Stern Pinball’s Sales Have Grown 15-20% Annually Since 2008
- Jason
- May 16, 2023
- 1 min read
Updated: May 17, 2023
The business publication The Economist published an article about pinball earlier this week that I've been curious about for days. Alas, the article was for registered users only. Fortunately for us, I just remembered that I actually used to subscribe to The Economist (don't knock it until you try it. It's interesting for business stuff) so I logged in to see what they had to say about our beloved hobby.
The most interesting part to me was the following statement from Stern Pinball's Zach Sharpe:
Sales of new machines have risen by 15-20% every year since 2008, says Zach Sharpe, of Stern Pinball, which after WMS closed became the last remaining major maker. "We have not looked back," he says. Next year the firm is moving to a new factory, twice the size of its current one, in the north-west suburbs of Chicago.
That's some pretty serious growth.
Zach's brother, IFPA President Josh Sharpe, went on to add that the number of IFPA-sanctioned pinball tournaments has quadrupled since 2014 to 8,300 in 2022.
Beyond that, the article is pretty short and doesn't contain many other statistics, but those two sure are interesting. Below is a link to the article for anyone who's interested:
Pinball is booming in America, thanks to nostalgia and canny marketing
A generations-old game makes a comeback
Stern Pinball’s consistent growth over the years is proof that even classic industries can thrive with the right strategy. Their ability to adapt and maintain customer engagement is impressive, especially in a digital-first world. This reminds me of how professionals in other industries, like dentistry, need a strong online presence to stay competitive. That’s why https://medium.com/@makarenko.roman121/why-dentists-should-invest-in-seo-5b1775c056bd is so important—just as pinball companies leverage branding and visibility to attract players, dentists can use SEO to reach new patients and build long-term success. Strong marketing strategies are essential, no matter the industry.