Preliminary data from market data firm Statistical Surveys showed that May experienced a slight glitch in the torrid pace of new-boat registrations.
Total industry registrations, representing 25 states, or about 47 percent of the U.S. boating market, were down 9.2 percent for the month, compared with last year, but were up 2.3 percent in the main powerboat categories.
Contributing to the decline could be the extremely low inventory levels that have plagued dealers since the selling spree began, or that it’s nearly impossible to use last year’s scorching numbers as a baseline for comparison.
“It’s both,” said Ryan Kloppe, sales director with Statistical Surveys, the Michigan firm that tracks new-boat registrations. “You have tough comparables and zero inventory.”
The numbers are likely to rise as data come in from the remaining states.
On a year-to-year basis, overall registrations were up 38 percent in the main powerboat categories and 37 percent in all segments, with 119,157 boats sold.
Several categories that had been putting up solid numbers were down for the month. PWC sales totaled 6,299 units (from 8,270), a 24 percent decline. Bowriders and deckboats posted a 9.3 percent loss for the month (577 units from 636), and jetboats were down 50 percent, with sales of 329 units (from 641).
To read the full story from Jeff Moser in Trade Only Today, click here.
