75% More Women are Shopping for Boats Across the U.S., According to Boat Trader

Pandemic drives surge in women shopping for boats on the largest boating marketplace

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Sep 02, 2020, 09:04 ET

MIAMI, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- According to Boat Trader, America's largest online boating marketplace, there has been a tidal wave of women shopping for boats from coast-to-coast this summer. Reports of banner-year boat sales have been making national headlines and Boat Trader's latest data suggests the surge is partially due to women and mothers sequestered with kids, who have quickly directed their family and friends to the waterfront for some much-needed fun. In fact, the overall number of women visiting Boat Trader has increased +75% YoY across all age groups (18 - 24 years (+198%), 25 - 34 years (+71%), 35 - 44 years (+37%), 45 - 54 years (+55%), 55 - 64 years (+65%) and 65-plus years (+126%)).

Historically, women have made up the largest niche market of boaters and filled a significant role in the decision-making process within their households, and their influence over the purchase of a boat only continues to evolve. Spurred by the pandemic, more women are getting involved at an earlier stage - researching and browsing boat inventory online - making the shift in female participation stand out in these unprecedented times.

"At Boat Trader, we're uniquely positioned to observe the market, and as we've watched this tremendous groundswell of boat sales happen, we sought to understand if a shift in consumer behavior was a secondary driver," said Courtney Chalmers, Boats Group's vice president of marketing. "As interest in family-friendly and multipurpose boats continues to increase, there is a clear connection to the rise in female participation at the top of the funnel."

Further evidence of this trend is the sustained traffic growth on Boat Trader by women beyond the peak of the boating season as travel plans and crowded events are still postponed. Given the fluctuating restrictions, unknown duration and lasting effects of the pandemic, women are embracing boating as a way for their families to safely connect with others and be active in the near-term. The 105% YoY increase in pontoon boat searches made by women indicates that versatility, ease of operation and ample space for seating are among their top desired features.

And this participation is not fading after the initial research is done. Women are also showing a new level of engagement further down the funnel as they contact sellers for more information to evaluate boats for sale. In fact, leads submitted by women are up 341% over the same four-month period last year.

"This is a celebrated milestone for the boating industry, which, over the past decade has focused on increasing female participation," said Chalmers. "As the gap between male and female participation in the boat-buying journey continues to narrow as more women lead the charge, the industry becomes better positioned for long-term health and closer to retiring the one-sided stereotype of boating."

For more information about Boat Trader, visit www.boattrader.com, download the Boat Trader app, and find the brand on Facebook and Instagram.

About Boat Trader
Since 1991, Boat Trader has delivered more boat buyers to dealers, brokers and private party sellers than any other advertising source. Long before the world relied on Google, Boat Trader magazine was the go-to place to sell a boat. In 2008, the magazine successfully shifted its business model from print to digital media, and today Boat Trader reaches more than 10 million visitors per month. Designed to cater to consumer interest for boats under 40 feet, Boat Trader proudly displays over 100,000 boats for sale. To experience the marine industry's leading marketplace, visit www.boattrader.com, and also download the Boat Trader app for the latest way to search for boats on a mobile device.

About Boats Group
Boats Group's brands - YachtWorld, Boat Trader, Boats.com, Cosas De Barcos, iNautia, and Annonces du Bateau - are the largest online marketplaces for boats and yachts in the world and have been partners in the boating industry for nearly 20 years. Boats Group also provides marine businesses with a comprehensive suite of technology-based marketing solutions, including advertising, lead generation, CRM, website design and hosting. Additionally, Boats Group supports brokers and dealers by providing brokerage services through its YachtCloser contract management solution, and BoatWizard, the industry's leading inventory management system and MLS. Boats Group is recognized as the marine industry's marketplace authority. Boats Group is headquartered in Miami, Florida, United States, with additional operations in Fareham, England, Padova, Italy and Barcelona, Spain. Boats Group is owned by Apax Partners. For more information, visit www.boatsgroup.com.