Flattening boat sales positive for consumers and the industry

After a record year in 2021, boating sales in Canada have been trending downwards amid rising costs and inflation.

But industry experts in Simcoe County say it's a good thing, both for the consumer and the industry.

Boat dealers are in the heart of another strong season, but not quite at the level of pandemic-era years when people were eager to get outdoors.

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"Sales are still going strong. We're definitely not seeing the unprecedented levels of demand," said Jesse Davis of Legend Boats in Barrie. "(we're) 20 to 24 percent down in retail sales over the last year or the year before, which is actually fantastic. It's allowing the supply chain to normalize, allowing dealers to get inventory back in the pipeline."

Several factors have caused consumers to be more cautious with their money, such as rising grocery, fuel prices and interest rates.

"That little extra payment that you thought you had for your boat or your ATV or more or less your toys, that's not as much now," said Scott Dallimore of Sandy Cove Marine Services in Innisfil.

Dallimore said he's still in disbelief over what the industry saw through the pandemic.

"It (sales) went through the roof," he added. "I've been in this industry all my life, and I've never seen what we had in the pandemic where people were putting deposits on boats that weren't even built yet."

While boat sales saw an unprecedented peak during the pandemic, with demand coming back down, it's benefiting consumers once again, with more inventory means more deals and promotions.