75% More Women Are Shopping For Boats [Boater Interest News]

Boat dealer websites are seeing an uptick in female visitors who may be in the market for a new boat.

Women are shopping more than usual — but not for clothes or jewelry. Recent data from Boat Trader found that 75% more women are shopping for boats online. This data was collected during the summer months of 2020 and it’s consistent from coast to coast.

Denison found a 52% increase in female visitors to the website from June through September 2020. Boat Trader found the overall number of women visiting their website increased by 75% across all age groups. Boat Trader’s latest data suggests the surge is partially due to women looking for fun ways to incorporate travel into their lives while COVID-19 travel restrictions are in place.

Historically, women make up the largest niche market of boaters and play a significant role in the decision-making process within their households. During the pandemic, it seems that more women are involved in the early stage purchasing process of buying a new boat.

“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 Boats Group’s Vice President of Marketing, Courtney Chalmers. “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.”

Given the fluctuating restrictions and lasting effects of the pandemic, women are embracing boating as a way for their families to safely connect with others. Boat Trader assumes that female participation in the purchasing process is not just limited to initial research — women are showing a new level of engagement further by contacting sellers for more information. Leads submitted by women are up 341% over the same four-month period last year (2019), according to Boat Trader.

“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.”

Denison is excited to learn about the rise in female boat shoppers. Yachting is a family activity that involves the whole family, which starts with initial research and inquiry process. Contact a Denison yacht broker to start the search for your next dream boat.