What happened
Shares of Camping World Holdings (CWH 1.18%) climbed 17.1% in September, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence, after the recreational vehicle retailer announced an expanded dealer network and a notable change in its retail strategy.
Of course, it helped that Camping World stock entered last month hovering near its lowest level since going public in late 2016 -- a consequence of few signs of improvement in the sluggish RV market and, in turn, the company's disappointing second-quarter report in August.
IMAGE SOURCE: CAMPING WORLD HOLDINGS.
So what
More specifically, Camping World shares began to rally early last month, when management announced a new plan "to strategically shift away from locations where the company does not have the ability or where it is not feasible to sell and/or service RVs."
"We believe the sales and/or servicing of recreational vehicles is our core and most important offering, and with the RV and outdoor consumer crossover, we believe there is an opportunity to continue growing our market share and improve our financial performance through the operation of locations with RV sales and/or service and, when feasible, our hunting, fishing, and camping products," said Camping World CEO Marcus Lemonis.
As it stands, Camping World operates 165 locations that sell and/or service RVs, and 37 locations that don't -- with the latter category focusing primarily on selling Camping World's various non-core outdoor lifestyle products. Still, while Camping World is attempting to obtain the necessary developmental approvals to sell and service RVs at those locations, it anticipates closing, relocating, or repurposing at least 27 stores when all is said and done.
Now what
Camping World also plans to continue opening new RV dealerships and making additional strategic dealer acquisitions as opportunities present themselves. Coupled with the company's renewed focus on its core RV sales and service business, that should leave Camping World better positioned to continue dominating this niche.
Until the RV sales market shows more tangible signs of sustained improvement, however, I suspect the upside to buying or holding Camping World stock today remains limited. And I'm content continuing to watch this story play out from the sidelines.
