Same-store boat dealer sales up 25 percent in February

Boat dealers showed robust growth in February, with same-store sales growing by more than 25 percent year-over-year, CDK Global Recreation reported.

Sales were up by double digits in all categories, according to the latest report from CDK Global Recreation, which is based on data from users of the company’s Lightspeed software. It was the biggest increase in more than four years.

It was a far cry from the last two February reports, which found same-store sales basically flat year over year (up 0.3 percent in 2015; up 0.8 percent in 2014).

Unit sales led the way for the month, up 28.3 percent over February 2015. That was the biggest increase since unit sales increased 31.2 percent in December 2014, and the second month in a row of growth.

Service department revenue was up 13.8 percent over the previous year, after a 5.7 percent decline in January. It was the 12th time in the last 13 months that service revenue increased.

Parts and accessories sales also grew in February, up 10.3 percent. That ended a run of seven straight year-over-year declines and was the best mark since sales increased 16.8 percent in April 2015.