Nov. 10, 2008 – PWC Digest
Through August, PWC sales down more than 20 percent
Last issue’s reporting of August’s sales numbers rightly caused concern among those in the industry, so we thought we’d look at the year’s sales a little more in-depth.
Using information provided by Statistical Surveys, which bases its numbers on registration data from key states, we discovered that, while August was indeed a shocker, it was compared to August 2007, a month that showed an uncharacteristic spike in sales. The reason can likely be traced to a sales promotion of some sort, but again, August 2007 was an uncharacteristically good month, causing the year-over-year numbers to appear likely worse than expected. Looking from a long-term perspective, both year-over-year and year-to-date numbers, while cause for concern, aren’t quite as dire.
According to Statistical Surveys, the PWC market was down 26.5 percent year-to-date through August. Looking at a rolling 12-month basis, from July 31, 2007 to Aug. 1, that number is softened slightly more, with the figures indicating a 21.8 percent decline.
Popularity Contest
And the most popular model? As of Sept. 30, that’s once again Yamaha’s VX Deluxe, joined in the top three by the VX Cruiser. That makes it four years in a row that a VX model has topped the sales charts.
“The VX series has changed the way consumers look at entry-level PWC,” said Bryan Seti, Yamaha’s national marketing manager. “Incredibly low cost of ownership and minimal maintenance combined with excellent performance and a long list of standard features make the VX series the most popular PWC in the industry today.”
Syracuse Event Grows
Upstate Watercraft Promotions recently announced the signing of a two-year agreement with the Syracuse (N.Y.) Convention and Visitors Bureau to host the Toyota U.S. Open of Watercross. Scheduled for the weekends of May 30-31 and June 5-6, 2009, the event will be held on Syracuse’s Onondaga Lake. For more information, visit www.uwpinc.com. PSB