pepperdawg
New member
Picked up the Stratton-Okemo-Sunapee Midweek pass back in April for like $269....Not my ideal choice as a ASC and/or Sugarbush pass holder for almost every year since 1997...but times and circumstances change....sigh
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My comeback is simple...the people who will buy incrementally who bought a discount pass will buy a more expensive pass too. They have the money. Of course they will buy a discounted pass if available, why pass up a good deal? .
But now you're trying to get fewer people to spend more money.And chances are they will continue to buy incrementally even if the pass costs more. So I get both benefits..
Chances are you'll have more of all types with the discounted passes...some of them will be skin flints, rich ones and poor ones, and some of them will be incremental spenders...both well heeled as well as those on a tighter budget...the more people you get to the hill, the better chance you've got to get more $$ out of them. As long as the mtn has the capacity, its in their best interest to seek a strategy that allows them to maximize their visits and revenue potential.The skin flints will always be skin flints...but you will have more of them if you offer discounted passes.
I think you're generalizing too much here...I know people who will buy the expensive pass...and did when there were bronze, silver, gold, plat options...who have the money and more to spare...but won't spend another dime in the lodge...will brown bag lunch, will look for a deal on equipment all the time, always tune their own skis, and even sneak in their own beers for apres. Sitting right beside them in the lodge is someone who isn't making 6 figures, bought the bronze...lunch at the cafeteria, equipment at the resort shop...and IS spending incrementally. Some of the tightest folks here in Maine are the ones with the largest bank accounts...hell, Stephen King drives a beat up old Subaru all over Bridgton and looks like he's pinching pennies...but owns a multi million $$ estate on Kezar Lake and could be driving a Porsche Cayanne Turbo and gardening in Armani if he wanted to. Some of those other folks with the $$ will not only buy the passes, but with the money they've saved they'll put their kids in seasonal programs, etc...you can see it unfold on the SR forum...folks who've had the discounted passes before, looking at paying more for a pass this year (even though its still a great price) are now considering dropping the kids programs, putting off a new ski purchase, etc.
But now you're trying to get fewer people to spend more money.
Chances are you'll have more of all types with the discounted passes...some of them will be skin flints, rich ones and poor ones, and some of them will be incremental spenders...both well heeled as well as those on a tighter budget...the more people you get to the hill, the better chance you've got to get more $$ out of them. As long as the mtn has the capacity, its in their best interest to seek a strategy that allows them to maximize their visits and revenue potential.
Yup...somewhere in the middle lies a great strategy.Like you said, there is alot of generalization going on here. Some on my side, some on yours. It's probable we could go on about it until the snow flies, but we're reaching a point where we need to see some results to make the discussion valid. Although I like discussing all the possible business models.
My guess is that the truly successful operation will have a combination of the programs we are discussing..
I agree on both counts...whoa, shocker!:beer:One thing I can say for sure, there was alot of money left on the table regarding how those discounted passes were priced in past years. I'll bet you could have charged $50 across the board more and not impacted unit sales at all.
And, as a business person, that would bother me.
this was a good thread, nice simple question, you guys kinda got off the track a little. but that b cool.On to another thread!
this was a good thread, nice simple question, you guys kinda got off the track a little. but that b cool.
this was a good thread, nice simple question, you guys kinda got off the track a little. but that b cool.
Jim and I are divergent thinkers LOL.