Powerboat sales improving at wholesale level
CHICAGO, Ill. – Wholesale dollar sales of all boats through July were up 9.2 percent compared to the previous year’s numbers, while unit boat shipments were down 3.8 percent, the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) reported yesterday in its July Monthly Shipment Report (MSR).
However, the traditional powerboat segments, (outboard, sterndrive, and inboard boats) were up 11.1 percent in dollars and up 8.0 percent in units shipped through July, compared to the previous year, the association stated.
“The traditional powerboat segment continued to show improvement compared to 2002 at the wholesale level as dealers augmented their inventory in the heat of the boating season,” said NMMA statistics director Jim Petru.
August wholesale dollar sales expected to be up
The flash report for August suggests that, compared to the same time period last year, wholesale unit shipments are estimated to be down 0.3 percent, while dollars are estimated to be up 10.2 percent.
The flash report is a quick read of the month just completed which provides a preliminary look at wholesale shipments while NMMA awaits the balance of the control group to submit their monthly sales. Flash report estimates are representative of the final figures with an average deviation of 1 to 2 percent, according to the association.
NMMA’s MSR tracks manufacturers’ shipments to dealers for both boats and outboard engines using a control group of boat and engine manufacturers.
The 2003 boat control group represents about 85 percent of the overall boat marketplace while the 2003 outboard engine control group represents about 95 percent of the market.
Companies participating in the control group are asked to contribute their sales figures by the fifteenth of each following month. The numbers referenced in the flash report reflect those that were contributed by the deadline date. Final numbers accounting for all submitted reports are usually available within the next 30 days.
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