included several turns as the official designer and supplier of Team Canada’s Olympic uniform.

But consumers have had plenty of choice when it comes to workout gear and other apparel suited to their sporting needs. On top of the slew of athletic brands like Nike and Adidas, shoppers have also gravitated toward Lululemon Athletica Inc., Alo and Vuori, ramping up competition in the activewear category.

Roach feels Roots’ toehold in the category stems from the fit, feel and following its merchandise has cultivated.

“Our product really resonates with (shoppers) because you can wear it through multiple different use cases and occasions,” she said.

“We’ve been seeing customers come back again and again for some of these core products in our activewear collection.”

Her remarks came the same day as Roots revealed it lost $5.2 million in its latest quarter compared with a loss of $5.3 million in the same quarter last year.

The company said the second-quarter loss amounted to 13 cents per diluted share for the quarter ended Aug. 3, the same as a year earlier.

In presenting the results, Roach reminded analysts that the first half of the year is usually “seasonally small,” representing just 30 per cent of the company’s annual sales.

Sales for the second quarter totalled $47.7 million, down from $49.4 million in the same quarter last year.

The move lower came as direct-to-consumer sales amounted to $36.4 million, down from $37.1 million a year earlier, as comparable sales edged down 0.2 per cent.

The numbers reflect the fact that Roots continued to grapple with inventory challenges in the company’s Cooper fleece line that first cropped up in its previous quarter.

Roots recently began to use artificial intelligence to assist with daily inventory replenishments and said more tools helping with allocation will go live in the next quarter.

Beyond that time period, the company intends to keep exploring AI and renovate more of its stores.

It will also re-evaluate its design ranks.

Roots announced Friday that chief product officer Karuna Scheinfeld has stepped down.

Rather than fill the role, the company plans to hire senior level design talent with international experience in the outdoor and activewear sectors who will take on tasks previously done by the chief product officer.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.

Companies in this story: (TSX:ROOT)

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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Talks on today over HandyDART strike affecting vulnerable people in Metro Vancouver

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VANCOUVER – Mediated talks between the union representing HandyDART workers in Metro Vancouver and its employer, Transdev, are set to resume today as a strike that has stopped most services drags into a second week.

No timeline has been set for the length of the negotiations, but Joe McCann, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1724, says they are willing to stay there as long as it takes, even if talks drag on all night.

About 600 employees of the door-to-door transit service for people unable to navigate the conventional transit system have been on strike since last Tuesday, pausing service for all but essential medical trips.

Hundreds of drivers rallied outside TransLink’s head office earlier this week, calling for the transportation provider to intervene in the dispute with Transdev, which was contracted to oversee HandyDART service.

Transdev said earlier this week that it will provide a reply to the union’s latest proposal on Thursday.

A statement from the company said it “strongly believes” that their employees deserve fair wages, and that a fair contract “must balance the needs of their employees, clients and taxpayers.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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Transat AT reports $39.9M Q3 loss compared with $57.3M profit a year earlier

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MONTREAL – Travel company Transat AT Inc. reported a loss in its latest quarter compared with a profit a year earlier as its revenue edged lower.

The parent company of Air Transat says it lost $39.9 million or $1.03 per diluted share in its quarter ended July 31.

The result compared with a profit of $57.3 million or $1.49 per diluted share a year earlier.

Revenue in what was the company’s third quarter totalled $736.2 million, down from $746.3 million in the same quarter last year.

On an adjusted basis, Transat says it lost $1.10 per share in its latest quarter compared with an adjusted profit of $1.10 per share a year earlier.

Transat chief executive Annick Guérard says demand for leisure travel remains healthy, as evidenced by higher traffic, but consumers are increasingly price conscious given the current economic uncertainty.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.

Companies in this story: (TSX:TRZ)

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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