High-Margin Products Every OPE Dealer Should Be Selling
For many outdoor power equipment (OPE) dealerships, the focus is often on selling the next mower, chainsaw or trimmer. While equipment sales drive revenue, some of the biggest opportunities to increase dealership profitability come from accessories, replacement parts, maintenance packages and convenience services that customers need long after the initial purchase. During a recent Dealer’s Edge, dealers shared practical ideas for increasing margins, improving customer retention and creating additional revenue streams without adding more customers through the door.
Stop Focusing Only on Equipment Sales
One of the key themes of the discussion was the importance of looking beyond the equipment itself and focusing on total customer value. The most profitable OPE dealerships understand that a mower sale is often the beginning of a long-term relationship, not the end of a transaction.
Every piece of equipment creates opportunities for:
- Accessories
- Replacement parts
- Service and maintenance
- Seasonal tune-ups
- Pickup and delivery
- Future equipment purchases
As Clint Sanders pointed out, dealerships often spend significant marketing dollars to attract new customers but may overlook opportunities to generate additional revenue from customers already standing at the sales counter.
High-Margin Accessories That Increase OPE Dealership Profitability
Many customers leave the dealership with only the mower or equipment they originally planned to purchase. The group discussed how dealers can increase accessory sales by asking better questions and identifying how customers plan to use their equipment.
Popular high-margin accessories for zero-turn mowers and lawn tractors include:
- Mulch kits
- Bagger systems
- Striping kits
- Suspension seats
- Hitch kits
- Lighting kits
- Equipment covers
- Trailer accessories
- Additional blade sets
Instead of asking, “Do you want a bagger?” dealers were encouraged to ask questions that uncover customer needs, such as how they plan to manage leaves and grass clippings or whether the machine will be stored indoors or outdoors. Those conversations naturally lead to product recommendations that add value for the customer while increasing revenue for the dealership.
The discussion also highlighted that accessories are most often purchased at the time of sale. Once a customer leaves with the machine, the likelihood of them returning to buy those add-ons decreases significantly.
Why Service Packages Are an Untapped Revenue Opportunity
Many dealers see the greatest margin opportunities after the equipment leaves the showroom floor.
The group discussed the value of offering prepaid maintenance program that include:
- Oil changes
- Filters
- Blade sharpening or replacement
- Equipment inspections
- Pickup and delivery
- Winterization services
- Priority service scheduling
By introducing maintenance packages during the sales process, dealers can increase immediate revenue while securing future service business. Customers benefit because maintenance is scheduled in advance, reducing the likelihood of missed service intervals and costly repairs.
Brian Kovar compared the concept to scheduling a future dental appointment before leaving the office. Customers appreciate having one less thing to remember, while dealerships gain a predictable source of recurring service revenue.
Pickup and Delivery Services Can Boost Profit Margins
Convenience is becoming a major competitive advantage in the outdoor power equipment industry.
Several dealers shared how pickup and delivery services help differentiate their business and improve customer loyalty. For homeowners especially, transportation can be a significant challenge when servicing large equipment.
Some ideas discussed included:
- Standard scheduled pickup and delivery
- Priority pickup services
- Same-day or next-day pickup options
- Seasonal pickup promotions
- Scheduled parts delivery for commercial customers
The conversation reinforced an important idea: customers are often willing to pay for convenience. While they may be able to purchase products online, dealerships can create value through service, expertise and time savings.
Are Your Customers Buying Parts Somewhere Else?
One of the biggest concerns raised during the discussion was the growing number of customers, particularly commercial landscapers, purchasing replacement parts online instead of through their local dealership.
Customers regularly need:
- Mower blades
- Belts
- Air filters
- Fuel filters
- Spark plugs
- Trimmer line
- Chains
- Bar oil
- Batteries
- Fuel treatments
The challenge is not whether customers need these it
ems. The challenge is ensuring they buy them from the dealership instead of online retailers or competing suppliers.
Several participants noted that convenience often outweighs price. If dealers can simplify ordering, offer delivery options and proactively communicate with customers, they may be able to win back a larger share of those ongoing parts purchases.
How to Strengthen Relationships with Commercial Landscaping Customers
The group spent considerable time discussing strategies for commercial customers who operate fleets of mowers and outdoor power equipment.
Ideas included:
- Pre-season parts programs
- Financing accessories and consumables alongside equipment purchases
- Parts delivery routes
- Customer appreciation events
- Fleet maintenance planning sessions
One example shared was a dealership that hosts an annual gathering for commercial landscapers during the winter. The dealership reviews customers’ fleets, analyses previous parts purchases and prepares recommendations for the upcoming season. According to the example discussed, the event regularly generates substantial spring parts orders while strengthening customer relationships.
Rather than simply competing on price, dealers can position themselves as business partners who help landscapers reduce downtime, improve efficiency and keep crews productive throughout the season.
Seasonal Maintenance Kits Create Additional Revenue
Another opportunity discussed was packaging frequently purchased items into seasonal maintenance kits.
Examples include:
Spring
- Tune-up kits
- Blades
- Belts
- Batteries
Summer
- Trimmer line
- Replacement filters
- Commercial maintenance supplies
Fall
- Leaf collection accessories
- Blowers
- Chainsaw accessories
Winter
- Fuel stabilizers
- Storage products
- Winterization kits
Customers often do not know exactly which parts they need. Bundling products together simplifies the buying process, increases average transaction value and creates a better customer experience.
Focus on Total Customer Value
The most successful dealerships do not measure success solely by the number of mowers sold. They focus on the total lifetime value of each customer.
Every equipment sale creates opportunities to generate revenue through accessories, parts, service and convenience offerings. By training staff to ask better questions, offering maintenance programs, simplifying parts purchasing and providing services customers genuinely need, dealerships can increase profitability without relying solely on new equipment sales.
As the discussion concluded, the message was clear: don’t just sell the equipment. Sell the complete solution. Dealers who focus on total customer value will create stronger customer relationships, generate more recurring revenue and build a more profitable outdoor power equipment business.
Thank you to everyone who joined this Dealer’s Edge conversation and shared what is happening inside their dealerships.
Dealer’s Edge meets every second Friday of the month at 11 am ET. It brings dealers together to talk through the challenges, opportunities, and decisions that shape our businesses. Topics include sales, service, operations, staffing, and growth. If you want to learn from peers, share practical ideas, and take part in honest conversations that move the industry forward, join us.
