Wholesale dollar boat sales up 6.8 percent

CHICAGO, Ill. – Wholesale dollar sales of all boats were up 6.8 percent through November 2003 compared to previous year numbers, but unit boat shipments were down 5.1 percent, according to the November Monthly Shipment Report issued by the National Marine Manufacturers Association.

The report went on to say that numbers for the traditional powerboat segments, outboard, sterndrive, and inboard boats, are better, up 9.3 percent in dollars and up 1.2 percent in units shipped for November YTD, compared to the previous year.

“With one month to go, wholesale numbers in the traditional segment look like they’ll do slightly better than in 2002 at the unit level,” NMMA market statistics director Jim Petru said. “We’ll have to wait until March for the states to report their new powerboat sales figures for the fourth quarter to Statistical Surveys, to see what the impact was at the retail level.”

December flash report
The flash report for December indicates that, compared to the same time period last year, wholesale shipments (in terms of dollars) will be up for the month. The Flash Report (shown below) is a quick read of the month just completed, providing a preliminary look at wholesale shipments while NMMA awaits the balance of the control group to submit its monthly sales. (Flash Report estimates are representative of the final figures with an average deviation of 1-2%.)

Flash Report
Percent Change Current Month versus the same period in 2002:

MONTH December 2003
UNITS -0.4 percent
DOLLARS +7.0 percent

More companies participated in the 2003 program compared to 2002, providing more accurate statistical data, according to NMMA. The number of companies taking part increased from 118 to 134.

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. The information allows companies to measure their sales compared to the rest of the boat and engine manufacturers.

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