“ Lies, damned lies and Statistics “ is a phrase attributed by Marck Twain to Benjamin Disraeli; though it is not certain. Since then, the phrase has been pronounced many times to express contempt for contemptious arguments “reinforced” data.
The trouble with using statistics to support an opinion you agree with is that it can lead you in an unexpected or even desired direction.
When forming an opinion one needs to be able to clearly identify the objective.
In the above case both
@jviss and
@Phil Herring are correct and supported by marketing opinion about the boat industry. What?
The sited forecast may help explain if you are in the sail segment of the industry you feel depressed and may want to change your direction to the power side and boats bigger than 16ft.
Examining APS’s change decision with the decline in sail boat market and the appeal of clothing expanding markets as well as the fact that power and sail boat users wear pretty much the same clothing not to speak about the wannabe public it probably was an easy sale to their leadership to change. A silver lining to their growing woes. But clothing trends are known to be fickle. Time will tell.
So Phil was correct (in my opinion) that the general market trend of the sail boat industry is waning. And jviss is correct when looking at the general boat trends especially the power boat side. This is supported by the experience of my friends in the aluminum power boat manufactured segments. Certainly evidenced by the volume and crowd participation observed at the Seattle Boat Show over the past 3 years.
Wasn’t it only 14 months ago that word out of West Marine by the board was a decision to shift from boat parts to clothing. They hired a Target Store CEO. Moved and expanded clothing in the stores. Then CEO was changed and new Canadian money acquired the store. Who knows where it will go now.
In my opinion the sail boat industry will continue contracting unless there is a significant increase in new young sailors to the sport.