- Boat shoppers made December a month to remember for retailers, traffic climbed (+39% YoY) and listing views jumped (+61% YoY); Leads nearly doubled (+95% YoY)
- Ski-wake, pontoon and cruiser categories remained top leaders for YoY lead growth
- The Plains, Southwest and West Coast regions saw most YoY lead increases
While the future is never known, there is hope for light ahead and soon we will all be on the water again. December data from Boats Group’s Boat Trader, YachtWorld and boats.com marketplaces implies many boaters feel the same way. Last month, with the tough year nearly in the rearview mirror, boat buyers drove increases in traffic (+39% YoY), listing views (+61% YoY) and leads (+95% YoY) over December 2019, and put their 2021 purchase plans in gear.
The figures show Florida, the Great Lakes and Southeast regions led in total leads, and the Plains, Southwest and West Coast areas led for YoY lead growth. All major boat types saw more than +90% YoY increases in leads for the month with the ski/wake, pontoon and cruiser categories persisting to hold the most YoY growth.
Given sustained triple-digit lead growth across all regions and strong demand spanning the market, the first quarter of 2021 is expected to see the sales trends continue. In fact, boating is poised to grow and thrive for years to come.
As the industry welcomes waves of new boaters, Boat Trader has launched #CleanWake, a grassroots-style awareness campaign about picking up trash and reducing marine debris. The goal is to reach people new to the water and promote keeping waterways clean and trash-free. Boaters are starting a ripple effect by posting a picture of them picking up trash and saying “challenge accepted” to @BoatTraderUSA and tagging #cleanwake on Instagram. Using the hashtag, marine businesses can also get involved, get noticed, and help inspire boaters.
Right now, as we feel refreshed by simply having 2020 behind us, now is the time to resolve to give new marketing ideas a try, enhance resources, nurture customer relationships, and ride this exciting wave of new entrants joining the boating community.
View Entire Report
Media Contact: Jenny Burkett, press@boats.com