FIRST-CLASS B’s

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In a Market Dominated by the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Chassis, Several New Players Emerge for 2014

Change is coming to the Class B motorhome market in 2014 with two new European-based platforms on which RV manufacturers are
expected to build: The new ProMaster van, already available from Chrysler’s Ram truck division, and the 2015 Ford Transit van that is expected to debut early next year.
Both will challenge the decade-long market supremacy of the diesel-powered Mercedes-Benz Sprinter chassis, which, as an RV platform, outsold the domestic Chevy Express van by more than two-to-one in 2012. The Chevy Express has been the Sprinter’s primary competitor in the RV market since Ford mothballed the popular Ford E-series van last year.

Ford Transit

And camper van builders are quickly adapting. Winnebago Industries Inc. got a jump on the market this summer with the introduction of the long-anticipated Travato van camper on the Ram ProMaster chassis, while others already have plans to add the Ford Transit to their stable when it becomes available.
‘’There is additional competition coming,’’ noted Jim Brieske, specialty vehicle manager for General Motors Fleet and Commercial Operations.
The suddenly increased competition in the Class B market portends well for consumers. More chassis mean more choices with regard to price, floorplans and powerplants.
Horsepower and gross vehicle weight rating (gvwr) for Ford’s unibody Transit haven’t been established yet, but it will be equipped with a V-6 gas or 3.2-liter diesel

Ram ProMaster

engine with wheelbases from 130 to 147 inches.
The Ram ProMaster, powered by a 280-hp 3.6-liter gasoline engine, features high- and low-roof models with a gvwr of 9,350 pounds and wheelbases up to 159 inches, while the Chevy Express provides a gvwr up to 9,600 pounds with a 324-hp 6.2-liter powerplant.
Although new to North America, both the ProMaster, based on the European Fiat Ducato, and the Ford Transit, upfitted for the U.S. market, have long been used in Europe as motorhome and commercial van platforms.
‘’Transit has been available in Europe for more than 40 years,’’ said Craig Hall, Ford Motor Company’s specialty vehicle marketing manager. ‘’It’s not a new vehicle, per se.’’
Hall says the Transit — not to be confused with the smaller Transit Connect — will be available in several lengths, roof heights and gvwrs. ‘’Fuel prices are going up, and the consumer wants better fuel mileage, which the Transit will provide,’’ he said.
The Ram ProMaster also has a long history. ‘’The ProMaster is a proven platform,’’ said Joe Benson, head of Ram commercial trucks. ‘’It’s been on the
European market for over 30 years and 4.5 million have been sold worldwide.
Two out of every three RV owners (in Europe) have chosen the Ducato on the Fiat platform.’’
Meanwhile, the Class B king, Mercedes-Benz, isn’t sitting still. The luxury European manufacturer is modifying the 2014 Sprinter chassis — released in September — with a redesigned front end and new 4-cylinder diesel engine that is expected to get 15 to 18 percent better fuel economy. Most van camper manufacturers that build on the Sprinter chassis will make the change to the new chassis in the middle of their 2014 model year.
Here’s a look at what some prominent B-van manufacturers are offering for 2014 (note: Sprinter-based photos are on the 2013 chassis).

Advanced RV

Factory-direct Advanced RV LLC of Willoughby, Ohio, offers an optional ‘’Independence Package’’ in the all-diesel Gulf Coast and Ocean One Class B motorhomes that include two solar panels to charge a set of lithium-iron batteries that also can be charged by a shore connection or through an optional generator attached to the engine. Standard with diesel appliances — including a hydronic heating system and on-demand hot water — the Gulf Coast is built on the standard 22-foot Sprinter chassis while Ocean One 24-footer is assembled on the Sprinter’s dual-wheel extended platform. Both include a touch-screen Silverleaf multiplex system to monitor tank levels and batteries; it also acts as a thermostat and starts the generator. Although highly customizable, Gulf Coast and Ocean One are equipped with convertible electric sofas — fixed double or twin beds are optional — LED lighting, heated floors, custom ground effects with integrated running boards, European-style cabinets, portable single-burner induction cooktop and a Keurig K-Cup coffeemaker.
Retail prices start at about $137,000.
Advanced RV
440-283-0405
www.advanced-rv.com

Airstream

Jackson Center, Ohio-based Airstream Inc.’s Interstate Class B has been the best-selling van camper brand for the last three years and will be mounted on the 2014 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter chassis with a standard 161-hp 6-cylinder diesel engine by the time you read this. Available in seven 22 and 24-foot floorplans on standard and extended Sprinter chassis, the Interstate has been upgraded for 2014 with a larger TV, Alcoa DuraBright aluminum wheels, an enhanced navigation system and Xenon headlights with automatic rain-sensing washers. Other standards include Corian countertops and pedestal tables, high-gloss laminate cabinets, power rear sofas or twin beds, Ultraleather seating and adjustable LED lighting.
MSRPs start at $137,364.
Airstream
877-596-6111
www.airstream.com

Great West Van Conversions

Great West Van Conversions Inc. of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, builds three van campers: the Legend, Legend SE and Legend XE — all mounted on the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter diesel platform with a gvwr of 11,030 pounds. Two floorplans, one with a tri-fold rear bed, the other with twin beds, are available in all three models. The Legend and upgraded Legend SE are 22 feet, while the Legend XE is 24 feet and offers more living space, a longer bed and four coach batteries. Both the Legend SE and XE are equipped with hydronic heating/hot water, along with a standard 85-watt solar panel. All models feature solid wood cabinets, recessed LED lighting, Avonite countertops and laminate hardwood-look floors.
Base MSRPs: Legend, $110,000; Legend SE, $120,000; Legend EX, $128,000.
Great West Van Conversions
204-338-9303
www.greatwestvans.com

Pleasure-Way Industries

Pleasure-Way offers two Class B platforms in varying lengths — the 19½-foot Ascent and 22-foot 9-inch dual-wheel Plateau on the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter; and the 20½-foot Lexor on the Chevy 3500 Express. GVWRs are 8,500 pounds on the Ascent, 11,030 pounds on the Plateau and 9,600 pounds with a 320-hp gas engine on the Lexor. Pleasure-Way will start building on the 2014 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter equipped with a 4-cylinder diesel engine when they become available later this year. Standard features include a private bath and shower, maple cabinets, Corian countertop, stainless steel sink and two-burner stove/cooktop. Its 2014 RVs come with a 5 Year/60,000 mile limited warranty.
Base MSRPs: Lexor, $87,000; Ascent, $109,000;
Plateau, $111,540.
Pleasure-Way Industries
800-364-0189
www.pleasureway.com

RoadTrek

Roadtrek Motorhomes Inc., Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, has introduced for 2014 the 22-foot CS-Adventurous series built on the Sprinter dual-wheel chassis with a gvwr of 11,030 pounds.
The floorplan is versatile with three captains chairs up front and a rear convertible sofa or twin beds, either of which can be converted into a king-size sleeping platform. The front-seating and rear-sleeping areas allow two people to get up and go to bed at different times without disturbing each other. Features on the new CS-Adventurous include frameless windows, marine toilets, engineered granite countertops, cherry cabinet doors and heavy-duty vinyl flooring. An optional E-Trek package allows the coach to be operated ‘’off-the-grid” with an engine-mounted 3500 watt generator, eight 6-volt solar-charged AGM batteries and an Alde comfort heating system that includes hot water.
Base MSRP: $115,960.
Roadtrek Motorhomes
519-745-1169
www.roadtrek.com

Triple E RV

Winkler, Manitoba, Canada-based Triple E RV has designed a driver-side slideout
in the 2014 Leisure Travel Vans Free Spirit FS22SS Class B motorhome. Built on
the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter
chassis with a gvwr of 11,030 pounds, Triple E will give the buyer the option of a 4- or 6-cylinder diesel engine when it goes into production with the 2014 Sprinter chassis. New to the 22-foot 9-inch Free Spirit for 2014 is an electric convertible sofa, new roof trim with integrated power awning
and a 4.8-cubic-foot refrigerator. The FS22SS, one of two Free Spirit floorplans, takes a cue from European designers with curved cabinets and a self-contained lavatory. Standards include contoured Corian countertops, radius windows and powered patio awning.
Base MSRP: $113,815.
Triple E Recreational Vehicles
877-992-9906
www.tripleerv.com

Winnebago

Winnebago Industries Inc., long an innovator in the Class B market, has introduced the Travato motorhome assembled on the Ram ProMaster chassis with a gvwr of 9,350 pounds. The more affordable 21-foot, front-wheel drive Travato from the Forest City, Iowa, manufacturer is equipped with a 280-hp V-6 gasoline engine that gets an esti­mated 15 to 18 mpg. With more vertical side walls than Winnebago’s Sprinter-based Era Class B, the Travato provides 4 additional inches of shoulder room and offers features such as a soft vinyl ceiling, LED interior lights, shower, powered patio awning, laminate countertops, two-burner range and a refrigerator with a
removable freezer unit.
MSRP: $84,039.
Winnebago Industries
641-585-3535
www.winnebagoind.com

Bob Ashley is a columnist for RV Business magazine and has covered the industry for nearly 20 years. He is a recipient of the “Distinguished Service in RV Journalism” award from the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA).

 

 

 

 

Target's Nicollet Mall store makeover gives glimpse into plan to retool stores

Read article : Target's Nicollet Mall store makeover gives glimpse into plan to retool stores

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A new, red bull’s-eye prominently marks the spot on Nicollet Mall where Target’s efforts to retool its stores for the digital age are on full display.

Inside the buzzing store next to the retailer’s headquarters, the company has redesigned and upgraded everything from the fitting rooms to the online pickup counter and the grocery department.

“This is the most ambitious redesign in my 22 years at Target,” said Joe Perdew, who leads Target’s store design team that includes 170 architects, engineers, interior design and fixtures specialists.

The old vinyl tile flooring has been replaced by more modern, polished concrete. The corners of aisles are curved to be more inviting. The mannequins now look more like, well, real people and represent sizes that range from 4 to 22.

And the fluorescent lights overhead have been replaced with LED ones, including many specialty lighting treatments that bring more warmth than glare. Beacons are embedded inside each light fixture enabling customers to open a map in the Target app, locate themselves in the form of a blue dot and find nearby Cartwheel deals.

The downtown Minneapolis store, which will celebrate the completion of its $10 million makeover on Wednesday, features many of the bells and whistles that Target is in the midst of rolling out to hundreds of stores nationwide. The redesigns are a key strategy to revitalize sales along with investing in technology, the supply chain and new brands.

In the past, big-box stores like Target were organized with efficiency in mind as planners looked at how to best put as much stuff as they could on shelves. That’s still an important consideration, but there are others now, too.

“It’s more about experience,” said Perdew, who added that experience accounted for about 5 percent of the previous store design, but contributed to about 20 percent in the new plan. “It’s about the physical, digital and human elements you want to offer up that help make it all come to life.”

For example, the next-generation prototype store Target will open outside of Houston later this year has seven nooks where it will cross-merchandise products — spaces where it will display a total outfit with accessories or a complete living room setting to provide inspiration. Target also is changing the store layout in some stores from a “split” where apparel is on one side and essentials on the other to a “wrap” where apparel is spread across the center of the store and everything else is arranged around it.

“Those changes add additional dwell time in an area, and that begins to change the psychology of the visit from just an in-and-out trip,” said Sandy Stein, a Twin Cities-based retail analyst who spent his career in store design. “It elevates the experience — there’s something different. There’s something special.”

And it’s something that can’t be easily replicated online, he said.

A sweeping effort

Of course, remodeling stores is nothing new in the retail world. But Target had slowed its efforts over the last decade as it focused on adding groceries, a short-lived expansion into Canada and rolling out smaller stores. In the meantime, executives acknowledged that many stores became tired and outdated.

While many retailers are closing stores this year, Target is pouring in billions of dollars to refresh more than a third of its 1,800 stores in the next few years. For every store that is remodeled, Target expects a 2 to 4 percent sales lift.

Executives told investors last week that Target will accelerate the pace of remodels to 300 next year. This year, the retailer is redoing 110 stores, including its Midway store in St. Paul and the St. Louis Park store at Hwy. 100; 436 stores are receiving smaller updates such as the addition of self checkout lanes or a new Starbucks.

The average remodel will cost about $5 million, not as extensive as that of the Nicollet Mall store. And each one will differ based on the needs and volume of the store.

“It’s hard to overstate how different what we’re doing today is to what we did in the past where we just stamped out prototype stores,” said John Mulligan, Target’s chief operating officer.

At the same time, Aldi is also renovating many stores.

And Walmart is in the midst of a multibillion-dollar effort to refresh about 500 stores a year. Those remodels include spiffing up the electronics department with more attractive display tables and adding more farmers market-type bins to the grocery department, said Anne Hatfield, a Walmart spokeswoman.

Still, Walmart’s remodels are not as dramatic or sweeping as Target’s, said Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData Retail.

Still, he said Target could be even more innovative with the remodels. After all, Amazon is experimenting with a store concept without a checkout lane.

“This is a good starting point,” he said. “But it’s not just about tidying up for today. You have to think ahead five to 10 years.”

The cosmetic changes, he added, don’t mask some of Target’s other shortcomings such as continued problems with out-of-stock items and its grocery department.

A place to show off

Now that the two-level Nicollet Mall store has had a top-to-bottom makeover, its first since it opened in 2001, it’s once again a flagship for Target and a place the retailer can show off to its many vendor partners.

As Perdew walked around the store last week, he made a mental list of small things he wanted to tweak or change. But he also saw a lot he liked, starting with the remodeled Starbucks cafe and the 71-foot-long curved LED screen above the skyway level entrance that can be seen from the street.

An eye-popping mural on the second floor designed by a local artist includes icons from the company’s — and city’s — past from Prince to the Dayton brothers who founded Target.

Perdew pointed out the wood treatments and specialty lighting throughout the store.

“They bring in warmth throughout the check lanes and entry experience so it’s more like a foyer instead of a mudroom — that’s the goal,” he said. “It’s amazing what lighting can do.”

This is the first store in the chain to get a new “gift-and-go” section near the entrance. Through Sept. 3, it’s featuring Minnesota-made products such as Peace Coffee, Sota Clothing, North Mallow Marshmallows and Da Bomb Bath Fizzers as part of a localization test. The area will be changed out with other themes and products about once a month to highlight seasonal products for occasions such as Valentine’s Day.

Fresh produce and grab-and-go meals, with more attractive displays, have been moved to the front of the store. It also has one of the newer Sephora-like beauty layouts that will be in 70 stores by the end of the year, which has huge digital screens behind it displaying videos and images to draw more visual interest.

And a soundtrack with upbeat, catchy tunes also has been added, playing over the store’s speakers.

“If you don’t have music, the sound is shopping carts that rattle, kids screaming at their mothers, people on phones, that kind of stuff,” Perdew said. “So the music makes sense. You want to make sure you’re activating all five senses when you’re creating an experience in stores.”

Also being added to stores: employees with handheld devices who can see if there are different sizes or colors online and have the product shipped to the customer’s home. Two employees are in each of 100 stores now, and the service will be chain-wide by the holidays.