ibinews.com International Boat Industry | AUGUST–SEPTEMBER 2019 31
Sales are spreading up the size rangeREAL GDP GROWTH (2018) 1.8%
REAL GDP GROWTH (2019 est) 1.8%
NUMBER OF ADULTS 4.1 MILLION
NUMBER $ MILLIONAIRES 185.000
BOAT PARK 800,000
CONSUMER CONFIDENCE
(Change in index points Jun/Jul) -0.5%
NEW CAR SALES
(Change Jan-Jun ‘18/19) +1.9%NORWAY
Achieves 22°C
whatever
the weather
outside
photo courtesyVECO S.p.A. Giussano, Italy
+39 0362 35321 | [email protected] | veco.netCannes Yachting Festival | Sept 10-15 | PAN152
Genova Boat Show | Sept 19-24 | N9
Monaco Yacht Show | Sept 25-28 | Darse Sud QS30
METS| Nov 19-21 | 02.301L
ast year’s warm summer
provided a shot in the arm for
the Norwegian boating market.
“There were two to three times as
many boats out on the Fjords. The
temperatures went from 0oC in April
to over 20oC within a week,” recalls
Leif Bergass at Norwegian boating
association Norboat. “It was the
warmest summer for 50 years – dealers
were selling boats well into December.
It’s meant we’ve had a
good start to 2019 and
attendance was up at the
Oslo boat show (March)
by 5%.” Mirroring
trends in Sweden,
outboard-powered
4m-9m fibreglass day
cruisers and bow riders
are leading the charge,
but sales of bigger boats,
from 10m-15m, are also
growing, though in much smaller
volumes. “The future’s very bright for
the boat business in Norway for the
time being,” Bergass confirmed to IBI.
“The 4m-9m boats are selling in
their thousands, but builders are also
speaking of more interest, customers
and better leads for the 10m-15m
category too. Marinas are also doing
well – in fact anywhere offering
storage, servicing and repairs are
having their best time for 20 years.”One development of slight
concern, Bergass admits, was the recent
interest rate rise in March – the first
for some seven years. Though modest
(up 0.25%) and in line with market
analyst expectations, the Norges Bank
also gave a strong signal that it would
hike rates again within six months.
“People have loans on their houses and
their cars – if the economy is a little bit
stressed, they’ll be less likely to think
about buying boats this year.”
Macroeconomics aside, a 2018
survey conducted on behalf of Norboat
presents a positive trend for boating
engagement in Norway. In total,
Norwegian households own more than
900,000 recreational boats (including
canoes/kayaks, dinghies, sail and
motorboats). Since 2011 there has been
an increase of more than 150,000 boats.
Most boats are found in southern and
western Norway, although the greatest
boat density is to be found in northern
Norway where almost four out of 10
households have a boat.
Looking at the potential, one in
eight households replied that they
plan to buy a new boat within the next
five years. It represents a potential of
40,000 to 50,000 boats a year – note
the definition of boat also includes
kayaks, canoes and PWCs.
The momentum carried from 2018
has had a positive knock-on effect on
Norway’s legions
of equipment
suppliers, refit and
repair specialists,
distributors and
retailers supplying
domestic markets.
In December,
Norway’s largest
equipment
dealer Maritim
(Norwegian NMS)
and Swedish retailer Hjertmans, who
had been working together under
the same ownership since July 2017,
announced they would be tying up
with Swedish distributor and retailer
Byggplast (SeaSea), with a focus on
increasing profitability. With a total of
two wholesale concepts, three retail
web shops, 25 owned stores and about
30 franchise/partner stores, the new
group will have revenues of around
SEK 650m. n4m-9m boats are
selling in their
thousands, but builders
are also speaking of more
customers and better leads
for the 10m-15m
sector too Norboat’s Leif Bergass