Powerboat Retail Sales Climb for 3rd Consecutive Month
New data from the NMMA show wholesale shipments of new boats increased for the third consecutive month in July, doubling compared to June on a seasonally adjusted basis, as boat building production continued to gain momentum across all boat categories.
“Manufacturing has steadily been ramping back up with production at 92% of where it was last year as manufacturers continued filling backorders to meet the surge in demand for new boats,” noted Vicky Yu, NMMA director of business intelligence.
The latest data also show new powerboat retail sales are continuing to climb, up 22% in July on a seasonally adjusted basis compared to the same month a year ago.
“Personal watercraft, outboard boats, and jet boats drove growth in July – both wholesale and retail – reflecting the high demand from new boat buyers,” said Yu.
Highlights from the July Monthly Shipment Report and New Powerboat Registrations dashboard include:
- Wholesale shipments of PWCs were up an unprecedented 271% in July compared to June, on a seasonally adjusted basis; wholesale shipments of outboard boats returned to pre-pandemic levels and were up 7% compared to June, and wholesale shipments of jet boats were up 176% in July compared to June.
- All high volume new powerboat segments through July saw retail sales increases from 5% – 10% for the year.
- Retail sales of cruisers, freshwater fishing boats, pontoons, and towboats have recovered from early pandemic-related losses and in July reached their highest monthly sales totals since 2007.
Access the reports on NMMA.org/statistics. An MSR annual subscription includes complimentary access to the New Powerboat Registrations Report. It is available to subscribers and at no charge to member companies contributing their data to the MSR. Contact intel@nmma.org with questions.
Jeremy Mallette is co-founder of International Sportsman. An avid hunter and outdoorsman, he has spent more than a decade in the outdoor industry, from hiking and camping to silencers and hunting. His father taught him to shoot at age six, and he received his first firearm at age eight — a 1942 Colt Commando .38 special revolver. He enjoys yearly trips to Kansas for pheasant hunting, spending time with his children at the deer lease, and collecting unique firearms.